Fungal Respiratory or CRD?

[cmlew99]

I have posted about this on this forum the other day, but figured I should start a new thread for a different topic. Long story short, Wednesday (of last week) I noticed my 30ish week old Buff Brahma hen had a slight bubbly eye discharge, and was sneezing. The other three chickens (two of whom I bought from a local farm back in early October) appear to be fine. That night I noticed some raspy breathing coming from the sneezing hen after I had isolated her.

The next night, Thursday night, I started her on Duramycin 10 in her drinking water. Since then, she hasn't really been responding well to it. She is still quite congested, I can hear rattling in her breathing at times, the noise builds up, and then she sneezes and the noise goes away for a little while.

The discharge in her eyes has reduced for the most part, but is at times present. At nights she seems worse than during the days (I keep her in a dog crate in my basement at night, and bring her outside during the day). Her comb does seem a bit red, and she hasn't laid any eggs since I noticed her symptoms. Her appetite is good, and she drinks normally (she drank more these past two nights, not sure why). She does all her normal chicken things.

I guess my question is if I am diagnosing this right, and where to go from here. Today was day five of her antibiotics treatment and she has barely improved. I have Tylan 50 injectable on hand that I can try giving her orally after we finish the Duramycin. Would anyone recommend trying to cure this through antibiotics? I read somewhere about upper respiratory fungal infections. I'm wondering if she has this, not CRD or MG. Her fellow chickens still haven't displayed any of these symptoms, so is a fungal infection possible? Should I invest in Oxine AH and give it a try? Does anyone know about how to use this, and if there are any drawbacks (besides the money)? If she doesn't improve by day seven of the duramycin, I'm going to try to get a second opinion from a local vet (if I can locate one). Any advice would be very helpful! Thanks!
This is her on Wednesday, I don't know if you can see anything...

 

[cmlew99]

Anybody?

 

[Eggcessive]

The fungal infection you are talking about is aspergillosis, I assume. That disease will not cause sneezing, bubbly eyes, and raspy breathing, unless there is an upper respiratory infection such as MG and others. Your symptoms it MG. Aspergillosis from moldy conditions will not cause rattles sneezes or coughing, but it will cause silent gasping and an increased thirst. Duramycin is on the weak end of antibiotics, they don't always drink enough of it since they are sick, it tastes bad, and it's cold weather. Tylan 50 injectable can be give for 5 days orally once or twice a day, but the best and fastest action is to give it as a shot for 3 days. Here is some info on MG:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...ction-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens
http://umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-faq/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[seminolewind]

The fungal infection you are talking about is aspergillosis, I assume. That disease will not cause sneezing, bubbly eyes, and raspy breathing, unless there is an upper respiratory infection such as MG and others. Your symptoms it MG. Aspergillosis from moldy conditions will not cause rattles sneezes or coughing, but it will cause silent gasping and an increased thirst. Duramycin is on the weak end of antibiotics, they don't always drink enough of it since they are sick, it tastes bad, and it's cold weather. Tylan 50 injectable can be give for 5 days orally once or twice a day, but the best and fastest action is to give it as a shot for 3 days. Here is some info on MG:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...ction-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens
http://umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/mycoplasma-gallisepticum-faq/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

X2

 

[freebird22]

I have a bantam cochin hen with a severe case of ASPERGULLIS. At first I thought it was a bacterial infection and tried Oxytetracycline in her water. I started that on 12/20/14. She was just getting worse. I watched her behavior and she was losing coordination and moving her head oddly. Her eyes became swollen and completely shut. Her breathing was labored but quiet and she has dark matter in her nostrils. I researched her symptoms to conclude that she indeed had the fungal infection Aspergullis. I immediately took her off of the antibiotic because an antibiotic will kill the good bacteria that are helping to fight the fungus.

She was so bad I thought it only humane to cull her, but wanted to give her a chance. I looked up anti-fungal treatments, and the Vet drugs that were recommended were very harsh and toxic and could cause even more problems. I have never looked into natural remedies before, but found a lot of information on how to treat fungal infections.

I started by getting Oil of Oregano P73. It is one of the best essential oils for anti-fungus. I put some drops in a cool air vaporizer and have it on all the time. I also diluted it in olive oil and am rubbing it on the soles of her feet and on her comb. This is how it gets into her bloodstream; the body absorbs the oil thru the skin. I also looked up foods that were anti fungal. Apple cider vinegar is very good so I tried it in her water but she wouldn't drink it. Unsweetened applesauce is also good and she likes it. So this morning I made her old fashioned oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce and a pinch of cinnamon. She gobbled it up. I have added Rooster Booster in with her feed and topped it with dried Mealworms. Extra protein is important and the booster has extra vitamins and minerals plus active cultures like in yogurt. Yesterday she chowed down some scrambled egg with finely chopped fresh garlic. Garlic is very good for anti-fungal. I have bought some plain yogurt for her and will give her some today.

She is in a cardboard box, in the house, with a heat lamp to keep the temp. about 85. The cool air vaporizer is right outside the box and the vapor is going into the box. There is a towel covering half the box, like a tent, to keep vapor in.

I am happy to report that she is improving. Her breathing is much deeper and more regular. Her head is less wobbly and she is standing more instead of laying down all the time. Today she opened her eyes, but I don't know if she can see. This could cause blindness. Her appetite has improved greatly and she is more alert when she is awake. This fungus makes her very drowsy so she is sleeping a lot. To feed her I hold her in a towel and put the food & water right in front of her beak. I think she eats better that way. Because her eyes are closed and she probably can't smell I think this helps her eat more.

I am still in the process of researching all I can about natural remedies and learning a lot. Today I am going to get the essential oil of Lavender, as it is anti-fungal and very relaxing. I am also going to get some coconut oil which is good for her, but olive oil is also very good. And raw honey is one of the strongest medicines all around, but it has to be RAW. If it is processed, all of the good stuff is gone.

The important thing is not to give anything sweet, except raw honey, The fungus thrives on sugar. The point is to use things that are acidic. The fungus can't live in an acidic environment.

Good luck, Freebird

 

[freebird22]

Here are pictures of my bantam cochin hen with Aspergullis infection on 12/28/14.

 

[seminolewind]

I had a hen that was gasping while resting. All the time. I happened to get nystatin powder, and gave her a pinch every day and she no longer does the gasping.

 

[freebird22]

That is awesome!

My baby is very sick, but is improving. Today she is breathing much deeper and some of the dead yellowish fungus is coming off of her eyes and nose(nares). I am going to try using a warm cloth to try and remove more of the discharge.

I got my information from the website Poultrypedia.com in the article titled Fungal Infections in Poultry. They describe conventional and alternative methods of treating fungal infections in poultry. I searched for a long time before I finally found this website and it is very informative.

I hope this is helpful for someone searching for answers.

Freebird