Consolidated Kansas

[Plinky]

Thanks Danz. Can I get the Tylan w/o a prescription?

 

[chicken danz]

yes. If you have a TSC there they usually carry it. Not sure if Orcheln's does or not. Check any farm store that carries any medications. Its tylan injectable by they way. About $20 a bottle but a bottle goes a long long ways.

 

[Plinky]

OK. Just did a soak, cleaning, topical triple antibiotic, nutridrench orally and 1/2cc Durvet penicillin (they did not have the Tylan) injection (not much breast left to inject into, unfortunately). Wrapped in towel and back in box w/heat lamp. Seems more alert and she did poop finally. Will repeat for four days. Unfortunately she is wheezing a bit too, I noticed.

 

[chicken danz]

Why are you waiting four days? This should be a daily routine. The penicillin may work but I wouldn't recommend it especially if she is wheezing. So many bacteria are resistant to penicillin these days. Tylan is very broad spectrum and works better. But anything is better than nothing.

 

[Plinky]

Not waiting four days. Treating for four days. That's what I read about on another post/website. Can't find Tylan! Hen seems a better. Routine is twice daily cleaning and topical antibiotics, nutridrench orally, mash available, penicillin injection once daily for four days. I just wonder what will happen after four days. I certainly don't want to contribute to antibiotic over use. I stopped by vet that had treated another chicken a couple of years ago (at great cost) just to see what they would charge to look at and possibly euthaise if it came to it. $65 to examine; $25 to euthanize. Have to pay exam fee in order to euthanise. I hope it doesn't come to that. Does anyone know of a farm/country/livestock/poultry vet within a range of 30-40 miles of Lawrence that perhaps 1) knows poultry and 2) is reasonable? I'm going to call K-state where I took another hen to be necropsied, but that's 70 miles away.

 

[chicken danz]

Well I mentioned 5 days for the tylan. Not meaning to disagree with someone else but 4 days of penicillin is not the right way to dose it. You will need a full 7 days of penicillin. Tylan has a lasting effect and should do it's job in three days but if you give for 5 that equates to a full 8-10 days treatment. Penicillin needs to be given for a longer time, usually 10 days but if it is Pen G it can be a minimum of 7 days. If you stop the shots before the 7 days the bacteria will start growing again. That's just one of the major downfalls to Penicillin.
Well you know what the problem is with the hen so I wouldn't go to the expense to take it to K State. If you think your local vet is expensive you haven't seen anything compared to K state. Plus the last time I dealt with them you have to have a vet sponsoring you or they will do the tests but not give you the answers without a vet. Plus any case of dealing with them that I know of with birds they euthanize the bird for serology. TSC carries tylan 50 and if they don't have it in the store they ship it free to the store.
But if you want to avoid the further use of antibiotics, get the Oregano oil as I suggested and give it to her both internally and externally. But I would certainly continue the use of the penicillin for the course to prevent a backlash on conditions.
There is an avian vet in Lenexa Mariposa Vet hospital. Just so you know. I think you would like them because they offer alternative medication as an option.

 

[Plinky]

Ah well. Called K-State. Amazingly an agricultural school veterinary medicine college sees chickens under "exotic pets". They are almost as expensive as fancy Lawrence vets plus the cost of driving over there. I guess there is a moral for us backyard chicken folks - don't get into it if you can't bear the costs or if you can't deal with the unfortunate events yourself.

 

[Plinky]

Thanks Danz, I was posting at the same time you were. I think at this point I can only forge ahead with the 7 days of penicillin and cleaning routine. I will add the oregano oil.

 

[Plinky]

If Kansas were a poultry-raising state there would probably be more expertise/services available. Alas, I don't have room for cattle.

 

[chicken danz]

I agree with you. I had started college to become a veterinarian but life got in the way. Having your own babies tends to mess up your time and budget!
But I have studied veterinarian medicine on my own over a number of years. Mostly related to the animals I had at the time. Of course over 40 years time things have changed a ton. I have volunteered and worked in a vet clinic assisting with surgeries etc as well. I don't have the lab equipment but at least I have some knowledge to treat different things. Unfortunately my birds and other animals are just as likely to develop the same problems as others. I try to avoid the use of antibiotics and chemicals when I can but not to the point of allowing my animals to die while I try things. My farmer's daughter went to vet school and I tried to encourage her to get into avian veterinarian services. But she didn't really want to. She wanted to be an equine vet. So she is literally as uninformed about birds as most people. It would have been a great way to make a decent living without having to worry about big animals running over her all the time. She was recenttly pregnant and had to quit her practice because of the dangers. Then her child was born at 28 weeks and now she has a neonatal child to tend to. I don't know if she will ever practice again.