Chicken w/ respiratory illness

[BuckBuck9556]

Hi, I've treated many birds with respiratory and other illnesses before, as we rescue a lot and mostly the sickest/ones with disabilities, but I'm at a standstill currently.

We have a white leghorn who we rescued around December 2019/January 2020 as a baby. She was severely ill with a respiratory illness (coughing, coughing up mucous, sneezing, sneezing, swollen eye with discharge) and it took her around 2.5 months to get better. And another 1 month on top of that for the eye swelling (corner of eye closest to nare) to subside.

From around March 2020 to December 2021 all was well. She'd get the occasional congestion, but nothing severe. Unfortunately March 2021 a lot of our chickens came down with respiratory illness. They were treated with amoxicillin from 10 days, all started getting better by day 3. Didn't lose any of them, all recovered.

Beginning of September of this year, she started to show signs of respiratory illness again. More sneezing and coughing than usual, occasional wheeze, comb warm to touch, quieter than normal. So she was started on amoxicillin again. She got better after a few days on it and was continued for 12 days on it, however then it came back. So she was put back on a higher dose. After that she's still displaying symptoms. Coughing, sneezing, wheezing, congestion, a rattle sound when breathing. But not all the time. Sometimes she'll be completely fine, no noises. Sometimes it'll be a cough or sneeze and the wheezing stops. And then sometimes it's more severe where the wheezing is continous for an hour. It seems worse when she sleeps. Not when lying down, but when sleeping (standing or sitting).

She's still acting normal otherwise. Cleaning feathers, running around, eating, drinking, laying eggs, eating snacks. Comb is normal temperature. Everything seems fine, other than the respiratory issue. Also no one else has gotten it, she's had it since September 2nd, getting better, worse, staying same, etc. No new chickens have been brought in anytime recent. No changes in environment.

Any thoughts? Any help is appreciated. I've tried to get into vets, emergency vets, specialty vets, all were either booked (even for emergencies!!), didn't see chickens, or their chicken vet was out for x amount of time.

Also, she is an indoor bird, as most of ours are due to their disabilities, so bird flu and other outdoor things are not an issue. She weighs around 3 pounds, hasn't lost any weight during this.

 

[dennisma1]

I'm sorry to here that. Have you tried any other antibiotics? I was able to get a broad spectrum triple antibiotic for pigeons by mail. I normally use tylan 50 for hens but it can be hard to find. I use amoxicillin fish meds on my dogs, cures Lyme disease , so I was happy to hear it worked on your chicks too.
Chickens make amateur vets of us all.

 

[BuckBuck9556]

I'm sorry to here that. Have you tried any other antibiotics? I was able to get a broad spectrum triple antibiotic for pigeons by mail. I normally use tylan 50 for hens but it can be hard to find. I use amoxicillin fish meds on my dogs, cures Lyme disease , so I was happy to hear it worked on your chicks too.
Chickens make amateur vets of us all.

That's the exact reason I had amoxicillin, I had the fish med version on hand since it was one I could actually get. I do have Tylan 50 injectable, but I don't necessarily feel comfortable injecting it. I know I've read a couple posts about giving it orally, but I'm not sure if that's accurate or not, how do you usually administer it to your hens?

 

[Eggcessive]

Most respiratory diseases in chickens are chronic—they have them for their whole lives, and they can come back again during periods of stress (molting, cold weather, moving, etc.) Some are lucky when they get better and stay better. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a common one that causes eye foam and eyelid or facial swelling. It does not have a cell wall, so amoxicillin will not treat it. Tylosin, denegard, oxytetracycline, and baytril are some of the antibiotics which will treat symptoms. But nothing will cure it. It is passed through hatching eggs and from carriers, especially rescued chickens, swap meets, wild birds.

There are at least 8 common respiratory diseases in poultry. Some diseases may come in 2’s, such as MG and infectious bronchitis virus, and they can be complicated by a secondary disease, such as air sacculitis where E.coli bacterial enter the air sacs. Then other antibiotics may be needed, and the outcome may not be good. Once you deal with a respiratory disease in your flock, it is good to close your flock to birds coming in or going out of your flock for the life of all birds. It also is good to actually get a diagnosis of the disease, so that you will know if you are dealing with a virus which does not respond to antibiotics, or if you are dealing with MG, coryza, or something else. A necropsy by your state vet on a chicken that you lose is the best way to get a diagnosis. Some states will help you test birds. Sorry this may not be helpful to you, and that you are dealing with this disease.

Tylan 50 injectable which most people give orally to chickens, or tylosin powder for the water may be purchased online. Tylan 50 dosage is 0.25 ml per pound given orally 3 times a day for 5 days. Tylosin powder dosage is 1 tsp per gallon of water for 5 days, and the chicken must drink a normal amount of the treated water. Those treat symptoms of MG, and you might try that is symptoms return.

 

[dennisma1]

That's the exact reason I had amoxicillin, I had the fish med version on hand since it was one I could actually get. I do have Tylan 50 injectable, but I don't necessarily feel comfortable injecting it. I know I've read a couple posts about giving it orally, but I'm not sure if that's accurate or not, how do you usually administer it to your hens?

I did it orally too. I've heard it can cause flesh issues if you inject it. I found a thread on here somewhere that gave dosage I used a needle syringe to get the amount then I'd take off the sharp end. I'd mix with yougart because it can be hard to force liquid without getting it down their air pipe.