cockerel has swollen cheek!

[tobit]

So one of my pekin bantam cockerels' cheeks are swollen up, it started a couple of months ago and it's just been getting worse. he has virtually no sight due to the swellings and tends to sleep everywhere, even on my lap happy for me to do anything with him (he wasn't tame when i got him!). The swellings are hard and look ready to burst; the skin is a normal colour but very stretched. He constantly has a runny nose and slimmy see through "goo" coming out between his eye lids which is also bubbly when you pull open his eye lids. he is eating and drinking as normal and his poo look the way it should. I bought him and two others as "hens" at a young age but they all turned out to be cockerels, so im not tooooo eager to take him to a vet. Any ideas??? By the way I live in England so i dont know if i can access the same medication as in the US..:/

 

[Eggcessive]

Does he smell bad? He has a respiratory disease, probably mycoplasma (CRD) or coryza (if he smells bad.) Treatment would be antibiotics like Tylan, oxytetracycline or chlortetracycline, or Denagard. You may need to see a vet. Give him some garlic and make sure that he is drinking. He is contagious, so you should isolate him for treatment. If you can't treat him with medications, you might think about culling him.

 

[tobit]

yeah he does smell rather bad! how can i access any of these antibiotics (i dont know how much of a difference living in the UK makes) ? what form shall i give him the garlic in? yes i isolated him as soon as he looked ill, he has his own small coop. hmmm ive never culled a chicken (don't even know if that is allowed in the UK). thank you for the information

 

[Eggcessive]

Since he smells bad, I would think he might have coryza from the other symptoms you describe. Some will choose to cull a bird with coryza, since it is a carrier disease, and is never really cured. Sulfa drugs such as sulfadimethoxine and sulmet, erythromycin, and oxytetracycline can be used to treat it. You might try ordering online, or checking with a vet. The garlic can be chopped into food or liquified into the water. I use powdered, but fresh is supposed to be better.

 

[tobit]

so here are some pics, just so you can see the issue, in all the pictures he has got his eyes closed as he loves sitting in the sun to warm up, but it looks pretty much the same with eyes open.

 

[Suzie]

Ask your Vet for oxytetracycline.... it will deal with coryza... you may not need an appointment...just ask the receptionist at your local Veterinary Surgery if you can obtain some without having to take a chicken to the surgery....it usually comes in a powder form that you can put into their drinking water....be aware that you will need to change the water every day.

I am English and we can buy it here in France without a prescription but we do have to ask for it specifically.

 

[tobit]

okay i'll go and see if they let me, will any vet have it or does it specifically be one that will see a chicken?

 

[Suzie]

Normally any Vet will prescribe it... you just need to explain that the need is for a chicken...they should give you instructions as to how much powder to put into the drinking water...do ask the receptionist if you need to speak directly to a Vet before the can prescribe it,should not be a problem.

 

[tobit]

okay thank you you're very helpful!!

 

[tobit]

so i've decided to book an appointment with the vet, will see how things are tomorrow when we take a little trip to the vets round the corner!