Broad Spectrum Antibiotic when you don't know what's wrong

[casportpony]

Just thought I would mention that you are right about penicillin, it does work for a lot of infections such as upper respiratory ear etc., but it really isn't considered as much of a broad spectrum antibiotic.  There are other antibiotics for specific things such as sulfa antibiotics for urinary problems like Bactrim and Keflex for wound infections along with many others.  But as you mentioned, I notice that penicillin seems to be the drug of choice for a lot of chicken illnesses and I wonder if that is because their usual bacterial infections are upper respiratory. 

I think it's the drug of choice for backyard chicken keepers because it's what's at all feed stores, not because it's a good one.

-Kathy

 

[troub]

Thank you Kathy. I think you're right. That may be because it is less expensive and covers a wider range of problems with less side effects and restrictions than other antibiotics. Just an update on my poor little one. She isn't out of the woods by any means, but her stool culture was negative and she continues to eat and drink the electrolyte water. Because she still has. Onstant diarrhea, i'm taking advice from an online avian vet to add probiotics and give her a single dose of over the counter kaopectate of 25ml so she is able to absorb the nutrients from her food. The avian vet suggested she sounds neurological, and because she leans to the right, it might be a brain lesion or injury. Because she is my pet and keeps trying, i plan to keep treating her with hopes if it is a head injury and not something like lead ingestion (which i really doubt but has been seen by my vet for free range birds)that it may heal as suggested by the online avian vet. I found her on "just ask" and her name is Dr. B. and i'd recommend her to anyone if you are willing to pay 34 dollars. It is more affordable than a vet visit. I did take my chicken to the vet as well, because if i tried over the counter antibiotics before testing her stool, i wouldnt know if she had bacteria or something in her stool that could spread to my other girls. Dr. B. Is great for follow up and additional advice.

 

[casportpony]

Can you post a picture of her poop?

-Kathy

 

[troub]

Kathy,
I am so sorry. I just saw this post and had just cleaned her kennel so don't have a picture to get right now. If I can, I will try to get it later. I ended up giving her the .25ml of kaopectate and also added probiotics to her water. I would greatly appreciate if you have any insight to another problem that just developed and am hoping that I wasn't the cause of it. It appears like she has a ruptured air sac around her right clavicle region. yesterday I noted a gurgling sound from that area when she was drinking water but there wasn't any swelling that I noticed. This evening it is swollen, soft and has that gurgling sound when I massaged it when I noticed it returning her to her kennel after giving her antibiotic pill and anti-inflammatory that was prescribed by the vet. I am praying I didn't cause it, she is still very unsteady and keeps falling toward that side when she is getting around or preening herself. any advice?

 

[troub]

I have been on a roller coaster with this little one. At first I was sure she would die and even the vet thought so, then she seemed like she was rallying a little by continuing to eat and drink and cluck at me when I talked to her, now a new problem and I don't know how much this poor little thing can tolerate. the more I give her direct care, the more attached I get with her and if she doesn't make it I think it will just break my heart. I really don't want to puncture the air sack if I can let it go down on its own, but at the same time I don't want her to be in pain. The vet said that birds often don't show pain as a mechanism to protect themselves from other birds that would go after them if they did, and she does seem to be more active and eating after she gets her anti-inflammatory. Arghh... this is tough

 

[troub]

 

[troub]

Above is a picture of my poor little girl. Thete is a little gravel on the padding of the floor of the kennel. She had turned and poopedon the floor in front of the kennel and that is that wet granular tan appearing mess in front of the wire kennel. You can see how pale her comb,beak and ears are. She just drank some water and closed her eyes as her head was lowering again. She still clucks quietly but is very ill. The soft ballooning i felt to the area around her crop/right clavicle is gone right now. She has electrolytes and probiotics in her water and the diarrhea is still constant. I plan to give her more kaopectate this morning as i am lost what else to do. I can hear that growling stomach sound especially after she drinks. I'm feeling pretty helpless, but she is still trying and here still to meet me every morning so any suggestions are always welcome.

 

[troub]

 

[troub]

This is how she sleeps. I keep checking to make sure she is still alive and after about.a half hour of receiving her meds she stands up and eats. I gave hereds and.cleaned her up

 

[troub]