EYP - caught early but need info on AntiFungal OTCs

[Spinster_Sister]

My beautiful JG, Parsley, may be fighting a recurring bout of EYP. I suspected because, although she was laying up a storm (4-5 eggs/wk), is almost 2.5 years old, her bottom had grown some, was squishy then grow hard...really hard. It seemed like it was cyclical....before she laid, hard..after she laid.. start to soften. She then started a limp on her left leg. After a few days that limp stopped.

Anyway, I started her on Baytril 1.5cc/2x on this past Sunday, which makes today Day #5. I am concerned about a fungal takeover and am asking about using anti fungal OTCs. Which do you use? How often and dosage.

I am completely out of Flagly and she has been to the vets' office - twice already. The vet said to expect this to pop up again and treat accordingly. I was given a referral to another vet that spays or gives Lupron shots.
All my girls seem to have the squishy below vent area and now are all 2 years old. The girls all came from around the country (NY, CA, TN), only one is hatchery and she is an ornery alpha hen. I have to be doing something wrong for all my girls to get the squishy vent area syndrome. Their bottoms have not grossly ballooned out or turned red.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

TIA

~Vickie

EDIT: I failed to post that she does drink ACV laced water from a group drinker when they are let out in the afternoon. (1T/qt) I have some probiotics waiting to be added to her food when her a/b are finished.

 

[2greenboyz]

All I can tell you is Flagyl is the same as Fish Zole, you could do a search on it here but it is the same drug metronidazole Some have used a dose of as low as 60mg, I used 250mg once a day. Not sure where you can find it - some fish stores that sell pet fish may carry it. What was the dose the vet had your girl on?

For yeast infections like sour crop, some here have used miconazole suppositories (like what women use). 1/3 of one suppository/day.

It is not usually good to switch between drugs and if the vet has her on the flagyl, I would call the vet and request an Rx refill. I don't know why they wouldn't since she is still on Baytril and your vet told you it may pop up again.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Thanks for your reply. They want her back in but as I have already spent $800 on two visits and this is simply (I believe) a recurring (caught it very early again!) episode. I called for a refill but the latest vet said no - bring her in. Parsley's latest vet prescribed med dosage was:
flagyl .05ml/2x day for 18 days and the Baytril (1ml/2x - 15 days)

The first vet had her on Baytril (2cc/2x - 10 days) no flagyl.

I am a paranoid person by nature, so any little thing amiss or preceived as not being right....I try to jump on it asap. I am fearful of fungus setting in and am trying to cut off the possibility of it now. I thought she may have be carrying worms, since she started to lose a bit of weight - even though she is eating very well. About one month ago, I collected and immediately dropped off a poop sample, only for them to say "no worms".... so that started my vigil for EYP.

She gets ACV,probiotics, buttermilk, chicken vits/mins/electrolytes as needed...maybe I can just ramp up the probiotics/buttermilk when she is finished with her 10 day regimen.

Parsley is my favorite hen...we bonded even before she hatched. She is only 2.5 years old and I really hope to have her around healthy and happy for at least 5 more.

Thanks again for the Fish Zole. I have an aquarium shop a few blocks away that I can visit. Do I dose her in water? How long should I have her on it? 250mg Tab per gallon of water?

 

[2greenboyz]

I was treating with FishZole for something else. I see you are in Hawthorne. I'm not too far from you - near DLand. If you can't find it, Jedd's has it in Anaheim if you feel like making the drive

Hopefully the aquarium shop has it. It's always easier to avoid the problem rather than cure it you are so right on. I give mine ProBios or greek yogurt. So you hatched her out yourself? That is sweet that you are so bonded to her.

The dosing with FishZole - I don't know the strength of what they gave you so I can't really tell how much. There are two strengths of FishZole, the 250 and the 500. I used the 250. What I did is just put the pill as far back on her tongue as you can, then I gave mine a couple drops of water with eyedropper to make sure she swallowed. You could cut it in half if you want and give half of it twice a day since that is how the vet did it. I see they continued it for 3 days longer than the Baytril. As I said, some people don't even give them that much. I understand it is relatively safe tho. Sometimes mine wouldn't eat it when I was trying to hide it in bread, so I'd have to go out with more and put it down her throat so she probably ended up with more than the 250. BTW, it dissolves quickly as I found out with the damp bread trick that didn't work anymore.