Bantam with swollen itchy head

[cairns3chooks]

Hello everyone, thank you in advance for any replies!

Going nuts stressing myself out over one of our poor bantams. I've read every thread on here I can find about swollen face/head/wattles etc. but it is remaining a mystery to me, and can't decide how best to help her!

Rough guide of her symptoms:

Noticed very slight swelling and possible hair loss on her face which gradually increased over a couple of days. She started sleeping more and being lethargic.Took her to the vet after a few days, who checked her for everything she could think of. Concluded no respiratory symtoms at all, nothing unusual in poo sample. She also scratched off a bit of skin on the face and didn't see anything under the microscope. She thought the skin looked a bit scaly and irritated. Gave her a shot of vitamins (I think A and B), and sent her away with Psittavet for all bird for 10 days.
It is day 10 of the antibiotics and there has been no improvement.. The swelling continues to grow very slowly, and she seems more drained and uninterested in foods and drink. Sometimes her feet look swollen and pink. 2 days ago I noticed her call sounded deeper and then I caught one of the other birds pecking at her face and eye, really hard! So immediately separated the poorly chook. She is bottom of the pecking order and frequently bullied by the others I've had her inside with me in the quiet and cool for past 2 days, but her symptoms continue..

I've noticed her scratching A LOT at her face and neck, but only the past 2 days. Could it be some kind of mites? Or maybe its itchy because its so swollen or sore?

She doesn't want to drink (even if no anti-biotic present) but is loving cucumber and eating loads of it, so I'm wondering if she's dehydrated.. She is eating seeds and worms but isn't interested in water or yogurt (her previous favourite).

Don't think its Mycoplasma or corzya as she doesn't have any other symptoms, nor do any other of the girls. Wondering if it could be an allergic reaction of some kind? Seems unusual to last so long and have a slow progression though? Can't decide wether or not to take her back to the vet or if its best for her to keep an eye on her and keep her quiet? etc..

Could it be from the other birds pecking her?!

How long can you keep a bird isolated before they get lonely? I've been in the room with her most of the time to keep her company.

Any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated!!

First 2 pics is her when I first noticed it, and the last 2 pics is her now..

 

[paddock36]

I'm thinking mites. I would try that first. Dust with Seven dust and then see how things go from there. If no improvement then try something else.

 

[cairns3chooks]

Thanks for the reply paddock!

I think you might be right there.. Hadn't even considered mites until I saw how much she was scratching the past few days. I'll try and get some of the dust today

 

[Michael Apple]

The bird looks anemic. If you don't see mites or lice after a thorough look through the bird's feathers, look around the vent too, don't waste time dusting the bird.Check to see if the crop is empty in the morning. If the bird is eating on it's own, lay off scratch grains and focus on a good layer feed. Mix a little buttermilk in it to moisten feed and a little extra protein. Give 1 tsp Probios dispersible powder per gallon of water with some poultry vitamins-electrolytes for 3 days a week (see if B12 is in the list). It is important the bird is drinking on her own. If you haven't dewormed the bird in the past 3 months, do it. Valbazen suspension (Albendazole) is a safe and very effective anthelmintic. Dosage is .08 cc per pound of bird given orally with a syringe. Dose once, then again in 10 days. Periodic preventative treatments for Coccidiosis are important too when weather is wet and temperatures start to rise. Worms and protozoa like Coccidia are notorious for causing anemia.

If you think it is respiratory, I don't know what antibiotic your vet prescribed, but tetracyclines are worthless. Tylan is still effective, and Denagard even more, plus Denagard has no withdrawal period and bad bugs are not resistant to it. Dosage is 16cc per gallon of water for 3-5 days to treat symptoms.

 

[cairns3chooks]

Thanks for the reply!

I have been thinking she looks a bit pale, the vet didn't think anemic but did think she probably has some kind of deficiency. They usually have a "complete feed" with added vitamins but I'm starting to think that maybe its not so "complete"...

Ingredients: Crushed Peas, Crushed Lupins, A natural source of plant Protein, Wheat, Sorghum and Crushed Maize for energy and Lucerne Chaff for Fibre, Black Sunflower Seed is a natural source of Oil for feathers and improves Egg size, Crushed Maize and Lucerne Chaff for Vitamin A and Natural Yolk Colour, Salt a source of Sodium and Chloride essential to maintain general health and production, Dicalcium Phosphate a source of Calcium and Phosphorus. Vitamin and Mineral premix is added to ensure a balanced diet. Includes: Vitamin A, D3, E, K3, Riboflavin (B2), Pantothenic Acid, Niacin, Folic Acid, B12, Manganese, Zinc, Iron, Copper, Iodine, Selenium and Anti-Oxidant.

I do religiously de-worm and treat for cocci every 3 months (for 2 days, then again 2 weeks later), so I don't think this should be a problem.. I most recently treated them around 3 weeks ago, and it was on the last treatment that she started swelling - could it be related? :s They WILL NOT drink water once I put the wormer in it. They absolutely flat out refuse (I have tried all sorts of things) and its so hot here year round I worry about them getting too hot and dehydrated. So I mix it into yogurt for them.. They don't notice and eat it all, but I have wondered if it will work effectively in yogurt.. Does anyone know?!

Have also been putting electrolytes and multi-vitamin powder in their water for the past 2 months or so :/ will definately make sure I put it in her water though. I don't think we have that probios powder (in australia) but there is general probiotic for "ornamental birds" around, do you recommend some of that? I suspect its similar contents just at a higher price..!

Will have a look into what foods are good for anemia and try and get her to eat some of those too she does love mashed up egg with spinach so I will try some of that!

 

[enola]

The only way to make sure a chicken actuall gets wormed is to worm them individually orally. (By mouth)

What are you putting in the water to worm them?

 

[cairns3chooks]

Hey enola,

I didn't realise you could worm them like that! We've always used Vetafarm Wormout Gel (20g praziquantel 20g oxfendazole) as prescribed by the vet. What do you use for individual worming? Don't think you can get as many meds over here in Australia..

She is much worse this morning hasn't bothered getting up at all and her eye is almost swollen closed now

Think I'll try and get her to a vet again today

 

[enola]

Safeguard and Valbazen are my choice of wormer. Pm casportpony and ask her what is the same in Oz.

 

[cairns3chooks]

Took her to the vet this morning, complete waste of time! Given her some different anti biotics but she is no longer drinking water...

Gave her a good dusting yesterday for mites, hopefully that helps her!

Thanks for all the help

 

[cairns3chooks]

Hi all,

Just incase anyone is still looking at this..

Her swelling hasn't gone down, despite being on different antibiotics. She did pick up slightly and was interested in food etc. but then one of her eyes started to close up. Her face on that side was red and more swollen. Its gradually gotten worse until now that eye is almost completely closed. The eye on the other side looks to be going the same way..

We have been making sure she's getting anti biotic, providing cucumber and sweetcorn (her faves) to keep hydrated, adding multi vitamin and electrolytes to her water and also putting drops in the eye (human conjunctivitis drops) twice a day but see no improvement at all. Also dusted her twice thoroughly with pestene powder (a week between dustings).

The past 3 days or so she's been breathing really weird which is worrying me a lot. When she breathes her lung/body swell as usual, but afterwards an area up area her neck swells as though air is filling it. It doesn't do it all of the time, but quite often. Have thought about euthanasia but how do you know when to draw the line?

Poor girl is having trouble seeing and getting herself confused

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated! Will try and get some photos of her soon.