Chicken still raspy/wheezing after 1 month of treatment

[ahiteballin]

I have a 2yr old sapphire gem who presented with resp distress, wheezing, struggling to breathe, raspy.

Per the vet I treated her with Tylan 50. So over a course of 10 days getting 3 IM shots per day. The vet said if we didn't knock the infection out it could damage her lungs.

She's improved but is still raspy and has labored breathing with stress. She's been in the house for a month now. She definately a lot better than before, now leaves the cage and eats snacks. Won't eat her regular food.

Is this her baseline now or will she improve? Do you think I can start to put her back with the others outside?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC!

Sorry that your hen is not getting better. Did the vet say what respiratory disease he suspected?
Does your hen still lay eggs or have any swelling or fluid in her abdomen?
Is her crop emptying overnight?

If she's still having respiratory distress it sounds like she has not recovered well enough to join the flock. Tylan50 will treat symptoms of respiratory disease like Mycoplasma, but without testing the cause could be a number of other issues or a virus. It would be hard to know.

Poor thing! 10 days of injections 3 times a day? Too bad your vet didn't tell you that Tylan50 can be given orally and it's given for 5 days. She must be really sore

I would encourage her to eat her normal feed or you can try some chick starter too see if that piques her interest. Scrambled egg is often enticing as well.

 

[ahiteballin]

Welcome To BYC!

Sorry that your hen is not getting better. Did the vet say what respiratory disease he suspected?
Does your hen still lay eggs or have any swelling or fluid in her abdomen?
Is her crop emptying overnight?

If she's still having respiratory distress it sounds like she has not recovered well enough to join the flock. Tylan50 will treat symptoms of respiratory disease like Mycoplasma, but without testing the cause could be a number of other issues or a virus. It would be hard to know.

Poor thing! 10 days of injections 3 times a day? Too bad your vet didn't tell you that Tylan50 can be given orally and it's given for 5 days. She must be really sore

I would encourage her to eat her normal feed or you can try some chick starter too see if that piques her interest. Scrambled egg is often enticing as well.

 

[ahiteballin]

The vet suspects mycoplasma, but didn't test. She has no belly swelling and she's not laying eggs but I attribute that to stress. Her crop is emptying overnight.
The vet did inform me Tylan is for 5days but had me continue because she was still so sick. And we chose injection to ensure she got all of the med.
I will try some chick starter. I got her to eat feed if it was mixed with applesauce, but it's like she got bored of it.
When you give Tylan orally do you squirt in in the mouth? Is it the same dosage as an injection?
She seems so lonely and I really want her to het better.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The vet suspects mycoplasma, but didn't test. She has no belly swelling and she's not laying eggs but I attribute that to stress. Her crop is emptying overnight.
The vet did inform me Tylan is for 5days but had me continue because she was still so sick. And we chose injection to ensure she got all of the med.
I will try some chick starter. I got her to eat feed if it was mixed with applesauce, but it's like she got bored of it.
When you give Tylan orally do you squirt in in the mouth? Is it the same dosage as an injection?
She seems so lonely and I really want her to het better.

Try making her a wet mash of feed using a little buttermilk or yogurt (plus water).

Tylan50 is good for treating symptoms of Mycoplasma, so she may have more going on or it's a virus. If it hasn't cleared up after 10 days of Tylan50 then consult the vet to see if they recommend a different antibiotic. Sometimes vets will prescribe Baytril for off label use, but it's banned for use in poultry.

Tylan has a fairly wide dosage range of 10-40mg/kg, so I don't know what dose your vet prescribed. "Generally" here on BYC it's recommended to give Tylan50 at a rate of .25mg per pound of weight orally 3 times a day for 5 days.
See the link below on how to administer oral medications.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...er-construction-check-back-for-updates.73335/