Can Gapeworm also cause sneezing?

[HollyWoozle]

Our oldest hen, Vanessa, has been showing some respiratory symptoms lately and I am just panicking in case it could be gapeworm, but she has sometimes sneezed and I assume that implies it's some sort of illness/infection rather than a worm? They were wormed with Flubenvet in mid-October.

Symptoms:

- intermittent 'gasping' for breath, it's not dramatic but she is sometimes opening her beak and breathing deeply as if trying to get more air in. She does not really make a sound when doing it.

- occasional sneezing (I saw her sneeze three times in a row on Saturday but haven't seen her sneeze yesterday or today)

- occasional sneeze/cough which makes a sort of squeak sound

- general slowness/lethargy (sometimes she looks like she is a bit hunched/crouched)

- did have a rather messy back end but that has improved

She does not rattle or seem in major distress. She is eating and drinking well, although she is a bit fussier about food and slower to pick it up than the others. Her plumage generally looks great, eyes bright, not particularly pale. She does not seem to be worsening over time but the breathing seems exacerbated by stress - I picked her up to put her on the side to take a look (she doesn't like being picked up) and then she immediately opened her beak for air, whereas she wasn't doing it until I'd touched her. It seems intermittent.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

[azygous]

A video would be helpful if you have the means to make one. You would post it to You Tube and then copy the URL and paste it here in a comment window.

Everyone immediately jumps to the conclusion symptoms such as this are due to gape worm. Many times it is a crop disorder or mucous or plaque from a respiratory infection or even a foreign object stuck in the esophagus.

I suggest you open her beak wide and inspect what's going on in her mouth and throat. If you can have someone hold her beak open so you can get a photo of the back of her throat and then post it here, we might be able to peg the cause of her problem.

Feel her crop and tell us if it's very full and spongy or if it's hard and lumpy. It would be a good idea to check it tomorrow morning to see if it's emptied overnight.

 

[Sonya9]

Is there a reason you suspect gapeworm? I believe gapeworm is pretty rare in chickens.

Sounds like a respiratory issue. My chickens sometimes sneeze (occasionally one will sneeze a few times over a couple of days). Usually they get over it within a day or two, but I have had at least one incident where all of the birds came down with it and wheezed/sneezed loudly for days (all recovered though I did use antibiotics that time because it was so severe that I got worried).

Also how long has she shown these symptoms?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would follow the advice given already, and also cup your hand around her lower belly between her legs to feel if ahe is enlarged back there compared to the other hens. How old is she? Reproductive disorders, such as internal laying as well as ascites or water belly, can cause gasping and labored breathing. Sneezing occasionally can be common from dust, feed, and other environmental causes. A video would be helpful that might show how she looks and sounds to you. If you have treated a respiratory disease in the past with antibiotics, it could be a recurrence since many diseases make carriers of the flock. Look for a watery or foamy eye, nasal secretions, and head shaking as well. Your flubenvet may treat for gapeworms, but when a chicken has gapes, they usually cannot eat or drink or do much but try to get their breath.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thanks for these helpful replies! I am just trying to find out her age (by asking my parents when they bought her, she is part of our family flock) but she is something like 3 or 4 I believe. We have never had any respiratory problems in the flock previously and haven't used any antibiotics. None of the other chickens (there are 19 others) have shown any symptoms.

I thought she looked a little quiet a few weeks ago but she was essentially doing everything normally but just seemed a bit quiet to me. Last week I noticed some sneezing and that she had opened her beak sometimes to breathe as described, but then other times she stands around looking quite normal. She doesn't shake her head or seem to have any problems with her eyes or any nasal discharge. Once or twice last week I did observe her stretching her neck and my mother said she saw her do that and worried something was stuck, but have not seen her do that again in last few days.

I just had a gapeworm worry as some of the symptoms seemed to fit. I'm delighted to hear that it's rare!

I will try and feel her crop tomorrow, stupid me should've done it today. I do have a video and I will try to upload it.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Here comes the video, taken this lunchtime. This is after I picked her up which she isn't keen on - she was not breathing like this prior to that, but does so intermittently and I guess me picking her up startled her. She then ate and hopped down off the side of her own accord.

 

[dawg53]

You can always take a fresh fecal sample to a vet to have it looked at under a microscope. If there are gapeworm eggs or any other types of worm eggs, they'll let you know.
Gapeworm are rare in chickens as mentioned.

 

[azygous]

Thanks for posting the video. It is gratifying and a relief to see she has a good appetite. She may have an uncomfortable crop, maybe a minor obstruction. Feel her crop. Does it feel like she has a solid lump? If so, you can give her a teaspoon of coconut oil and gently massage it into the lump you feel in the crop. If she has no solid lump, do the morning crop check. It could be a touch of yeast.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Right, I have done a bit more investigation. I wasn't able to actually touch her until this afternoon and it has all been a learning curve for me... today I noticed that her back end was really a mess again and it looked pretty solid and uncomfortable. She has been standing with a sort of splayed leg stance. I decided to give her bath, something I have never done to a chicken before (what would my farmer grandad think!) but I felt it was for the best. Her crop seems normal although not very full, even this afternoon, but I saw her eating some of her food earlier and she also ate a little bit of broccoli which she loves.

My tub wasn't quite deep enough but it worked OK and she didn't freak out totally, although she did essentially gasp for air throughout. I just cleaned up her back end, had a feel of what's what and had a good look. Despite having had chickens in the family all my life I have never really studied a chicken's vent before! Her vent appears normal and healthy... she is pulsating it a lot but I think that is normal? Despite removing a lot of muck from the feathers the vent itself seems clean and healthy.

I felt her abdomen but it's a bit tricky if you don't know quite what to expect. My instincts would be to say that it seemed a bit swollen to me but it wasn't overly hard or overly soft (doesn't seem full of fluid). I had a gentle feel just inside her vent and couldn't feel any eggs.

I did notice what I assume are eggs of mites/lice around the base of her feathers which I am sorry to see. The chickens and coop have been treated fairly regularly last year but not over winter. I have now sprayed her and hopefully that will eradicate those.

All in all, I am none the wiser! But Vanessa is a bit cleaner, soon to be free of pests hopefully and continues eating and drinking.

 

[LemonChicken]

Right, I have done a bit more investigation. I wasn't able to actually touch her until this afternoon and it has all been a learning curve for me... today I noticed that her back end was really a mess again and it looked pretty solid and uncomfortable. She has been standing with a sort of splayed leg stance. I decided to give her bath, something I have never done to a chicken before (what would my farmer grandad think!) but I felt it was for the best. Her crop seems normal although not very full, even this afternoon, but I saw her eating some of her food earlier and she also ate a little bit of broccoli which she loves.

My tub wasn't quite deep enough but it worked OK and she didn't freak out totally, although she did essentially gasp for air throughout. I just cleaned up her back end, had a feel of what's what and had a good look. Despite having had chickens in the family all my life I have never really studied a chicken's vent before! Her vent appears normal and healthy... she is pulsating it a lot but I think that is normal? Despite removing a lot of muck from the feathers the vent itself seems clean and healthy.

I felt her abdomen but it's a bit tricky if you don't know quite what to expect. My instincts would be to say that it seemed a bit swollen to me but it wasn't overly hard or overly soft (doesn't seem full of fluid). I had a gentle feel just inside her vent and couldn't feel any eggs.

I did notice what I assume are eggs of mites/lice around the base of her feathers which I am sorry to see. The chickens and coop have been treated fairly regularly last year but not over winter. I have now sprayed her and hopefully that will eradicate those.

All in all, I am none the wiser! But Vanessa is a bit cleaner, soon to be free of pests hopefully and continues eating and drinking.

How did things turn out with Vanessa?!