Concentrated Corid for sick chick??

[Oldtymegal]

I read once in a thread that you could give concentrated Corid for a sick chick & how to mix the powder to make a concentrate. I only want to do this if it is safe. I have this one poor chick that I treated for coccidia at 3 wks of age, listless, not eating & drinking. The first time I treated with Sulmet since it was all I could find. Chick bounced back & seemed better. I moved her & her sisters from the brooder to a small outside coop at 5 wks of age. I treated everyone again with Corid powder solution 1.5 tsp per gallon of water since this was the first time exposure to the outside & the weather has been excessively wet & warm (Florida) & I thought I was seeing some bloody poop. The chicks are now 8 wks old & once again the little one that was previously so sick is looking lethargic again. She was doing a good job gaining some weight but has always been smaller. I am thinking of just treating her since the other chicks seem so well. Does anyone remember how to give the concentrated Corid powder & is it safe??? Any suggestions ? it is frustrating this little one is sick again.

 

[casportpony]

I read once in a thread that you could give concentrated Corid for a sick chick & how to mix the powder to make a concentrate. I only want to do this if it is safe. I have this one poor chick that I treated for coccidia at 3 wks of age, listless, not eating & drinking. The first time I treated with Sulmet since it was all I could find. Chick bounced back & seemed better. I moved her & her sisters from the brooder to a small outside coop at 5 wks of age. I treated everyone again with Corid powder solution 1.5 tsp per gallon of water since this was the first time exposure to the outside & the weather has been excessively wet & warm (Florida) & I thought I was seeing some bloody poop. The chicks are now 8 wks old & once again the little one that was previously so sick is looking lethargic again. She was doing a good job gaining some weight but has always been smaller. I am thinking of just treating her since the other chicks seem so well. Does anyone remember how to give the concentrated Corid powder & is it safe??? Any suggestions ? it is frustrating this little one is sick again.

I give the liquid undiluted to small chicks and have not seen any side effects. One can also do the same with the powder by mixing 1/2 teaspoon with 10ml of water, stir well and give 0.07ml per 100 grams once a day or 0.035ml per 100 grams twice a day. One or two days of this is all I have ever needed to give. This is given in addition to the medicated water.

-Kathy

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Rebound coccidiosis is pretty common in warm, wet areas and certain birds just may not be equipped as well as other birds in the immune system department to fight off the coccidia.

Honestly, I would probably treat all your birds again for the maximum duration. The reason I think this is the best course is because if it is wet and warm, the other birds may still be shedding the Protozoa even if they themselves are not showing signs. A prolonged course I think might be better because of both the area you are in and the way the coccidiostats work. You should be giving it with enough time for the bird's own immune system to fight off the infection. The virus does not kill the Protozoa itself, it only halts its multplication so the bird has a chance to catch up.

It is possible to overdose an animal (especially horses) on some coccidiostats but I am not as familiar with the LD50 (lethal dose) of corid in birds. I would be careful though if you do decide to give a stronger dose.

However, if you only dose your one bird, she may just pick it up again from the others once you stop treatment. I would consider starting some prophylactic amprolium in the feed as well, to help quell the outbreak while it is still wet and warm!

 

[casportpony]

Rebound coccidiosis is pretty common in warm, wet areas and certain birds just may not be equipped as well as other birds in the immune system department to fight off the coccidia.

Honestly, I would probably treat all your birds again for the maximum duration. The reason I think this is the best course is because if it is wet and warm, the other birds may still be shedding the Protozoa even if they themselves are not showing signs. A prolonged course I think might be better because of both the area you are in and the way the coccidiostats work. You should be giving it with enough time for the bird's own immune system to fight off the infection. The virus does not kill the Protozoa itself, it only halts its multplication so the bird has a chance to catch up.

It is possible to overdose an animal (especially horses) on some coccidiostats but I am not as familiar with the LD50 (lethal dose) of corid in birds. I would be careful though if you do decide to give a stronger dose.

However, if you only dose your one bird, she may just pick it up again from the others once you stop treatment. I would consider starting some prophylactic amprolium in the feed as well, to help quell the outbreak while it is still wet and warm!

The amount I recommended is about 20mg/kg and the mfg of Corid and Amprol said that it's very safe and almost impossible to OD them. with it. Done it many times and have not seen any side effects, but I am very careful about weighing and giving it by weight.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

LD50 info:
Quote:
Source: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB...sidue_Limits_-_Report/2009/11/WC500010566.pdf

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Thanks casport. We recently had a lecture about how toxic coccidiostats other than Deccox can be to horses, which is why I thought of it.

In the OP's situation, I still think a longer treatment will be of good benefit, especially since this one bird seems to be having issues. It will give the immune system plenty of time to catch up and the other birds will benefit as well.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks casport. We recently had a lecture about how toxic coccidiostats other than Deccox can be to horses, which is why I thought of it.

In the OP's situation, I still think a longer treatment will be of good benefit, especially since this one bird seems to be having issues. It will give the immune system plenty of time to catch up and the other birds will benefit as well.

I guess maybe my post wasn't clear... If they were mine and I suspected coccidiosis I would follow the FDA and mfg recommendation of treating with 1.5 teaspoons for 3-7 days (I do five), then 1/3 teaspoon for 1-2 weeks (I do 1 week). In addition to the medicated water I would give the sickest one(s) an oral drench once or twice a day for 1 or 2 days. My experience is most sick birds aren't drinking nearly enough water for the medication to work, and often this drench method is just enough to get them back on track.

Interesting about the coccidiostats in horses being toxic. Curiously, are sulfa drugs used to treat coccidia in horses?

-Kathy

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

That makes sense to me. I definitely agree that sick birds probably aren't drinking! I will remember to keep that in mind for the future. I definitely think being able to tube a bird is such a valuable ability. I'm so happy I've been able to learn but I wish I had known how to do it when I was really involved with my own birds.

I'm not sure what they actually use to treat horses with, but I think mostly Deccox. I'll have to go back in my notes and look. The equine practioner didn't mention the toxicity. It actually came up in a small ruminant GI lecture. I'll let you know once I pull that lecture up again (I'm slowly studying for the test next week so this is good review).

 

[casportpony]

This is what I found when I was trying to figure out the proper dose. The severe outbreak dose (0.024%) for powder is 1.5 teaspoons per gallon and the 0.006% dose for powder is 1/3 teaspoon.

FDA recommendations:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/animaldrugsatfda/details.cfm?dn=013-149
"Chickens
Indications: For the treatment of coccidiosis.
Amount: Administer at the 0.012 percent level in drinking water as soon as coccidiosis is diagnosed and continue for 3 to 5 days (in severe outbreaks, give amprolium at the 0.024 percent level); continue with 0.006 percent amprolium-medicated water for an additional 1 to 2 weeks."

 

[casportpony]

That makes sense to me. I definitely agree that sick birds probably aren't drinking! I will remember to keep that in mind for the future. I definitely think being able to tube a bird is such a valuable ability. I'm so happy I've been able to learn but I wish I had known how to do it when I was really involved with my own birds.

I'm not sure what they actually use to treat horses with, but I think mostly Deccox. I'll have to go back in my notes and look. The equine practioner didn't mention the toxicity. It actually came up in a small ruminant GI lecture. I'll let you know once I pull that lecture up again (I'm slowly studying for the test next week so this is good review).

Tubing has saved many of my birds (the stories I could tell, lol)... definitely something worth learning, though tubing chicks can be tricky. Good luck on your test and let me know when you look at the lecture again. As an owner of horses this sort of thing interests me.

Good luck on your test!

-Kathy