gander squeaks, shakes head, sneezing

gary charles

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hi, my 15yrs old gander has lost his honk ! he now squeals, shakes his head, rubs on floor & irrigates in water bucket. all developed in 2/3 wks. tried fluvenet for gape/gizzard worm at first when honk went. now thinking CRD? no vet here interested/no facilities? any ideas on meds or treatment pls, many thanks.
 
Is a vet in another area an option?
Many different respiratory illnesses can cause squeaky coughing and head shaking, CRD is one of them, irrigating his face could indicate something obstructing his sinuses, but the most concerning thing is the loss of his honk as voice and pitch changes are more of an indication of aspergillosis.

Some lower intestinal infections can cause symptoms that imitate a lower respiratory infection because a swollen bowel can press into the lower airsacks which can cause heavy breathing and even coughing, it doesn’t cause changes to the voice but it’s something worth considering. If you’ve noticed any odd droppings like orange, yellow, salmon, red, black, excessively white, bright green, or mostly watery or bubbly that can indicate something like coccidia, giardia, clostridium, or something else that could cause that.

Unfortunately if it is asper that is something that can really only be treated by a vet and the sooner it’s treated the better chance he has of recovery. Asper is insidiously sneaky and noticeable symptoms usually only appear when it’s already spread and become life threatening.
 
Many thanks for the advice. No nasty poops & still eating well + fit ! I read CRD can be treated with tylosin ? Is this an option ? Kind regards.
 
Many thanks for the advice. No nasty poops & still eating well + fit ! I read CRD can be treated with tylosin ? Is this an option ? Kind regards.
Tylosin works well on CRD. Keep in mind CRD is a chronic illness that will reemerge after from stress or other illness so you may have to retreat him at some point in the future.
 
Is a vet in another area an option?
Many different respiratory illnesses can cause squeaky coughing and head shaking, CRD is one of them, irrigating his face could indicate something obstructing his sinuses, but the most concerning thing is the loss of his honk as voice and pitch changes are more of an indication of aspergillosis.

Some lower intestinal infections can cause symptoms that imitate a lower respiratory infection because a swollen bowel can press into the lower airsacks which can cause heavy breathing and even coughing, it doesn’t cause changes to the voice but it’s something worth considering. If you’ve noticed any odd droppings like orange, yellow, salmon, red, black, excessively white, bright green, or mostly watery or bubbly that can indicate something like coccidia, giardia, clostridium, or something else that could cause that.

Unfortunately if it is asper that is something that can really only be treated by a vet and the sooner it’s treated the better chance he has of recovery. Asper is insidiously sneaky and noticeable symptoms usually only appear when it’s already spread and become life threatening.

Tylosin works well on CRD. Keep in mind CRD is a chronic illness that will reemerge after from stress or other illness so you may have to retreat him at some point in the future.
Thankyou for your reply & advice. What is the best way to administer to him ?
 
Thankyou for your reply & advice. What is the best way to administer to him ?
I use powder because that’s the only kind I can get without a prescription, this stuff in particular https://birdpalproducts.com/products/tylosin-powder-for-birds?_pos=1&_sid=3da5a729e&_ss=r

I measure out what I need with a gram scale and mix it inside a syringe with a little water and administer it orally. You can follow the packets instructions and mix it into their drinking water but I didn’t have much luck with getting any of my birds to willingly drink it and ended up just wasting a lot of it.



Dosage is 40 mg per kg for 5 to 7 days. With severe infections it’s best to give twice a day.

With my gander Roxby 50 mg/kg was the dose that treated his clostridium infection “it also treats that.” Tylosin is fairly forgiving if you overdose a little by accident also so if it’s hard measuring out the exact dosage you don’t need to worry too much.

It’s a good idea to get him on some probiotics afterwards.
 

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