5 to 7 year old bantam La Fleche hen with respiratory symptoms

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Good morning.

My last problem child was from the same coop (https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...unable-to-walk-tremors.1565616/#post-26571758). Symptoms are not remotely similar. We wound up putting him down.

In the beginning, I thought that perhaps she was having an emotional reaction to the loss of ^^ her man. I was wrong.

This little girl is 5 to 7 years old. She had been observed standing off to the side in her run. No one picking on her. Scooped her out and set her up in hospital with electrolytes and food. Was not and is not currently eating very much. She is drinking well. Dark watery poops (which improved in density/consistency with food/scrambled egg intake). Sitting quietly with eyes closed or head tucked back into wing. She has laid an egg since she has been up here.

Upon physical exam, nothing notable with the exception of the following: neck feathers.... were crackly... as in they had sustained some wetness and then dried, most likely from her weepy eyes. One eye has bubbles. Both are weepy. Both seem a little swollen, but not terribly bad. No nare discharge. A little shaking of her head plus a snort noise... perhaps trying to dislodge mucus? That happens infrequently.

Four days ago I started oxytet 10 (5/8 tsp per pint of water). She had shown a little improvement initially...but really, I guess I was expecting her to be looking much better and she simply is not.

Perhaps I am treating with the wrong antibiotics?

What else should I be looking for?

Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is there a bad odor from the mucous or about the head?

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Is there a bad odor from the mucous or about the head?

No odor that I noticed. I have been dropper feeding her the antibiotic laced H20, so I am pretty up close with her head when she is trying to evade my clutches. That said, my sense of smell is not the best for some things. I will see if I notice anything when it is light.

Also. I have added denagard 12.5 (1 ml per pint) to her water... plus some honey and nutridrench to mask the taste. Still not a fan.

Thank you for your response.

Quote

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos?
If she's got swelling or pus in the eyes, then it will need to be pressed out.

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Do you have photos?
If she's got swelling or pus in the eyes, then it will need to be pressed out.

By far, this is the worst she has looked. That said, when she walks around in her cage, her eyes are visible. She is more swollen vs just the puffy I've seen the past couple of days. The odor about her....it is very vague... a little 'off' but not a stomach churning kind of smell. Like watery chicken poop. Her neck feathers that had been soaking up the watery eye, have no odor at all.

Hope this helps.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Poor girl!
Any lesions inside the beak?

She's got a lot of swelling around the eyes which is usually pus. It will need to be pressed out and removed in order for her to heal. Flush the eyes with saline, remove the pus, then put some Terramycin in the eyes. Flush and ointment a couple of times a day, pus may need to be removed more than once or you may need to apply some warm compresses and work on it for a few days.

If the Oxytet and Denagard don't make a difference, then try a Sulfa antibiotic. Oxy will help with some infections like from MG or secondary infections when dealing with IB. Denagard only treats MG.
A Sulfa antibiotic will treat Coryza.

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Poor girl!
Any lesions inside the beak?

She's got a lot of swelling around the eyes which is usually pus. It will need to be pressed out and removed in order for her to heal. Flush the eyes with saline, remove the pus, then put some Terramycin in the eyes. Flush and ointment a couple of times a day, pus may need to be removed more than once or you may need to apply some warm compresses and work on it for a few days.

If the Oxytet and Denagard don't make a difference, then try a Sulfa antibiotic. Oxy will help with some infections like from MG or secondary infections when dealing with IB. Denagard only treats MG.
A Sulfa antibiotic will treat Coryza.

Ok. Thank you for the guidance. I have everything I need to try something else.

She was drinking the oxytet 'fine' (for the most part) on her own, but has not had much in the way of the denagard unless I have droppered it.

She really should have shown improvement by now, I think.

As a related aside, how is it that she is the only one that has come down with this? Is there anything I should do for the rest of the flock in the meantime?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you look inside her beak for any yellow or white pasty material or canker?

She may show improvement if the pus is removed from the eyes, the sinus and all that mess is probably clogged up making her a bit miserable.

You know, I've had folks ask how is it only one shows symptoms while the rest don't and I really don't have a great answer! She's older, she may have a weaker immune system?
The way I look at things like this is say someone in a household gets a cold or the flu. The hubby may show symptoms/be sick while the wife gets a much milder case or doesn't get sick, even though she's sleeping next to him, taking care of him, etc. Illnesses affect everyone and everything differently I suppose.

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Can you look inside her beak for any yellow or white pasty material or canker?

She may show improvement if the pus is removed from the eyes, the sinus and all that mess is probably clogged up making her a bit miserable.

You know, I've had folks ask how is it only one shows symptoms while the rest don't and I really don't have a great answer! She's older, she may have a weaker immune system?
The way I look at things like this is say someone in a household gets a cold or the flu. The hubby may show symptoms/be sick while the wife gets a much milder case or doesn't get sick, even though she's sleeping next to him, taking care of him, etc. Illnesses affect everyone and everything differently I suppose.

I looked inside her mouth and found nothing.

I also palpated her face about her eyes, and there is nothing 'hard' which is what I imagine the pus would feel like. Maybe in time?

After fighting with her one final time over the denagard, I decided to switch gears completely and go with sulmet 12.5 with a couple drops of vetrx mixed in. Swiped a drop across her nares. I used an ophthalmic antimicrobial gel in both eyes. I have the terrimycin to introduce her to tomorrow.

After one dose of the gel and maybe s TB of sulmet H20, I let her be and then came back later and her eyes were much bubblier.

Also of note, I saw her pecking at her crumble and she actually ate about half of one scrambled egg. Hadn't eaten anything in a couple of days prior...since I started drinking around w the denagard.

So that's where we are at.

I have truly appreciated your troubleshooting with me!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

There's other videos if you look them up on youtube, but I would see about working on the eyes. The video shows a basic concept of pus.