Does anything else look like coccidiosis?

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NicoleRM

NicoleRM

Songster
13 Years
Dec 2, 2007
346
3
216
Williston, FL
I brought one of my lavender Ameraucana cockerels in the house Sunday because he was looking and acting strange in the run. He's wobbly/weak on his feet, sitting huddled and fluffed up, head drawn in, thin, pale, etc...basically all the symptoms I would expect for coccidiosis minus the bloody stools. His are green - I presume from not eating. As far as I can tell he hasn't eaten or drunk anything on his own since I brought him in and isn't trying to move around at all. I have been tube feeding him parrot handfeeding formula and administering Corid treated water. He hasn't shown any improvement or decline yet though. No change at all. Should I have expected some change by now if it was coccidiosis? Since no other birds are showing any symptoms of anything, my husband suspects he may have had a heat stroke or something to that effect since it has been so hot here and that he may never recover. Anyone have experience with that? Or any other ideas? I'm just not sure what to do. I'm sure the tube feeding is stressful for him and I don't want to prolong any suffering but I really love this bird and he's important to my project.



Here's the synopsis:

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
Ameraucana cockerel, 6 mos old, thin
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Huddled, lethargic, won't walk (seems weak), fluffed up, not eating or drinking
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Brought him inside Sunday
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
None
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Suspect coccidiosis.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
I have been tube feeding him parrot handfeeding formula and medicated water.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Green
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Corid in water
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
Prefer to treat myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
N/A
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Currently he is in a rabbit hutch in my house
 
I'm far from expert, but a couple of things do occur to me, from reading on here. Like you, I would think he would have responded to the Corid by now, at least to the point of eating on his own. Heat stress would seem a possibility. Aspergillosis occurs to me, too, especially if you were wetting down hay or straw bedding to fight the heat before you brought him in, as it's fungal. Worms, if they have not been wormed yet, though worming now might be pretty rough on him.

This is a pretty good link on diseases, if you don't already have it. I would think nonrespiratory, the ones nearer the end of the writeup:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

And the definitive manual:

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp
 
Florida? Yes, he may be weak from the heat. I have brought them in the house for a few days and given them water, elytes and vits, and made them yummy things to eat like soggy french toast. The lime green poo is usually from starving over weeks. It can happen when they have used up all their fat.
Could be coccidiosis, but they usually are sick way before the green poo.
Could be a blockage between the crop and vent. Make sure you can feel food in his crop during the day, and empty the next day. Mix some olive oil in his yummy gourmet meals.
Has he been around other sick birds?
 
No other sick birds.

No matter how gourmet the food I put out is, he won't touch it. No blockage because I'm monitoring his crop for tube feedings and it definitely empties.

I did just put hay in their nest box since I was expecting pullet eggs soon, but he doesn't have any respiratory symptoms.

I haven't wormed him yet. I suppose that and possibly antibiotics are my next step? I have Denagard and Tylan on hand in my critter first aid box.
 
It could be worms that has weakened him, if there's an infestation you might see worms in the poop. But at 6 months old with green poop usually indicates bile from not eating or a bacterial infection of some sort which couldve been brought on by something causing stress. Heat is a factor that couldve possibly weakened him causing bad gut bacteria to get out of control.
Tube feeding with probiotics, poultry nutri drench, buttermilk, and baytril (all mixed) will help get the bad bacteria in check and promote good bacteria to take over.
Denagard is used to treat MG/MS. Tylan is mainly used to treat respiratory diseases as well. Baytril would be your best bet. I Hope it works out for you but if it's a severe bacterial gut issue such as E Coli, it's tough to come back, it might be best to cull and have a necrosy done...give it at least a week to 10 days to treat, then decide.
 
Well I just made the nastiest smoothie ever. Ran out of parrot handfeeding formula so I blended soaked cat kibble, buttermilk, baby cereal, probiotic powder, poly-vit-sol, and honey.
sickbyc.gif
Baytril is on order. Fingers crossed for improvement. I really don't want to cull this guy.
fl.gif
 

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