Coccidia help

[Beckyinva]

I am really overwhelmed and stressed. I took my sick pulled to the vet yesterday. I have a flock of 7 but she was the only one acting sick. The vet said she had coccidia. She had no blood in stool, she couldn't stand without losing balance. He gave us albon. From what I understand it is highly contagious. How do I treat the rest of the flock?????? The vet said to give medicated feed or weigh each gen and he would sell me albon. There is so much info out there, I am totally overwhelmed with it all. Can anyone help me with what to do about rest of flock?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

You can buy corid at the feed store and put in the water. Coccidia are in the soil so yes, is likely but not guaranteed they all have it. Though, as far as I know, the symptoms don't line up. Your flock could have coccidia, which is normal in small amounts, and she's actually sick from something else. How much poultry experience does the vet have?

 

[Isaac 0]

I am really overwhelmed and stressed. I took my sick pulled to the vet yesterday. I have a flock of 7 but she was the only one acting sick. The vet said she had coccidia. She had no blood in stool, she couldn't stand without losing balance. He gave us albon. From what I understand it is highly contagious. How do I treat the rest of the flock?????? The vet said to give medicated feed or weigh each gen and he would sell me albon. There is so much info out there, I am totally overwhelmed with it all. Can anyone help me with what to do about rest of flock?

Just a bit of advice don't go to that vet his information is completely wrong.First of all to treat cocci you need corid which can be found at a local feed store.Medicated feed will prevent but not treat cocci it will not help at all in a infestation.So go to the store and pick up Corid.Treat all of them.I would treat for extreme infestation.Put the dosage in there water for seven days.refresh water every day with corid.Going off what your vet said its sounds like he has no to little experience with chickens.They might not even have cocci.How old are they?What are there Symptoms?Cocci is more common in young chickens because there immune system is not fully developed.Also there are forms of cocci that doesn't make they excrete waste abnormally.I would put a few drops of plain corid in the infected one.The dosage does not need to be on point corid is extremely safe.


Dosage



*The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid 20% Soluble Powder is 1/3 teaspoon/gallon.
*The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid Liquid (9.6% Solution) is 1/2 teaspoon/gallon.

*The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid 20% Soluble Powder is 3/4 teaspoon/gallon.
*The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid Liquid (9.6% Solution) is 1 teaspoon/gallon.

*The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid 20% Soluble Powder is 1.5 teaspoons/gallon.
*The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid Liquid (9.6% Solution) is 2 teaspoon/gallon.

For 5-7days

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am really overwhelmed and stressed. I took my sick pulled to the vet yesterday. I have a flock of 7 but she was the only one acting sick. The vet said she had coccidia. She had no blood in stool, she couldn't stand without losing balance. He gave us albon. From what I understand it is highly contagious. How do I treat the rest of the flock?????? The vet said to give medicated feed or weigh each gen and he would sell me albon. There is so much info out there, I am totally overwhelmed with it all. Can anyone help me with what to do about rest of flock?

Albon is sulfadimethoxine which can be used to treat certain strains of cocci in poultry. I would assume your vet feels confident this medication will take care of the strain your pullet has.

Medicated feed usually contains Amprol which is the active ingredient in Corid. This acts as a Thiamine blocker which slows the growth of cocci until birds can naturally build resistance (the amount of medication in the feed is very small). Most backyard poultry keepers use Corid to treat Cocci outbreaks in their flocks because it's readily available at the feed store or online. I believe sulfonamides (Albon) are prescription only.

You can do as he says and weigh each pullet and let him prescribe the Albon for you or you can use Corid in the rest of the flocks water to treat them. If you choose to treat the rest of the flock with Corid, I would keep the one that you are treating with Albon separate - she most likely does not need the Corid in addition to the Albon.

If she does not improve with the Albon, then switch to Corid, it does treat more strain of Cocci than the Albon. Remember, there are 9 strains of cocci and I believe there is only 1 strain that shows up as "bloody poop".

Here is more information on Cocci. I encourage you to contact your vet with any concerns you have, he should be able to clarify some of your questions.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/coccidiosis/overview-of-coccidiosis-in-poultry
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/1138/coccidiosis-control/
https://www.drugs.com/vet/albon-concentrated-solution-12-5.html

 

[Beckyinva]

Thanks!!! This dosage info will be so helpful also!

 

[Beckyinva]

Wyorp Rock...you cleared up a lot of things for me....thanks!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I'm going to agree that the symptoms don't sound like cocci. Did your vet run a fecal sample to verify?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am really overwhelmed and stressed. I took my sick pulled to the vet yesterday. I have a flock of 7 but she was the only one acting sick. The vet said she had coccidia. She had no blood in stool, she couldn't stand without losing balance. He gave us albon. From what I understand it is highly contagious. How do I treat the rest of the flock?????? The vet said to give medicated feed or weigh each gen and he would sell me albon. There is so much info out there, I am totally overwhelmed with it all. Can anyone help me with what to do about rest of flock?

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I'm going to agree that the symptoms don't sound like cocci. Did your vet run a fecal sample to verify?

What symptoms listed by the OP do NOT sound like Cocci?
OP clearly states that Vet diagnosed coccidia, so would assume that a fecal sample was checked.

Some symptoms of cocci include weakness, not eating, diarrhea with mucus or blood, loss of balance, and puffing up. Chickens of ANY age can susceptible to a Cocci overload. We normally think of Cocci presenting with blood in the feces and only being seen in young chicks. This is not always the case. There is always a possibility it could be something else, but with a vet check-up and testing, this would be the first thing I would treat. If pullet is still ill after treatment, then further investigation would be in order.

Just my thoughts

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What symptoms listed by the OP do NOT sound like Cocci?
OP clearly states that Vet diagnosed coccidia, so would assume that a fecal sample was checked.

Some symptoms of cocci include weakness, not eating, diarrhea with mucus or blood, loss of balance, and puffing up. Chickens of ANY age can susceptible to a Cocci overload. We normally think of Cocci presenting with blood in the feces and only being seen in young chicks. This is not always the case. There is always a possibility it could be something else, but with a vet check-up and testing, this would be the first thing I would treat. If pullet is still ill after treatment, then further investigation would be in order.

Just my thoughts

Sorry, guess I never had one get that far without presenting puffed up and lethargic fist. Or that far ever. But I do understand what your saying about all symptoms not presenting the same for everyone. But I guess loss of balance being the only symptom noted is what piqued my curiosity.

Also some docs and vets are quacks, it's fair for me to ask if he ran a sample than to assume anything.

Of course he isn't going to suggest an over the counter remedy that will work for the whole flock. But I agree she needs to probably treat in one of the two methods you described, if he did in fact confirm through a fecal float.

I only recently learned that grown chickens could get cocci. So I appreciate sharing your thoughts either way, because I'm here to learn and make realizations. as well as trying to share.

My vet also would have prescribed the same thing after testing. But I use Corid if needed. Why do they use something if it's less effective (in essence by treating less strains)?

You can buy corid at the feed store and put in the water. Coccidia are in the soil so yes, is likely but not guaranteed they all have it. Though, as far as I know, the symptoms don't line up. Your flock could have coccidia, which is normal in small amounts, and she's actually sick from something else. How much poultry experience does the vet have?

Cocci are also present in every poo they make. They are always present. It only becomes a problem when there is an over growth, which is most likely to occur in warm, humid conditions similar to those in a brooder. However, I did have to treat for cocci during the early spring. So your weather can contribute to these conditions as well. And although I would be prone to treat the whole flock (Corid, or Amprolium) because it's affordable and won't hurt them, though I do not know if there is an egg withdrawal time (or even how old dais bird is).... it also COULD effect only one who is a little under the weather (say molting) and can't fight off the standard load of cocci that's there.


So ultimately, more questions and answers would help to confirm what the vet is saying or come up with alternatives possibilities.... since the OP didn't yet state what actually took place at the exam.

Flocks and situations are a very dynamic thing. That's why I ask questions. Yes, I do not mean to go against the vet at all. Just ask by what means they arrived at the conclusion.

Hope she gets better!

 

[Beckyinva]

I am sorry to have caused confusion. There was a fecal float performed. There was an excessive amount of coccidia. I also omitted that capillari were found but not a large amount. He did give me panacur for that. I decided to treat the rest of my flock with Strike III to cover my bases on Capillari. He was definitely more concerned with the amount of coccidia. I apologize for not giving all the information up front, as I was desperate for help with coccidia. Sorry