Coryza? Please tell me it's not...

[kinnip]

Listen to gator. I'd just like to add that the are a number of things that can cause eye and respiratory irritation, some of them not even infectious. If there's no noxious smell, it isn't likely that it's coryza. So now I'm going to give the advice I never follow-- Chill Out!

You're going to make yourself sick from worry. Trust me, I do it often. Keep us posted on your girl. I wish you both the best.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks, Kinnip. Especially for the "chill out"!! It's just that I have so much going on with my two flocks right now, it's hard to do the chill. I've got one that I'm hand feeding (for a month now) that's not getting any better, but she doens't look that bad, so I've got some serious decisions to make about her...plus, working full-time and tending to all my other critters (dogs, cats, horses, donkeys)...I know there are others with SO much more on their plates than me, and I need to somehow find a way to be thankful that I don't have MORE to worry about. Anyhow, I'm rambling...but thanks.

 

[kinnip]

Sometimes it's hard to remember we started collecting all these critters for enjoyment.

 

[Wynette]

YES! Put well, and very, very true!

 

[Jenski]

Wynette, you might spritz that coop with your Oxine morning and night, too, if you haven't been doing that already. Not sure if that is facial swelling or not, as I don't know what she usually looks like. Could be the beginning of a fungal infection, too, I imagine.

BTW, great camera you have!

 

[Wynette]

Good idea on the Oxine spritzing, Jenski - thanks! Oh, the camera's nothing special. It's probably 3 yrs. old now, but it has the "macro" feature so you can get close-up shots. I still haven't figured out how to reduce them in size, some day (with all my spare time) I'll read the manual!

 

[jmc]

Quote:
Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh gee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Wynette, Wynette, Wynette..........

So sorry over this addition of stress.

You know I'm no pro. But I have tried Terramycin sol. on more than one occasion and it has done nothing. Cynthia has memorably said to 'throw Terramycin far away from you' in another post, because it is really ineffective.

I personally would hate you have to run on Terramycin, when you have more potent (proven effective) remedies on hand.

Also, remember the poultry man at BioCide Int'l. told me that in order for birds to INHALE Oxine, he said that a mere mister spray bottle would probably not be the thing to use. If you don't have a fogger, he said, use a COOL MIST VAPORIZER like you can get for 20- at the drugstore. Of course these vaporizers aren't supposed to have anything in them besides h20, but I doubt that running gaseous chlorine dioxide suspended in h20 (that is what Oxine is, the active agent is a GAS not a fluid) would destroy the vaporizer, especially if it was cleaned out each eve with a run of white vinegar.

He said vaporize bird(s) for 15 min. 3 times per day and see how things go. But can you afford a vaporizer? DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER. I got one last week. My Oxine just came in, so I am about to start all my seven birds on just that treatment real soon. And I don't really think the vaporizer will implode. I don't plan on running Oxine through it for 2000 consecutive hours, or something.

You can be President the Frazzled Chicken Owners Club; I'll be VP!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Chickenmonk...I agree that terramycin is not the most potent antibiotic you can use. However, it is a broad spectrum abx and if you don't know what you're dealing with, it's where I would start.

If they get worse...or don't get better...then you bring on the bigger guns...like baytril, etc.

My vet usually starts with the treatment he feels is effective but not overkill...then moves up the ladder if necessary.

 

[Wynette]

I agree with oldtimegator on this one. Mostly because this bird still has an excellent appetite, and is drinking well, also. She appears healthy in every other sense of what "healthy" is to me. I also agree that you should start with as low a strength of medicine as possible and work your way up. UNLESS you've got a bird that's extremely compromised in some way (which is how my splash marans that's been on Gallimycin for 8 days now is....she's picking at her feed, but not eating or drinking on her own. This is obviously very serious, and I felt called for something strong).

Thus, I'd decided to start this bird, Carmen, on Terramycin as soon as I got home from work. However, when I checked on her last night, the swelling around her eyes actually had subsided a bit, and I noticed the rest of the birds in that pen have the same issue, thought not nearly as bad as Carmen. They are all eating & drinking, and otherwise seem healthy (with the exception of a few sneezes now and then, but nothing compared to the sneezing I heard 4 days ago). So, it may have been a bad decision, but I decided after much thought to put Carmen back in with the others. I figured, it's obvious they all have what she's got, so if it doens't get better, I'll end up treating them all anyway.

With all I have on my plate with my juvenile pen and the splash marans pullet, with my adult layers (Carmen's pen), I've decided to take a wait-and-see attitude, watching closely for any additional signs or symptoms.

It's SO frustrating, Chickenmonk, because I work so hard to make sure their coops and runs are clean, make sure they have fresh water with vitamins/minerals, are getting good feed, oyster shell, and grit free choice, they get healthy treats, etc. Lately, it just feels like it's not worth it. So, wait & see for the big girls. They're all 17-18 months old, should have good natural immunities by now, so I'm hoping they will be able to fight off whatever this is. Sigh....

Oh, on the cool mist humidifier - I've been trying to find one on eBay, but keep getting outbid. It's probably BYC folks all doing the same thing I'm doing!

 

[jmc]

Gator,

Thank you. I will always welcome "corrections"/ "respectful differences".

Wynette remember to watch out for your own well-being, also. Don't kill yourself by taking on too much.

I recommend you to the Lord, may He give you the prudence you need to, do what needs to be done; and the 'eyes' to see His mysterious ways with you at this difficult time.

I hope I haven't offended anyone by these last expressions. None intended.