feeling helpless over my sick chicken Pandora!

[Cocco]

I am lost and feel helpless,I can't find a veterinarian in my area that will give me the time of day !! I live in Ontario Canada.I lost one of my chickens Savannah 7 days ago.Her sister Pandora is having issues. Pandora is about 3 1/2 yrs old.
symptoms:
wheezing sound
green with some white runny diarrhea
starting to lose some feathers today(her sister before death lost 70% of her feathers within 2 days)
Note: she is eating and drinking (drinking a good amount)
I gave her about 100 mg of human Amoxicillin yesterday morning. Wasn't sure if this was the correct thing to do.
Last night I went seeking help at a local feed store and he recommended Super Booster (vetoquinol)
I put approx 1 teaspoon in a gallon of water ,I put it out for her this morning and she drank from it.
I came home from work today and her wheezing is worst and I noticed the feather lost,green diarrhea continues.I also have been giving her yogurt.
I am new to this site not sure if I am doing the "thread" correctly,I am reaching out I feel so helpless and stressed.

 

[azygous]

We chicken folk, on the whole, need to become our own vets because avian vets are few and far between, and expensive for most of us anyway.

You are in good company here. We care about our chickens, and we even get invested in yours when you come here for help.

It's difficult to diagnose without a lot more information and not being able to see your chickens, but it sounds like you have a respiratory virus running in your little flock. It's extremely contagious, and not curable. But you can try to treat the secondary symptoms with an antibiotic as you are doing. The dose for amoxicillin is 250mg per day. But there are more effective ones.

Someone should be along shortly with more help with that. Are there other chickens in the flock? Or just this one remaining chicken?

 

[Cocco]

We chicken folk, on the whole, need to become our own vets because avian vets are few and far between, and expensive for most of us anyway.

You are in good company here. We care about our chickens, and we even get invested in yours when you come here for help.

It's difficult to diagnose without a lot more information and not being able to see your chickens, but it sounds like you have a respiratory virus running in your little flock. It's extremely contagious, and not curable. But you can try to treat the secondary symptoms with an antibiotic as you are doing. The dose for amoxicillin is 250mg per day. But there are more effective ones.

Someone should be along shortly with more help with that. Are there other chickens in the flock? Or just this one remaining chicken?

First of all thank you for your warm welcome I am grateful to you all !!
After Savannah passed we got two chickens from a farmer,they have been separated for two reasons Pandora didn't gel with them (got them for her so she wouldn't be depressed after losing her sister ) and as I noticed the change in her health.
So the chances are I will loose Pandora ? I hope to God the other chickens aren't infected.

 

[azygous]

Chances are they are. Avian viruses get around on our clothes and shoes, and even air currents. Not all chickens exposed to these viruses get sick, though. And Pandora has every chance to recover and lead a normal life, even though she will still carry the virus.

Chickens can build resistance to these viruses if they are well cared for so they are able to build strong immune systems. Stress can trigger secondary infections from these viruses, and that's what you need to treat when and if it happens. Just keep giving Pandora the antibiotic for a full week to ten days. She should recover.

As far as integrating the new chickens with Pandora, I'd wait until she's feeling better since stress could make her recovery difficult. Meanwhile, I wrote an article on integrating new chickens into a flock. It's listed below this post. You might get some tips from reading it.

 

[Cocco]

Avian Virus ,I had a Racer Pigeon show up on my chickens coop a week before Savannah passed.I wonder if she carried the virus in.(if it is Avian Virus)It was around for 3 days until I found it's owner(it lost it's way home on a race )The pigeon also stayed in the coop for a few hours one day.I will have to keep an eye out for our other pets and ourselves.What are your thoughts on the human Amoxicillin vs the Super Booster?

 

[rjohns39]

Cocco, I'm following along and hoping for the best.

 

[azygous]

I would treat with the amoxicillin at 250 mg per day for ten days. The Super Booster appears to be a preventative regimen. Amoxicillin is for all creatures, not just humans.

Yes, pigeons can be carriers of avian viruses, as well as all wild birds. No flock is safe. There are many different kinds of avian viruses. The respiratory group of viruses are collectively called CRD - Chronic Respiratory Disease. In that group ar Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Coryza. They respond best to Tylan or Denagard which target gram negative bacteria which seem to colonize as these viruses present the opportunity for them. But amoxicillin is a broad spectrum antibiotic and should be able to knock down the bacteria, also.

Other avian viruses include Marek's and leucosis. These viruses produce tumors. My flock has the leucosis virus.

All these viruses have no cure, viruses being the insidiously sneaky little creatures they are, they constantly change, defying the ability to come up with a medicine to knock them down. All we can do is keep our flocks as healthy and strong as possible to build strong immune systems and hope they can develop resistance.

 

[Cocco]

I would treat with the amoxicillin at 250 mg per day for ten days. The Super Booster appears to be a preventative regimen. Amoxicillin is for all creatures, not just humans.

Yes, pigeons can be carriers of avian viruses, as well as all wild birds. No flock is safe. There are many different kinds of avian viruses. The respiratory group of viruses are collectively called CRD - Chronic Respiratory Disease. In that group ar Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Coryza. They respond best to Tylan or Denagard which target gram negative bacteria which seem to colonize as these viruses present the opportunity for them. But amoxicillin is a broad spectrum antibiotic and should be able to knock down the bacteria, also.

Other avian viruses include Marek's and leucosis. These viruses produce tumors. My flock has the leucosis virus.

All these viruses have no cure, viruses being the insidiously sneaky little creatures they are, they constantly change, defying the ability to come up with a medicine to knock them down. All we can do is keep our flocks as healthy and strong as possible to build strong immune systems and hope they can develop resistance.

Thank you for your advice greatly appreciated had a better night sleep last night ! It's comforting to know she still has a chance .My question to you and any one else out there is: 250 mg of Amoxicillin Can I give her the dosage with a treat at once or do I have to put it in water ? I find when in the water it does not completely dissolve some of the drug settles to the bottom of the bowl.

 

[rjohns39]

I'll wait for @azygous to answer, but I've heard of folks hiding it in a treat. Med's aren't my forte.

 

[Cocco]

I'll wait for @azygous to answer, but I've heard of folks hiding it in a treat. Med's aren't my forte.

Mine either ! The day before yesterday I put x amount in her water and x amount on her cheese.Then I changed to the Super Booster after chatting with azygous I agree the Amoxicillin is the way to go.I'm ready to give it to her this morning and am unsure how I should administer.