Gapeworm treatment and how soon can you eat the eggs

[aSliceOfLife]

I used Safeguard (fenbendazole), and couldn't quite see anything down her neck so I just treated her knowing it wouldn't hurt if that wasn't it. You can get this at any feed supply store without a prescription. The symptoms include problems breathing and Buttercup actually had hiccups quite a bit for a while. After the gapeworms start getting bigger, they lose precious air space to breathe in air so they have this gulping going on where they stretch their necks into the air and take a big breath and come back down. When it gets really bad, they just sit there and gulp air in every few seconds and then bow their head down and close their eyes inbetween breaths. It's also hard for them to eat so I gave my other chicken that I lost recently some raw egg. My chickens love it when I throw down an egg and let it crack open for them to eat the inside. I put my sick chicken in a huge rabbit house when I discovered she was sick so that the other chickens wouldn't catch the gapeworm. Unfortunately, I think I waited too long to treat my poor Lil' C cause she never got any better after several treatments. She also could have had something else, who knows!! I spent $25 on the liquid fenbendazole and couldn't bear spending another $200 on running tests on her at the vet so like I said before, I thought it best to have her put down.

Good luck with your chicken and I hope you have good results! Just remember to get rid of her eggs for about two weeks after treating her since a bit of the medication will be absorbed into them. They won't hurt most people but those with an allergic reaction could have major problems eating the eggs.

 

[ChicKat]

Just adding to this because I think it is the most recent post about gapeworm.

Because gapeworm is in the trachea and drinks the chicken's blood, the medication has to be in the chicken's bloodstream to be effective.

Strangulation seems to be happening as the chicken reaches to gulp air. The gapeworm grows bigger, blocks more of the trachea, and the eggs go into the chicken's lungs. When the infected chicken coughs, or even shakes the head to try to dislodge the problem, the microscopic eggs can be spread to the coop, run, water, food etc.

I talked to one of our local vets about using one of our parasiteides we use on our cattle 'Cydectin'. Although definitely not an avian vet, the conclusion was that using Cydectin would not be harmful (of course in the correct dosage).

I used the same dosage that is recommended for the Ivemec/mectin products - drops on the skin. Cydectin when used on dairy cattle has no withdrawal period BTW. It is very expensive, an oily purple liquid. I did withdraw the eggs for a short period after using the product. The symptoms on my chicken(s) disappeared, to more grasping for air---particularly one of them--

If you have worm problems, and you know someone who has cattle, they would possibly be willing to give you a small amount to keep around.

My chickens are fine---this was about a month ago.

 

[takistd]

Is it safe to cook and eat chicken (with no medical treatment), infected by Gapeworms

 

[aSliceOfLife]

To eat the chicken or it's eggs?

 

[takistd]

Chicken

 

[plchiang]

Hi! Just wonder how do you treat your bird for the gapeworm.
I have a mandarin duck, few days ago strat to breath with her mouth open, I brought her to the Vet, have injection and oral medicine treated, but she is still not ok. I can not afford to bring her to the vet again. Just hoe she is not suffering.
I wonder if you can help me, give me some information like where I can buy medicine, can I treat my bird by myself.
Thanks and Regards,
Olivia

 

[dawg53]

Hi! Just wonder how do you treat your bird for the gapeworm.
I have a mandarin duck, few days ago strat to breath with her mouth open, I brought her to the Vet, have injection and oral medicine treated, but she is still not ok. I can not afford to bring her to the vet again. Just hoe she is not suffering.
I wonder if you can help me, give me some information like where I can buy medicine, can I treat my bird by myself.
Thanks and Regards,
Olivia

Covey Rise Plantation is the expert on gapeworms. Here's a link, read posts #13 & #14.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/602699/worming-chickens/10#post_7931055

 

[Barn Mama]

Hi I was just wondering what the symptoms of your chickens were? I didnt see the original post.

 

[Jordan Kaz]

I used Safeguard (fenbendazole), and couldn't quite see anything down her neck so I just treated her knowing it wouldn't hurt if that wasn't it. You can get this at any feed supply store without a prescription. The symptoms include problems breathing and Buttercup actually had hiccups quite a bit for a while. After the gapeworms start getting bigger, they lose precious air space to breathe in air so they have this gulping going on where they stretch their necks into the air and take a big breath and come back down. When it gets really bad, they just sit there and gulp air in every few seconds and then bow their head down and close their eyes inbetween breaths. It's also hard for them to eat so I gave my other chicken that I lost recently some raw egg. My chickens love it when I throw down an egg and let it crack open for them to eat the inside. I put my sick chicken in a huge rabbit house when I discovered she was sick so that the other chickens wouldn't catch the gapeworm. Unfortunately, I think I waited too long to treat my poor Lil' C cause she never got any better after several treatments. She also could have had something else, who knows!! I spent $25 on the liquid fenbendazole and couldn't bear spending another $200 on running tests on her at the vet so like I said before, I thought it best to have her put down.

Good luck with your chicken and I hope you have good results! Just remember to get rid of her eggs for about two weeks after treating her since a bit of the medication will be absorbed into them. They won't hurt most people but those with an allergic reaction could have major problems eating the eggs.

How did you give them the safeguard? Do you put it in there water?