Antibiotics for chickens - suggestions?

[sunbear1224]

I need to purchase an antibiotic for my chicken first aid kit but seeing there are so many products out there, does anyone have a good suggestion of what is best to have on hand?
Thanks!!

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Tylan

 

[aoxa]

Why do you need an antibiotic?

Are these your pets?

Prevention is always better than cure.

 

[dawg53]

Penicillin G Procaine.
http://www.jefferspet.com/pro-pen-g/camid/LIV/cp/11520/

 

[farm-gal91]

Even though they are not antibiotics, electrolytes, electrolytes, electrolytes!!! Theses help so much and being in the veterinary field and owning chickens, ducks, and guineas, they help so much! The best anitbiotic for poultry is baytril, only avaliable through veterinarians, but any vet should be able to give you some if and when you have an emergency, it is great for almost anything! Be careful about giving "cattle" products to animals it is not labled for, there is a reason for this and if not careful you can kill your chicken or hurt it more than do good for it. VetRX is also a good product to have on hand, availiable at Tractor supply. Hope this helped a little

 

[sunbear1224]

Farm -gal 91:
Thanks so much for your suggestions! Nice to hear from someone with a veterinary background! I currently use a powdered mix called "rooster booster" which I did get from tractor supply. It has electrolytes plus loads of vitamins and minerals and also live cultured yogurt. Is this enough without antibiotics? I am asking because I recently had a chicken that died within 4 days after having what appeared to be some type of infection and I did try the powdered mix but she stopped taking anything and I could not get it down her. I feel as if I had access to an antibiotic she may have been saved, but it happened so fast I didn't get a chance to even research. I am trying to find a good antibiotic to have on hand in case it happens again to any of my other hens.
Thanks and Merry Christmas!!

 

[farm-gal91]

Rooster booster sounds great! I love vitamins and electrolytes for sick babies! A non-prescription drug that I have found great to have on hand as an antibiotic is vetRX and it is specifically for chickens and readily available at tractor supply. Non of these are ok alone in all circumstances though. I am so sorry in the loss of your hen. There is a possibility that an antibiotic could have helped, and it definitely doesn't hurt to try anyways. If you don't mind me asking, what symptoms did she have? Lethargy, sneezing? If you could get ahold of Baytril, that would be best for future sick chickies. I have used baytril on chickens and ducks of my own from staph infections to mild upper respiratory and it works great! Any local vet should be willing to dispense it.
As for the "cattle" injectable medications that many people use in chickens, I'm not fond of at all. These scare me to death!

 

[casportpony]

Even though they are not antibiotics, electrolytes, electrolytes, electrolytes!!! Theses help so much and being in the veterinary field and owning chickens, ducks, and guineas, they help so much! The best anitbiotic for poultry is baytril, only avaliable through veterinarians, but any vet should be able to give you some if and when you have an emergency, it is great for almost anything! Be careful about giving "cattle" products to animals it is not labled for, there is a reason for this and if not careful you can kill your chicken or hurt it more than do good for it. VetRX is also a good product to have on hand, availiable at Tractor supply. Hope this helped a little

• Baytril is a great antibiotic, but it is banned for use in food animals. Even though it's banned, I still use it and I also use metronidazole (Flagyl), which is also banned.
• If one knows where to look, both can be purchased in the US without a prescription *very* easily.

 

[casportpony]

I need to purchase an antibiotic for my chicken first aid kit but seeing there are so many products out there, does anyone have a good suggestion of what is best to have on hand?
Thanks!!

I always have Baytril and metronidazole in my kit and I've been thinking about adding Cephalexin and Amoxicillian. All can be purchased in the US without a prescription. Send me a PM and I'll give you the info.

 

[farm-gal91]

I was afraid the "antibiotic without a prescription" would come up. I personally would not order online and steer clear of it. Many companies have been reprimanded numerous times for bad, out of date etc, drugs. Here are a few FYI tips on ordering online. The best thin to do is just simply get the medications from your local vet....but that is just my opinion. Be careful ordering from these places that could potentially harm your pet. These two links are very informative about the online ordering of drugs.
Internet sites that sell pet drugs can be reputable pharmacies. However, others are fronts for businesses breaking Federal, State, and sometimes, International laws. Illegal online pharmacies may sell medicines that are counterfeit, outdated, mislabeled, incorrectly formulated, or improperly made or stored. These medicines may not contain the actual drug, may contain contaminants, or the incorrect amount of drug, may not work as well due to age or being stored in conditions that were too hot, cold, or humid, and may not have the proper directions for use. If you are unhappy with ordered products, illegal online pharmacies may fraudulently leave you with no way to get your money back.

http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/animalhealthliteracy/ucm203000.htm

http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm048164.htm

Purchasing Pet Drugs Online: Buyer Beware


"Discount pet drugs—no prescription required" may appeal to pet owners surfing the Web, but FDA experts say it can be risky to buy drugs online from sites that tout this message and others like it.

Some of the Internet sites that sell pet drugs represent legitimate, reputable pharmacies, says Martine Hartogensis, D.V.M., deputy director of the Office of Surveillance and Compliance in FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). But others are fronts for unscrupulous businesses operating against the law.

FDA has found companies that sell unapproved pet drugs and counterfeit pet products, make fraudulent claims, dispense prescription drugs without requiring a prescription, and sell expired drugs.

Pet owners who purchase drugs from these companies may think they are saving money, says Hartogensis, but in reality, they may be short-changing their pet's health and putting its life at risk.

CVM regulates the manufacture and distribution of animal drugs, while individual state pharmacy boards regulate the dispensing of prescription veterinary products.

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Red Flags
Some foreign Internet pharmacies advertise that veterinary prescription drugs are available to U.S. citizens without a prescription. But, says Hartogensis, "There is a risk of the drugs not being FDA-approved."

A foreign or domestic pharmacy may claim that one of its veterinarians on staff will "evaluate" the pet after looking over a form filled out by the pet owner, and then prescribe the drug. "A veterinarian should physically examine an animal prior to making a diagnosis to determine the appropriate therapy," says Hartogensis.

CVM is especially concerned that pet owners are going online to buy two types of commonly used prescription veterinary drugs—nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and heartworm preventives.

"Both drugs can be dangerous if there is no professional involvement," says Hartogensis. "It's not generally a concern if the owner uses a legitimate online pharmacy and mails in a prescription from their veterinarian, who is monitoring the animal. But if there is no veterinarian–client–patient relationship, it's a dangerous practice."

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NSAIDS and Heartworm Preventives
Veterinarians often prescribe NSAIDs to relieve pain in dogs. NSAIDs should not be purchased on the Internet without a veterinarian's involvement because

dogs should undergo blood testing and a thorough physical examination before starting NSAIDs
dogs should be monitored by a veterinarian while they are taking NSAIDs
veterinarians should discuss possible side effects of NSAIDs with the owner
the prescription should be accompanied by a Client Information Sheet that explains important safety information to the owner
Heartworm disease is a potentially fatal condition transmitted by the bite of a mosquito that is carrying infected larvae of the heartworm parasite. Dogs, cats, and ferrets can get heartworm. Heartworm preventives, given daily, monthly, or semiannually, depending on the product, kill the larvae before they become adult worms.

The American Heartworm Society recommends

using heartworm medication for dogs year-round, no matter where you live in the United States
getting dogs tested yearly to make sure they're not infected with heartworm
"Testing is important even in dogs regularly treated with heartworm preventive products due to the occasional reports of product ineffectiveness," says Hartogensis. An Internet pharmacy veterinarian cannot draw blood from the animal to perform the test. If the test isn't done, a pet owner could be giving heartworm preventives to a dog that has heartworms, potentially leading to severe reactions.

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Tips for Buying Pet Drugs Online
Order from a Web site that belongs to a Vet-VIPPS accredited pharmacy. Vet-VIPPS—the Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites—is a voluntary accreditation program of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). NABP gives the Vet-VIPPS seal to online pharmacies that dispense prescription animal drugs and comply with NABP's strict criteria, including federal and state licensing and inspection requirements, protecting patient confidentiality, quality assurance, and validity of prescription orders. Look for the Vet-VIPPS seal displayed on a pharmacy's Web site or check with NABP (click on "Accreditation Programs") to find out if a pharmacy is Vet-VIPPS accredited. Because this is a new program, begun in 2009, a small number of pharmacies are currently Vet-VIPPS accredited.

Order from an outsourced prescription management service that your veterinarian uses. These state-licensed Internet pharmacy services work directly with the veterinarian, require that a prescription be written by the veterinarian, and support the veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Ask your veterinary hospital if it uses an Internet pharmacy service.