Getting Worse.. please reply??

[SonnyGirl]

I have a poult that started acting strange today. I posted a thread already but it was sort of lengthy and no replies. Please someone give me some advice? How can I tell if a poult has a fever? Rectal thermometer?? He has been getting worse, walking weird (circling, taking steps back). I don't know what else I can do to further diagnose him or help him so I think I'd like to try antibiotics? Im afraid of him slipping away tonight... and he does feel a little too warm to me. What's the best/safest antibiotics to give to poults? I can't run to the store but I have Duramycin (Terramycin) powder, as well as Tylan injectible (which I've given as liquid before to adult birds in drinking water).

 

[SonnyGirl]

oh and is there anything I can do to treat the fever?? I don't want him dying of a fever and he seems to be getting worse quick... I feel like it could be a fever

 

[chickmashnoon]

wish I knew what to tell you my first thought is to ask what breed since some of them grow so fast they end up with leg and hip problems from growing too fast for their bones. but not sure how to take bird temps- look up stuff on parrots- you are more likely to find a usable temp taking method that way than searching for turkey info.

hope it works out okay, but I would see if you can find an avian or livestock vet in the area, perhaps affiliated with the nearest university. Good luck! and I hope someone with more knowledge posts here for you.

 

[SonnyGirl]

Ok, so until someone replies - I have started him on the Tylan because I had such good success with it when his mother was sick and she was a poult too... a month or so older than he is now, but still quite young. Also - I was wrong, I gave it straight into her beak, not in the water. So.. Im hoping this is ok. I gave him about .3 ml, because it was recommended I give 1 cc per ten lbs. He's probably only about 3 lbs.. maybe 4, so I'm hoping that's right. I was really torn whether to try that or the Duramycin, cause from what I understand the Duramycin is a bit more mild (maybe safer for poults??) and I could have put it in the drinking water so that the other two are protected. I'm wondering if I should quarantine him.. but I know he would be really stressed and it was such a sudden onset, that I feel like he had to have been bit by something, eaten something, etc. Please - if anyone has any advice.. about the antibiotics, fever, illness, etc... please respond at any time and I would really appreciate it

 

[chickmashnoon]

You might post something on the chicken- emergencies-injuries section since that seems to get more traffic. not sure their rules on crossposting, but that section may get more attention and a faster answer. hugs! hope your little one gets an answer!

 

[SonnyGirl]

thanks Chickmashnoon... I don't think it's an orthopedic thing because his daddy's a full RP and his mom is a bourbon redX grey slate and a tiny little thing. He was born with a bit of a splayed leg... but he was walking perfect by two weeks and the thing is - his actual walk/gait seems fine.. no limp or nothing. But he's like ocassionally hopping, and circling, and taking a few steps backward... I put him on his shelf and he walks backward and would fall right off if I didn't stop him. Then when he tries to perch on the ledge, he has fallen a couple of times. It's like ataxia, coordination or vertigo or something. I did see a little head-shaking... but not persistent or enough to consider it a real symptom.. and even when he goes to eat or drink, he seems to circle the dish, do a couple large circles, come back, hop like something bit him, circle again, then give up. He has taken a couple of bites on his own this way... but when I hold the dish up for him, he eats fine. His appetite and thirst seem normal, as long as I hold the dish up. And his stool seems normal too. This is so bizarre. My original post should be below this one... it's "Injury/Wound advise please" which describes what happened/the symptoms at length. I will take your advice and post in the chicken emergencies section! sounds like a good idea.. thank you

 

[SkyWarrior]

Odd. If the equilibrium is off, I would think it might be a sinus infection that might affect the ear. I've used duramyacin on my birds with success. Let us know how the medications work and how he's doing.

 

[Imp]

Sorry your turkey is sick. I'm sure it is OK to ask for help in the emergency forum.

I wish I could be more help, but I know nothing about Turkeys.

I will suggest that if it were a chicken, I'd be looking at a vitamin deficiency causing neurological problems.

Imp- Best wishes.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Do birds get fevers?

It sounds like an inner ear thing to me. The only thing I would know to try would be a course of antibiotics. But that would just be guessing. Also, check him very thoroughly for mites or lice.

 

[SonnyGirl]

Hi guys, thanks again for replying. Yeah - I thought of inner ear too. I did see him shake his head a few times a couple hours after this sudden onset.. but that was it. Also - we had been dustbathing under a pine tree where the dirt is really soft and loose and the 3 poults were close to eachother, sometimes getting sprays of dirt in each other's faces. I wondered if maybe he hadn't gotten some dirt in an ear. I don't know what to make of it at this point though. He seems to be a little better inside their den... but I almost feel like he's just learned to compensate for his lack of coordination? He's not calling as much or acting as desperate.. and he feels like a normal temp now, doesn't look flushed, and isn't sleepy, like he was getting that first night. I've still got him on the Tylan. This is his second full day. BUT.. he is still a little off, not hopping up on shelves/roosts as well, and still pecking at his feet/legs. In fact, he has a few more gashes now. I'm wondering if I get some blukote, if it's ok just to spray both his legs fully?? Don't know if it will stop him... but if it at least stops him from pecking the two worst spots where he's eating through webbing between his toes, I'd be happy.
Also - when I took him outside today (cause he seemed a little better in the den), he started acting JUST as weird as the day it started.. hopping and zipping around, lost-calling, acting freaked out, distracted, unable to focus on play. He dustbathed a little but I kept him away from everyone else.. He was acting uncoordinated though and running to me for comfort often, acting like he was being chased by his own legs. He wanted to just burrow into me and be held a lot. I feel like he's turned schizophrenic