Gasping for breath and enlarged chest

[chrisic]

My hen is gasping for air, constantly opening her mouth for air and her chest/breast area appears enlarged. Please don't be too harsh as we are new at This. Part of our flock (4) are older. We were given from a friend and they had not been very well taken care of. (Had them about a year) The other 3 are very healthy chickens that my mom raised. We've tried Apple cider vinegar twice this week and they have drank the full gallon twice (with about 3 tablespoons in each gal). My father had hickey houses for many many years and they always treated respiratory problems with bleach. I'd like for this to be a last resort. My husband has just purchased tetracycline at tractor supply, as that's all they had. We are putting it in their water tonight. Should we water starve? Please help with any suggestions. I've read tons of posts on here and have kinda diagnosed respiratory but I could be wrong HELP! I feel so sorry for her!!!

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't think ACV is the answer to her problem. She may have gape worms since she came from a bad situation. You can put gapeworms in the searchbox. You can try and check for them yourselves. If you have a q-tip (cotton on the end of a paper stick) try to swap the back of her throat with it. If there are gapeworms you may find one on the swap OR see traces of blood. You need a specific wormer for that.

You can also post in full detail at "emergencies, diseases, injuries, cures," thread. I hope she will be alright.

My friend the same thing with her silkie hen years ago, she decided it had a cold and kept giving it doses of Alka-seltzer cold relief, until she found her dead one morning, with worms coming out of her mouth.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you check your hen's crop in the early morning to see if it is empty. If not she could have an impacted or sour crop. Is it hot in the coop where you live? Hens can have open mouth breathing if they are panting and hot. Gapeworm is very rare, usually only found in tropical areas, but other worms can cause breathing problems too. Fenbendazole, found in SafeGuard goat and horse wormers, can treat most chicken worms with a 5 day dosage of 1/4 ml per pound given to each hen. I probably wouldn't give antibiotics unless I was sure that she may have a respiratory disease, which typically cause runny nose or eyes, sneezing, or noisy breathing. Is your hen overweight? Now if she is gasping, she may have a respiratory infection, or even possibly a heart problem. Older hens can suffer from peritonitis or internal laying, and can have difficult breathing. Mold can also cause respiratory infections.

 

[nj2wv]

welcome to BYC !!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Best of luck

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[chrisic]

Can you check your hen's crop in the early morning to see if it is empty. If not she could have an impacted or sour crop. Is it hot in the coop where you live? Hens can have open mouth breathing if they are panting and hot. Gapeworm is very rare, usually only found in tropical areas, but other worms can cause breathing problems too. Fenbendazole, found in SafeGuard goat and horse wormers, can treat most chicken worms with a 5 day dosage of 1/4 ml per pound given to each hen. I probably wouldn't give antibiotics unless I was sure that she may have a respiratory disease, which typically cause runny nose or eyes, sneezing, or noisy breathing. Is your hen overweight? Now if she is gasping, she may have a respiratory infection, or even possibly a heart problem. Older hens can suffer from peritonitis or internal laying, and can have difficult breathing. Mold can also cause respiratory infections.