Blu Cochin Rooster nearly unable to stand up!

[nicefarmer4U]

Hello,
I have a Blu Cochin Rooster, almost 2 years old. For the past 18 months, he's been in an 30x30 squared feet enclosure along with 2 hens of the same breed. A small chicken coop was placed in it. It's been 10 days ever since I had to pick him up as the rooster was lying down on the grass, immobile and unable to climb up the small wooden ladder built for the purpose of my other two Blu Cochin Hens getting into the chicken coop. I've had the rooster inside our garage since then. It had lost a lot of weight. Thinking that it could be the same problem I've faced in the past (MG ... or Mycoplasma gallisepticum ) I've been giving him 3.95 ml of Denagard (liquid) per litter of water. The rooster has apparently begun recovering as he was initially unable to walk. He now is able to stand up for a while, at least while he eats and drinks. Then he lies down on the pine shaving bed I have layed out on the floor. His legs show the typical flakes of a chicken (scaled), which I mention as I searched for mites (acari) without finding anything worth worrying. Would anyone give me some tips on what to do to help this rooster get back to his normal life?

Any info that I may have missed and that anyone woul consider to be helpful, please let me know.

Thanks,
nicefarmer4U.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have no experience with mycoplasma, but this sounds more like mycoplasma synoviae that affects the joints. One of the BYC moderators, Two Crows has had a lot of experience with MS, and you could send her a PM, since she is very helpful. I'm glad that he is starting to improve. Many people use Tylan instead for MS, but with Denagard, you can also give a preventative dose in the water once a month. Here are some links you may want to read:
http://poultrypics.com/?page_id=323 (click on each pic to enlarge it)
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...nfection_in_poultry_infectious_synovitis.html
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/99/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-ms-infectious-synovitis/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1095372/questions-for-denagard-users
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/819104/denagard-dosage
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1083279/denagard-tylan-and-mg-update

 

[nicefarmer4U]

So much thanks for your swift reply! However, the issue consists of how to contact the Two Crows moderator who you just mentioned above. I clicked on every single possible link on this webpage seemingly indicating a way to contact this person. No success. Do you know?

Thanks,
nicefarmer4U.

 

[chickcrack]

@twocrows
You click the "@" button on the reply area within a thread and then put their user name and it will send that person a message with this thread info on it. Twocrows someone needs your expertise! Good luck with your sick guy nicefarmer. I have blue cochins too. Very sweet birds.

 

[TwoCrows]

@nicefarmer4U I am sorry to hear about your bird!

As much as I have heard about Denagard working well for MG or MS, I have heard just as many say it doesn't work.

MS, Mycoplasma Synoviea is a bacteria that can take on several different forms in the body. It can mimic MG and show itself as a respiratory infection, it can attack internal organs or it can do what it is most famous for is attack the Synovial fluid in the tendon sheaths of the foot joints and hocks of the bird. Usually but not always, it tends to only attack the left leg. Rarely does it effect both legs. I noticed in my birds that had MS, the scales of the effected leg became very opaque and fell off or chipped quite a bit. The swelling in the foot joint will cause the scales to raise up a bit as well.

So...which leg is effected? Is there heat, redness and swelling at the foot joint or hock? Swelling in the webbing? (this is classic MS)

Does the bird appear to have bumblefoot in the pad of this effected leg? What happens with MS is the infected tendon sheaths leak the synovial fluid out and it drains down the leg into the pad of the foot. It gives the appearance that the bird has bumblefoot. And no matter how many bumblefoot surgeries you do, it never goes away. This is how I figured out my flock had MS. ENDLESS, months on END bumblefoot. It wasn't till I had them tested for MS did I realize what was going on.

I found that Baytril coupled with Cephalexcin or Doxycycline were the only drugs to wipe this thing out. It took about 80 days on the RIGHT meds, very long term antibiotics useage. (I had been trying Pen G injections, Oxytetracycline, all kinds of other stuff to cure what I THOUGHT was bumblefoot) So all in all, they were on some sort of antibacterial drugs for 6 full months! UGH Mycoplasmas are VERY difficult to treat. These bacteria have a way of hiding in healthy cells and the immune system can't detect them at all. So they continue on in their devious ways of multiplying and killing the bird and the immune system doesn't even know it. Even in humans, the average antibiotic treatment is 12 to 16 weeks. And the most powerful meds have to be used.

Along with these meds....every DAY I had to do a bumblefoot surgery on the birds that had it in the joints to drain out the fluid. If I didn't drain out the fluid, they were totally lame. The draining at least allowed them to limp around and get places. Along with the standard antibiotics used in the hole in the pad, I used Prep H to help with swelling. Keep the foot completely dry and wrapped at ALL times. Do daily drainings as well. I must have went through 10 miles of vet wrap. LOL

SO...try to determine if you think he does have MS. Sure sounds like it to me if he did in fact have respiratory infections and is now having difficulty walking. But if he has not heat or swelling in his joints, it could still be something else. If you do chose to do this, I will tell you, it is not cheap and it is very time consuming. I chose to do it not only because I really wanted to save my entire flock, but I knew this would be a huge learning experience for me and wow, it was packed with knowledge for me!! AND...I saved every bird in my flock.

Keep us posted!!