gapeworm

[gila_dog]

I have a hen (Thelma is her name) who has been gasping for air for several weeks. She is the only one of 5 hens doing it. She is really suffering. Her comb is a dark red, while the others are bright red. This tells me she isn't getting enough oxygen. Is this gapeworm? Can I medicate her somehow to treat this?

 

[thndrdancr]

Fenbendazole is the recommended treatment for gapeworms, but not sure on the dosage. You probably need to treat her right away it sounds like, they can totally block the trachea/air passage of your hen, so she is probably NOT getting enough oxygen.
This is what I did, but I cant recommend it, k? Your taking your chances, since its not bona fide for hens.
I actually was desperate with mine and used Panacur, which is a doggie dewormer made of fenbendazole, and just used very little in their water (maybe an 1/8 package, it was for a 20 lb dog, so I tried to go by about a 3 lb chicken?), and it worked, but I dont wanna recommend anything that would hurt your chicken. I was desperate as they carry it at our 24 hour Walmart in the doggy form, I didnt have time to order it, my feedstore didnt carry it and I thought I was gonna lose my baby, so I did what I thought was necessary.

 

[dlhunicorn]

From the MERCK Manual:

"...Fenbendazole at 20 mg/kg for 3-4 days is effective for removing gapeworms in pheasants. Tetramisole at 3.6 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days in the drinking water removes gapeworms. Poultry treated while larvae are migrating in the body develop immunity to gapeworms, even though therapy may abort larval migration. Levamisole fed at a level of 40 ppm for 2 days or at 2 g/gal. drinking water for 1 day each month has proved to be an effective control in game birds. Mebendazole fed prophylactically at 64 ppm or curatively at 125 ppm is effective in turkey poults. Cambendazole provided control when given in 3 treatments of 50 mg/kg for chickens and 20 mg/kg for turkeys. ..."

 

[gila_dog]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try some Fenbendazol ASAP since it sounds like I can get it easily. Feeding a Diatomaceous Earth product called Perma-Guard has also been recommended to prevent worms in chickens and other animals, but I think that is more of a preventative solution. I'm going to look into that. But right now I need to do something for poor old Thelma.

 

[gila_dog]

Thelma is cured!!! I got a product called Safe-guard Canine Dewormer, mixed 1 gram of it up in some water, soaked some scratch in it, and fed it to her for a few days. She's fine now. Thanks!

 

[arlee453]

Great news! Thanks for the info too - I'm always learning something here on what to look out for, etc. with my chickies.