Antibiotics for chickens - suggestions?

[troub]

I was able to find a place that takes chickens and they are about 45 minutes away. They are going to see her today at 5:30 so I will get back to you with the findings and treatment. Thank you.

 

[troub]

I would be willing to learn tube feeding and what it takes to try to save her. She is a beautiful and gentle girl. right now I don't think I need to do that because she is eating and drinking very well. She just goes into her dozing again after she eats. then she wakes and the eating and drinking starts again. I am hoping when I see the vet today she will prescribe an antibiotic for her that may do the trick. I will ask her if there is any antibiotic I should keep on hand as well. I just hope she can make it to the vet and through the treatment. If it is oral, I will have to learn how to give it without drowning her. reading from other keepers, I see the Baytril really seems to do well for them, but I just can't take the chance when I am giving eggs to my family. Keep your fingers crossed that I will have a good outcome. Thank you for your help and I promise I will let you know how it goes.

 

[casportpony]

Keep the car warm for her and maybe place he in a box on some warm water bottles. I don't know what you budget is, but I would suggest that you have the vet test for bacteria, coccidia and worms (stool samples, not blood... Think blood tests would be over $125, but ask). Also talk to them about tube feeding. Tubes and syringes are cheap, so ask them to sell you a size 18 French catheter and a 60 ml syringe, that way you'll have it if you need to learn how to tube feed. Also ask the if she would benefit from them giving her some subcutaneous fluids.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

This link shows how to give oral meds, but do have them show you while you're there.
http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/oral_dosing_article.htm

-Kathy

 

[troub]

great! It helps to know what questions to ask. I can't go overboard, but I agree that a stool sample should help at least. too bad there aren't more vets that know about them. This woman I spoke to said she keeps chickens herself and seems quite knowledgeable. That makes me feel a little better. She could hear my girl clucking in the background and said it was a good sound and that she is eating and drinking is also good, but the pale comb concerns her.

 

[casportpony]

The worm test (fecal float) and the bacteria test (gram stain) will be two different tests. I would get both. FWIW, my vet charges about $25 for the float and about $35 for the gram stain. My vet does in house gram stains, but sends floats to the lab.

-Kathy

 

[troub]

oh, I don't have hot water bottles, but think that might be too much of a temperature change for her anyway. Here in New England, we get frost at night and 68 degrees in the house is warm to us. I keep a small heater that is fire safe in the wired off section of the coop set at 40 degrees to keep it above freezing for the girls, but most of the people around here don't even do that. Luckily I made a point of getting the larger cold hardy breeds and they have done very well with what I have set up for them over the years. I put a clear plastic around the run so they can go outside and not have to walk in snow during the winter and it seems to do them just fine. I will start and heat up the car though because it is cooler than 68 degrees outside and I don't want her to have too much of a temperature change from one place to the other.

 

[casportpony]

We're not as old here, but I have found that they do best in a warm room. You do have her inside, right?

-Kathy

 

[troub]

Yes. She has been inside now for a few days and I keep her nice and comfy She is in the wire dog crate but I let her walk around my kitchen floor once a day (don't tell my husband because he is mortified that I brought a chicken into the house!) I keep a soft towel under the disposable pad and fresh water with electrolytes in it and fresh feed with a small amount of grit on the floor next to it. She has been taking the water, feed, and grit without problem. I have a dark towel covering half the cage so she can go into that half later in the day or evening to get away from any lights that are on. The house is between 68 and 70 degrees which is considerably warmer than outside. I am hoping my molting girls get their feathers all back before it gets too much colder. If not, I plan to up the heater a bit in the coop for them. They don't seem to mind the cold for short periods of time because they come out of the coop and scratch around in their run for a good while before going back into the coop. I don't want to up the heat too much because I was told too much of a temperature change can make them sick and die.

 

[troub]

just got back from the vets. She isn't sure what is wrong with her. She said everything as far as crop lungs heart feathers etc all look good. She said she is obviously very sick with the lack of balance and the pale comb and isn't sure she will pull through, but she sent out the stool sample and gave me both an anti-inflammatory and a broad spectrum antibiotic called clavamox. I think that is something like augmentin is for people med. from looking at its compound of amoxicillin trihydrate and clavulanate potassium. She said another thing they tend to see with chickens that are allowed to free range is lead poisoning. She said she could check for lead, but the test is like 70 dollars and treatment would be very expensive because she would have to get injections every two days etc. She said just one chicken could have eaten a piece of metal and that is why the others aren't affected. Because she hasn't really been out much lately and there isn't really any older homes that have lead paint around, I am doubtful that is the reason and really don't want to go overboard with cost. I opted for the broad spectrum antibiotic and anti-inflammatory for now because I am more concerned about getting her better and preventing my other girls from getting sick if what she has is contagious, so that is what we did. She said she would have the stool results in a couple of days and if she survives and the treatment we are giving her helps, we will stay on it, but if she needs a different medication she can change it at that time again if she survives. The vet wasn't very optimistic she would make it though. I on the other hand am holding onto hope that the dose she got in the office will make her a little better and I will know tomorrow morning. She showed me how to give it so I can give it to her 2x a day. the antibiotic is a pill that I put down her throat and the anti-inflammatory is a very small amount of liquid, 0.25 mls. that I put to the side and down her throat. I'm to continue everything else that I am already doing such as keeping her inside and feeding her fresh water with electrolytes and fresh feed with grit handy. she is too young for eggs right now, but if she should start, I can't eat the eggs for 6 weeks after the medication is done. With the condition she is in, I just hope she survives, never mind laying eggs though. I'll let you know the results tomorrow, good or bad.
Thanks for your help.
gail