Chick with possible Gape worms or Respritory issues???

[Cage]

Hello all,

I have 4 Rhode Island Reds. . approximately 10 weeks old.

2 days ago, one of them appeared to be Gasping for air and very weak.

There was and still, is no discharge, her eyes do not look puffy, does not appear to have diarrhea or blood of any sort in her stool.

In detail, i noticed she was just laying on the floor. I noticed her opening her beak while stretching her neck like she was gasping for air. I picked her up, and thinking maybe something was lodged in her neck, i just held her and massaged from between her breast up. After several minutes of "gasping" it would almost seem as if she was slipping out of consciousness. Here feet would go limp and curl up, here wings would fall down to the side, and her head would just sort of fall over the side of my hand with here eyes closed.

Not knowing what to do, i took a syringe and filled it with vegetable oil, after about 2 30cc shots of it injected down her throat, she sort of snapped out of it, perked back up then went to go eat and drink water as if nothing happened.

But 3 days later, she does not seem weak or anything, but still lays as opposed to roosting in the coop, and still appears to be gasping or attempting to clear her throat.

Are there any home remedies or solutions i can try?

I put some gatorade diluted with water in the water feeder . . . my uncle recommended that. And they are currently feeding from the feed with antibiotics in it (not sure what its called)

I cant justify taking her to a vet and getting charged 90.00 at the door for a 5.00 bird. . im not that attached to them yet lol

 

[Cage]

btw, should i separate her from the other chics? they seem to have no issues

 

[dawg53]

I doubt it's gapeworm if she's able to eat and drink. Gapeworm clogs the windpipe so that they cant swallow, suffocating the chicken. You can take a Q-tip and stick it one inch down into her throat and gently swab her throat. Then remove the Q-tip. If you see a red in color "Y" shaped worm on the Q-tip, it's gapeworm and will need to be treated with a wormer. Here's a pic with gapeworm in a chickens windpipe (cut open.) The one in the middle is a normal clear windpipe.

 

[Covey Rise Plantation]

Is it even possibale to get a Q-tip 1 inch into the trachea of a 10 week old without doing damage to the windpipe?

 

[Judy]

The throat, not the trachea. Sometimes you can even see them, or so I have read.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I've done it with no problems.

 

[Cage]

so apparently, its not gape worm

I have separated the chick from the others.

She is still 'gasping' and seems very week, feet are folded under her and very lame. .

I picked up some tylosin . . will try giving her that.

 

[Covey Rise Plantation]

Quote:
You're not gonna find gapeworms in the throat, And only in the advanced stages are they even gonna be in the upper trachea, So probably just by going an inch down I'ts not going to show anything. This is from experence, Not what I've read.To the OP gapeworms are extremly rare in chickens, I think you are dealing with a respiratory problem

 

[Cage]

i believe it to be respiratory problems as well. .
right now she cannot walk on her own.

I bought terra-vet and im trying to figure out how much 200-400 grams is. I have been to 5 different stores and nobody has scales that measure in mg

 

[Covey Rise Plantation]

To be honest with you, I'ts doubtful she will even consume enough of the tetracycline to be effective. And actually when a bird is down like she is, I'ts best to give injectables