I have an 8 y.o. silkie banty rooster (Ranger) and 17 various hens. On May 26th I took Ranger to the vet because he was lethargic and had quit crowing. The vet thought he may have emphysema but we decided to give him and the hens a worm treatment first using Fenbendazole to see if that would help. It didn't seem to. On June 4th I treated Ranger with Baytril, 1cc, two times a day for 10 days. Still no great improvement. His symptoms are: he'll drop his head and shake it - no visible mucous or drainage, no crowing, opens and closes his mouth as if "tasting" something like people do when sipping a beverage, dozes off a lot but otherwise alert, can see neck feathers below the wattles heave when he breathes but cannot feel an air pocket or pouch, appetite is diminishing - have offered soft foods as cottage cheese, cooked eggs, moist whole grain bread but he seems to like birdseed (millet) best. Could his throat be sore? Do you think an x-ray could help with a diagnosis? Does the trachea and esophagus branch off from each other behind the tongue? I would be so grateful for any advise or suggestions.
