Gaping and extending neck.

[Boiled Octopus]

Hello Ladies and Gents.

My silver sebright cockerel (rooster) has developed a gaping motion whilst extending his next. I know this is a classic example of gapeworm, but can also be due to other things also. I have some Flubenvet arriving this evening, just in case.

Anyway, I brought the cockerel in for a closer inspection and found that there was some sort of husk wrapped around his tongue. I managed to remove it quite easily, luckily, and popped him back outside, but he is still gaping. No rasping noise, and seems to run around and eat without any problem.

I am wondering whether, if it was this thing wrapped around his tongue, that he still perhaps feels it is still there?

Anyway, here is a picture of the offending article:



Looks like it was almost strangling the tip of his tongue.

So, aside from the tongue situation and gapeworm - is there anything else that might be going on at all?

Thanks

Alister

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hope the little Sebright is doing fine now. That was not a scab or something on his tongue from a chemical burn or something, it was a foreign object from a plant or something like that? Would think the tongue felt funny /swollen, or perhaps he swallowed more of these and they irritated his throat on the way down?

 

[Boiled Octopus]

Yes...I think it was a piece of husk or something.

I took him to the vet yesterday (much to the amusement of some friends) and got him looked at . They put him on an oral course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory together. Also got some Flubenvet (UK anti-worming drug) that I have mixed-up in his food.

He's still gasping the poor little fellow - extending his neck and I can hear a slight rasping - but still looks healthy. Plenty of energy and seems to eat okay.

If it is gapeworm, I hope this drug kicks in soon....

 

[Eggcessive]

Your chicken looks to have either canker or wet fowl pox from that yellow cheese-like plaque on his tongue. Here are some graphic pictures that are similar to the tongue of your chicken:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...x-xxx-rated-graphic-pictures-of-pus-and-scabs
https://www.google.com/search?q=can...gGcrYCQBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=655

 

[Boiled Octopus]

Hi Eggcessive.

There was, what looked like, a small piece of a husk-like substance wrapped around his tongue which was quite easy to remove once I got his beak open for long enough. The tongue then went back to a normal pink, and still is.

He is fine this morning again, running around, eating and drinking normally. He looks beautiful and healthy.

Seems the extended neck and gasping is more prominent when he is roosting.

Here is a picture I took of him this morning:

 

[Eggcessive]

It's amazing how pictures can be deceiving, isn't it? Glad she is better.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Pretty little guy, he sure looks full of himself now, glad he is feeling better. That is beautiful lacing he has.

 

[Boiled Octopus]

Yes, the Sebrights are beautiful. They are the oldest British true bantam breed.

He's still gaping a lot though, so we're not out of the woods yet...

 

[Boiled Octopus]

Well - just to follow-up. He's not gaping any more, which is good news.

However, for some reason he's not sitting on his perch during the night which is a little odd, and seems a bit wobbly when I pop him back up. Other than that he seems completely normal.

I did speak to a breeder of Sebrights the other day, and was informed that they are susceptible to Marek's disease, so I am hoping he regains his balance!

 

[casportpony]

Start weighing him once a week or more... If he loses weight, you'll know there is something going on.

-Kathy