Foul Smelling Head, Some Nasal Discharge

[dawg53]

Birds can be treated with antibiotics, if they survive. However, they are never cured of the disease and will remain carriers. Some type of stressor can restart the symptoms all over again in time. Then the particular antibiotic that was used the first time may not work the second time due to built up resistance over time. Then a more powerful, perhaps more expensive antibiotic will have to be used. Eventually antibiotics will become useless to treat that particular disease.
If one of my birds came down with a respiratory disease, I'd cull it in a heartbeat, even a favorite. I dont have time to nursemaid a sick bird much less risking the health of my entire flock because of one bird, too risky to spread whatever disease it may be.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Dawg I know that you're super duper good with this stuff do I just have a question about coryza. HOw could my bird have just gotten it out of the blue? I have no new birds. Also if it's a respiratory thing how come she isn't wheezing or having a hard time breathing when her mouth is open? Wouldn't it be affecting her lungs too? Also isn't facial swelling and drainage from the eyes the two biggest symptoms of coryza? She has neither of those things... Last but not least, I have 26 more birds, it's unrealistic to expect that if one bird got it out of the blue the others wouldn't. If she's been sick for a week now why are no other birds starting to show signs o illness?

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Oh and another question I have about coryza and infectious bronchitis... If I did choose to treat her and keep a closed flock, would that mean that after she gets all better and I put her back with the others they will all get sick too? Or is there something I can give them like a shot to vaccinate them or is it just seriously they will all get sick if they are around her after she heals?

 

[leadwolf1]

I guess there is that risk...but, then you would just treat them all. I am not a big fan of culling just cause it's sick. My birds are pets, first.

 

[dawg53]

Dawg I know that you're super duper good with this stuff do I just have a question about coryza. HOw could my bird have just gotten it out of the blue? I have no new birds. Also if it's a respiratory thing how come she isn't wheezing or having a hard time breathing when her mouth is open? Wouldn't it be affecting her lungs too? Also isn't facial swelling and drainage from the eyes the two biggest symptoms of coryza? She has neither of those things... Last but not least, I have 26 more birds, it's unrealistic to expect that if one bird got it out of the blue the others wouldn't. If she's been sick for a week now why are no other birds starting to show signs o illness?

In your first post you stated that your hen was gasping for air, had clogged nostrils, nasal discharge cleared up and you emphasized that her head area smelled bad. Is there an environmental issue that could cause these symptoms? Feed dust, ammonia fumes from soiled bedding, soil treatments, pollen, blowing dust or sandstorm? NO, not with the foul odor around the head area that you mentioned, typical of coryza ...maybe MG. A wild bird couldve introduced something, no telling. There are some diseases that can be spread over somewhat long distances as well, infectious bronchitis comes to mind. There are also different strains of respiratory diseases ranging from mild symptoms to symptoms causing death in a short period of time...not all show the typical symptoms that you would read in links provided about the particular disease(s) in question. It would be best to cull before it develops into full blown symptoms and have a necropsy performed to find out exactly what you're dealing with, dont you think?
Then you'll know for sure whether it'll affect your other birds.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Thanks a ton, you've answered all o my questions

 

[flowerchild59]

Just thought you might want to read through my woes with some respiratory issues that all started with a heavy parasite load from roundworms. Click on the link on my signature line.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

thank you flower child, and leadwolf, and dawg

 

[aubreynoramarie]

wow yes worms could be a possible factor in weakening my birds and making it easier for them to catch an illness. Right now I want to make sure my flock is protected. For that I have been told i will have to dose them all with sulmet. Can I sulmet one day then de-worm the next? is that too much all at once?

 

[leadwolf1]

I don't see why you can't worm and treat at the same time. I will continue to think on that and hopefully someone who has experience with this will chime in. I do know that when I had a polish roo that was very sick, I hit him with everything in my arsenal...he was about 12 weeks old at the time. I figured he was going to die anyway and maybe something would help him...he is now 1 year old