Wheezing: Gape Worm or Respiratory?

[So Cal Chic]

I noticed my EE Fancypants wheezing Saturday night. Other than that, she was her active, normal friendly self

We got her and a flock mate four months ago when they were about four months old. Both heathy, active, super friendly and laying for about three months now. Purchased from reputable source.

Diet is free range, layers pellets, scratch and supplement daily with various greens (kale, lettuce, blueberries, etc.)

Wheezing Sunday morning but appetite was good. I gave her scrambled eggs w/Vita Pro B mixed in also some cottage cheese w/turmeric. Activity level was low--tail feathers up, standing up straight, alternating with sitting a lot, but still running over for food/snacks. By afternoon, wheezing and gasping for air, very little activity.

Fancypants has no Cocci symptoms, no Merecks. No runny nose, eyes or discharge so I ruled out infectious bronchitis. No throat obstruction. I isolated her Sunday night. Yesterday began treating orally w/Oxytetracycline and Sulfadimethoxine (for Cocci and other bacterial infection). She will not eat. It seems all her energy is focused on breathing. She extends her neck and gasps for air, wheezing in and out with each breath. Occasionally she coughs a screeching--sounds as if she's trying to clear her throat. Comb is red. Yesterday she laid a beautiful pale green egg. No fecal matter to diagnose at this point. Seems as if liquid is just going right through her. She has lost weight.

I've searched the forum and can't figure out if it's respiratory or gape worm, which I understand is rare in chickens. Night droppings for all flock look ok, no worms in fecal matter. And everybody looks fine. Good appetite, active, good color combs, egg production steady for new flock mate, the other mature hens are molting. Everyone is active, alert, normal.

Any ideas on what further I can do? Should I treat the entire flock w/antibiotics for respiratory as preventative?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You can shine a light down her throat to see if you can see any gape worms (small red, squiggly things) in the throat.

However, you are right. Gape worm is rare in most areas of the US.

I personally wouldn't have her on both oxy and sulfa...that is a bit over kill at this point. A "hail Mary" pass would be to treat with the sulfa at the recommended dosage as that kills a lot of gram negative bacteria and coccidia should it be either...but while MG can cause gasping, coccidiosis doesn't.

It sounds like Infectious Bronchitis as a possibility. That does produce wheezing and gasping. If so, it is viral, and the antibiotics will do nothing for it. I have placed elderberry tincture in the water and garlic in mash. I noticed my birds picked up noticeably after the elderberry when they had a bout of IB a few years back. Put about a tablespoon of syrup in a quart and see how she does.

Or it could be a blockage in her crop. Recheck to see if there is an obstruction.

I'm sorry she isn't doing well. Keep her calm, and dropper her with fluids if she isn't eating.

One last thing...it could be congestive heart failure. That can also cause gasping and wheezing. For that, there is little you can do.

Hopefully some TLC will get her right again soon.
LofMc

 

[So Cal Chic]

You can shine a light down her throat to see if you can see any gape worms (small red, squiggly things) in the throat.

However, you are right. Gape worm is rare in most areas of the US.

I personally wouldn't have her on both oxy and sulfa...that is a bit over kill at this point. A "hail Mary" pass would be to treat with the sulfa at the recommended dosage as that kills a lot of gram negative bacteria and coccidia should it be either...but while MG can cause gasping, coccidiosis doesn't.

It sounds like Infectious Bronchitis as a possibility. That does produce wheezing and gasping. If so, it is viral, and the antibiotics will do nothing for it. I have placed elderberry tincture in the water and garlic in mash. I noticed my birds picked up noticeably after the elderberry when they had a bout of IB a few years back. Put about a tablespoon of syrup in a quart and see how she does.

Or it could be a blockage in her crop. Recheck to see if there is an obstruction.

I'm sorry she isn't doing well. Keep her calm, and dropper her with fluids if she isn't eating.

One last thing...it could be congestive heart failure. That can also cause gasping and wheezing. For that, there is little you can do.

Hopefully some TLC will get her right again soon.
LofMc

Thanks for your reply. I took her to the vet yesterday. She was in severe distress. Vet said, without running diagnostic tests, which he didn't recommend, no way to know for sure, but respiratory infection was likely, based on what I'd done and told him I'd been able to rule out. He said he wouldn't be surprised if she passed. I had her euthanized as further treatment with antibiotics would not likely yield a return to health. So sad. She was such a beautiful, friendly bird.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. It would have been good to have had a necropsy done on her, just to try and identify what was wrong. Did you ever see any blood-tinged mucus from her beak? Without testing or a necropsy, it is hard to tell whether a respiratory disease is bacterial, viral, or fungal. Gapeworm is possible, but the worms cannot be seen without a necropsy. It can be treated with 5 straight days of fenbendazole (SafeGuard horse paste or liquid goat wormer) at a dosage of 1/4 ml per pound of weight. If you should have another ill chicken, and lose them, I would refrigerate the body, and contact your state vet or poultry lab. In California, necropsies are inexpensive. Casportpony has a good thread called "How to send a bird for a necropsy."

 

[casportpony]

So sorry for your loss. I see you are in Southern CA. Are you close to San Bernadino? If so, necropsies there are only $20.