Gape worm - Safeguard not working - suggestions?

[Eggcessive]

If

She's chirping/sneezing every few seconds now. Almost nonstop. It seems she is worse.

I am sorry. I have not treated gapeworms before, but it can be a dangerous time right after starting treatment when there can be blockages in the airway. Hopefully, your chickens will survive this. Let us know what happens.

 

[mama23]

One of my hens has developed bad explosive diarrhea. Her stools were completely normal until yesterday. It started after I gave her the third dose. I think she is having a reaction to so much wormer. She is my heavy girl and got 1.5 cc. I'm not giving her anymore or I'll lose her. She is having a reaction to it. She laid her first egg 4 days ago and her comb has shrunk and she hasn't laid since. She still has chirping and sneezing with shaking her head. Not sure what I'll do in 10 days. I may use ivermectin.

I do have some questions. Will they continue to chirp and have symptoms after treatment is completed until all worms are dislodged? Also has anyone else seen diarrhea from intense treatment like this?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you feed her some wet chicken feed with a little cottage cheese, or give her some cooked rice with buttermilk? Those can help with diarrhea. Sorry that she is having problems. If she does better in a day, you can still try giving her another dose of SafeGuard. Try finishing the 5 days, doing a treatment every 2-3 days. Ivermectin will not be effective for gapeworms. Do you think that she might also have symptoms of a respiratory disease or infection?

I wish that others who have treated for gapeworms would chime in.

 

[mama23]

Can you feed her some wet chicken feed with a little cottage cheese, or give her some cooked rice with buttermilk? Those can help with diarrhea. Sorry that she is having problems. If she does better in a day, you can still try giving her another dose of SafeGuard. Try finishing the 5 days, doing a treatment every 2-3 days. Ivermectin will not be effective for gapeworms. Do you think that she might also have symptoms of a respiratory disease or infection?

I wish that others who have treated for gapeworms would chime in.

She is still eating. I gave her mash and some dry old fashioned oats as well as mealworms and she gobbled them down. My original hen that I posted about with the chirping is still doing it on occasion as well. I'm assuming that it's dead worms stuck in her throat still. No symptoms of junk or other crud.

 

[mama23]

So ivermectin isn't effective then? I have read so many different things.

 

[casportpony]

So ivermectin isn't effective then? I have read so many different things.

The study I read said it was effective in massive doses.

 

[mama23]

I would give them 1.25 or 1 1/4 ml orally for 5 straight days. It is good that you got a fecal test to confirm them.

Can you help me with the math? I think I overdosed them by a lot last time when I gave them the 1.25 cc (4.5 lb hen) to 1.50 cc (6 lb hen) for 5 days. I have read so much conflicting info on correct dosage. I am using the safeguard suspension 10% (100mg/ml). I have read on many sites that the recommended dosage for gapeworm is 20mg/kg for three days. So for a 4.5 lb hen I am getting that she should only be given 40 mg. That would be 0.4 cc instead of 1.25 cc right? Is my math way off? I am so confused. I had a hen with a serious reaction to this and I wonder if I gave her three times what she should have had. Please help.

 

[007Sean]

The study I read said it was effective in massive doses.

X2, at least 20mg/kg

 

[casportpony]

I had a hen with a serious reaction to this and I wonder if I gave her three times what she should have had. Please help.

What sort of reaction did she have?

 

[mama23]

She got awful sludge diarrhea and yellow urates where it affected her liver. Stools were perfect until day 2. I've had her on milk thistle and garlic with good results. It's like it completely wiped out her good gut bacteria. Her stools are normal again after rigorous treatment but it's time to retreat and she's showing symptoms of occasional yawning, hoarse sounding voice with occasional shaking of her head. I caught it early last time. I'm afraid to treat her.

I have been going through everything I can on here and found this just now regarding dosage. I am sooo confused. It sounds like my big girl only needs 0.6cc.

I'll attach a pic of my bottle as well. I could be reading this wrong (I even discussed all this with my vet and all seemed well) but if it says 100mg/ml doesn't that mean there is 100 mg in a 1cc syringe dose? If I gave her 1.5 cc then I take it that I dosed her with 150 mg when she was supposed to have 40 mg. This is where my confusion begins.