Dwarf Tapeworms

[dawg53]

Yeah, I'm thinking your vet might give them Valbazen or Praziquantal, another tapeworm med. It is sold as Zimectrin Gold and Quest Plus gel, used in horses. Both are paste like. Dosage for chickens would be a 'BB' size paste ball on a piece of bread for each chicken like Valbazen. I prefer the Valbazen as it's easier to apply and less messy and kills multi types of tapeworms whereas the horse pastes tend to target only one or two types of tapeworms, try making a 'BB'size paste ball too,no fun there lol. Yes, if a worm was inside an egg,you'd most likely see it....odds are the worms wont pass into an egg. Besides plain yogurt, I like to give mine buttermilk(probiotic and coats their innards) mixed with canned beef catfood(protein), mixed in their feed. Sometimes I add plain white rice to the mix and they scoff it all up lol.

 

[Malpower]

Oh great! Thanks for the further info -- it doesn't sound too bad or difficult to do if that's what I am given for the girls. It's nice to be armed with info, too, before talking to the vet! I'm definitely feeling far more knowledgeable than I was yesterday!

Thanks, Dawg!
Kerry

 

[dawg53]

Your welcome Kerry. Keep in mind that Valbazen (albendazole) is a sheep and cattle wormer and the paste type wormers are for horses. It's easy to worm chickens, it's scary when you're first starting to worm them. You have to know dosages etc... because we're working on a much smaller scale. Doing the wormings yourself will save major $$$ rather than taking them to a vet too.

 

[Malpower]

Yes, I would like to know how to worm them myself I guess every six months or so -- since I can't take the girls in, the vet house calls are expensive! Though I'm happy I've found one vet in the County who WILL make house calls or I'd be lost. Now to figure out how to capture all four of the hens tomorrow -- I believe the vet is bringing a net with him!

By the way, a gal on vet's staff said vet said to tell me there should be no problem eating the eggs we've got already, so it's nice to confirm that.

Thanks once again, Dawg!

Kerry

 

[dawg53]

I dont really have a set worming schedule, it depends on the weather. When it's hot and humid here and it rains practically every afternoon like last year and it looks like this year too, I'll worm every 6 months. However, if it's hot and dry without rain for extended periods like 3-4 years ago, I might worm them once every 10-11 months. Damp, wet soil is condusive for parasites that the chickens will pick up sooner than if the soil was dry. I also keep a close eye on them for any signs of trouble that could lead me to believe they might have worms. If they act lethargic, not eating or drinking, not laying eggs... and I check their poop. If they're infested with worms, it's a good possibility you'll see some in their poop...but not always. The bottom line is if they are acting like a chicken should...scratching,pecking ,eating etc...everything is ok. If not, it's probably time to worm them and inspect them for lice and mites too. Hope this helps.

 

[Malpower]

Yeah, it certainly does help! It's all those little things that are so useful to know!

I certainly have noticed that the damp soil is where the girls like to spend time pecking, eating, dust bathing too. I give favorite spots a sprinkle, especially when it's hot and dry.

Ya know, they have really not shown any signs of trouble, a wee bit more fluffing of feathers, but really just carry on through the day, moving from spot to spot, taking little "naps" nearly on top of each other now and then, and then they're off again. They know when it's time for treats morning and evening and appear at the kitchen door, I know just where to find them at any time -- they're small feathered robots really!

Haven't seen anything suspicious or wormy in their poop which leads me to hope they can't be terribly infested! As to worming, I saw someone mention that worming in the fall/winter when they were molting was a nice idea since they wouldn't be laying eggs then either. But good to know what some variables might be, like weather, in choosing a time to worm.

I'm plotting how to get their attention tomorrow and lure them into at least the enclosure around the coop -- if I'm lucky I might even get them into the coop itself, then capturing them will be so much easier! They're going to be so mad at me tomorrow night! I'll get the cold wing treatment for a day or two just like a week ago after 2 vet visits -- they just ran at the sight of me!

Kerry

 

[dawg53]

After it's all said and done, give them some treats. They'll be your best friend again and have forgotten about the incident lol.

 

[Malpower]

Quote:
Well, we'll see! They are off hiding in the bushes right now, pretty PO'd with me! I hope they weren't too traumatized!

Here's the scoop! After catching them (vet and his tech had to chase two down with nets) they all got injections of Praziquantel for the tapeworms. Vet said this is the best to use, fast acting, worms are absorbed and don't come out in poop. He said I'd only need to throw the next two or three days' worth of eggs away and can then eat them again -- the drug will be out of their system that quickly. Side effects might be a bit of diarrhea but nothing bad. It's given to them according to body weight. They're all underweight -- even my Brahma who looks the largest cuz of her feathers, weighed 5 pounds, the same as Lucy who is definitely looking skinny for a NH Red. The tapeworms are hopefully the explanation for that. I'll take them a fecal sample in a month to check and make sure worms are gone, if not, they'll come over, nets and all, and do it again. Now, it's surely not inexpensive by any means but worth it for me since I can't do it myself. I do fervently hope that this worked!!!

I asked vet what I should use to worm them in future for other kinds of worms or just a general worming and he said Pyrantel Pamoate was the best to use and I could give it to them on bread, again according to body weight, of course. He said to come by in the fall and get the stuff and he'd run through the procedure with me and calculate doses.

Whew! Glad that's over with. Now to try to win the girls' trust back again! I'm heading out with some live meal worms!!!

Kerry

 

[dawg53]

Yes Malpower, we discussed Praziquantel in our PM's as it also comes in a paste under Zimectrin Gold and another wormer Quest Plus Gel. Injections are always the quickest way to treat parasites as well as other problems. Unfortunately I dont know the dosages for those injections and weight conversions which isnt necessary with the pastes. "BB" size for all chickens and the withdrawal time is the standard 2 weeks. I've heard of Pyrantel Pamoate, but forgot what it does or if it has a different name. I'll check it out. I'm happy the vet took care of those worms for you and I'm sure your chickens will be grateful too lol.

 

[MotherJean]

Always wondered how worms would get into the eggs...and now I know. In the midst of some research the other day I ran across an article by a Vet who explained that the worm (for example, a roundworm) is excreted in the poo, but doesn't make it out of the cloaca to drop to the ground. Instead, it makes a right turn (well, sort of,

) and enters through the vagina and into the uterus (the shell gland). If that worm happens to be in the uterus when an egg arrives to get it's shell, the worm is encased, too, along with the yolk and albumen. Weird, huh? Presumably, this could happen with any kind of worm.