Any other disease that presents as coccidiosis but isn't? Urgent help needed!

[spatulagirl]

I am concerned about the last leghorn. I guess I will know if she is sick in the next day or two but she looks more subdued and ruffled this morning.

I am at a complete loss. And I really hope this isn't spread to any other birds.

 

[spatulagirl]

I am thinking about separating her and treating her with antibiotics because I don't know what she has.

 

[laturcotte1]

This is soooo frustrating when it comes to trying to diagnose and treat them. I brought my hen to the vet when she showed signs of illness beginning June 21, lethargic, going to her food hungry then not eating, same with water. Puffed, hunched stopped perching, stopped laying eggs two weeks earlier. Vet checked her over, no internal/external parasites, no bloody poo, not egg bound, crop fine. Gave her antibiotic and cortisone injection on Monday June 25. Here it is July 5 and she is still in a crate on my kitchen counter!!!!! Not much has changed except this morning she was a little more alert, her eyes brighter. She curls her toes and is unable to walk, is extremely thin (bones). She hasn't pooped in 3 days, I feed her yogurt mixed with softened grain, pediolyte, scrambled eggs and water 3 times a day. I keep saying she will pass during the night and there she is in the morning! I think I should just put her down but this little girl is a fighter and who am I to give up if she doesn't. I bring her outside and we sit and her boyfriend crows when he sees her, this certainly perks her up. Not sure what to do but love her and wait.

 

[Leslieb118]

I am thinking about separating her and treating her with antibiotics because I don't know what she has.

If this one doesn't make it, I highly recommend a necropsy. I had one done recently at the state lab here for a roo that died. I tried everything under the sun to treat him, only to find out he had Marek's without the typical Marek's symptoms. I had used two wormers on him but come to find out that he had no evidence whatsoever of worms. I had started him on Tylan, but not soon enough. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway. I spent a fortune, only to be grasping at straws the entire time. My state lab charged $20 for the necropsy and it gave me so much information. UPS charged me $12 for ground shipping, but said he'd be there the next day. The lab is only a little over an hour away from me. If I wanted "Next Day" with a guarantee to be there by 10am it would've cost me $70. I made the mistake though of putting dry ice in the styrofoam cooler I shipped him in. He was partially frozen by the time they got him and it interfered somewhat with the testing. I recommend ice packs. In my opinion, it was money well spent because I have the answers I was desperately looking for while treating him. There was nothing I could have done.
Sorry you're going through this. I hope your leghorn pulls through this.

 

[spatulagirl]

Thanks. Hubby and I just talked about that this morning. I am definitely doing that. I told him I hate not knowing more than anything else!

 

[leadwolf1]

X2...the more you are describing, the more this is sounding like Marek's. The not eating, laying, walking. Curled toes. The necropsy is the way to go so that you will know for sure. I'm so sorry this is happening to you

If this one doesn't make it, I highly recommend a necropsy. I had one done recently at the state lab here for a roo that died. I tried everything under the sun to treat him, only to find out he had Marek's without the typical Marek's symptoms. I had used two wormers on him but come to find out that he had no evidence whatsoever of worms. I had started him on Tylan, but not soon enough. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway. I spent a fortune, only to be grasping at straws the entire time. My state lab charged $20 for the necropsy and it gave me so much information. UPS charged me $12 for ground shipping, but said he'd be there the next day. The lab is only a little over an hour away from me. If I wanted "Next Day" with a guarantee to be there by 10am it would've cost me $70. I made the mistake though of putting dry ice in the styrofoam cooler I shipped him in. He was partially frozen by the time they got him and it interfered somewhat with the testing. I recommend ice packs. In my opinion, it was money well spent because I have the answers I was desperately looking for while treating him. There was nothing I could have done.
Sorry you're going through this. I hope your leghorn pulls through this.

 

[spatulagirl]

If it is Mareks will it slowly wipe out my other birds? What course of action should I be taking? Separating the infected birds and... wait for them to die?

 

[spatulagirl]

I also think they may have had curled toes.

 

[leadwolf1]

Marek's is a monster disease. Right now, I would separate any that are looking 'off'. You can research on here about things like St John's Wort or Hypericum that can help with the paralysis symptoms. I have had no luck with this helping. Others, swear by it.

The best course of action would be to have one euthanized and necropsied. That way, you will know for sure what you are dealing with.

In the meantime, I would quarantine the sick and take care of them as you have been doing. If it turns out to be Marek's, your best route would be to cull any showing symptoms. It has been observed that symptomatic birds shed more virus and are therefore even more contagious than ones that are just carriers. I would love to be able to give you good news but, in my experience, Marek's is deadly. I have lost 35+ birds in the last year. Vaccinated and unvaccinated. Young and older. It is a heartbreakingly, devastating disease and it shows no mercy. I would clean everything with bleach or oxine. Top to bottom. It is in the soil, dander, air, feces and saliva...make sure anything you can disinfect where these things are thoroughly disinfected. I spray the birds nightly with oxine.

If results come back positive for Marek's, you will have to have a closed flock. The only birds in are day olds that are vaccinated or eggs that hatch and you vaccinate at day 1. They then need to be kept in isolation for the next 6 - 12 weeks. One reference says that they should be separated from the flock for 6 months. In my experience, I hatched my own eggs, vaccinated and kept separate from the flock and I have only lost one of those chicks. The vaccinated pullets I purchased this spring, kept separated and isolated...I have lost 3 of 9 with one showing signs of illness. She is quarantined right now. I revaccinated everyone when the youngest chicks were 8 weeks.

I am hoping and praying that Marek's isn't the cause of your problems. Try and have the necropsy done and get results. Please post your results so that we can all learn from them. If it is Marek's, there are several of us on here that will be a shoulder for you to lean on.

 

[spatulagirl]

Thank you. I really hope it isn't Mareks.