HELP....CHICKEN HAS HAD WATERY POO FOR A LONG TIME AND NO IMPROVEMENT

[casportpony]

Treatment for blackhead with metronidazole is *no less* than 30mg/kg once a day for five days. The AAAP Avian disease manual says that it's 30mg/kg for five days, but I know people that have had their vets prescribe 60mg/kg twice a day, so that's why I wrote no less than 30mg/kg.

Valbazen will kill the cecal worm, but not the protozoa.

I think maybe Michael suspects blackhead because of the yellowing in the poop, but he should probably tell you himself why he said that.

-Kathy

 

[Mountain Life]

Excuse me, it wasn't Jeffers Pet, it was Twin City Poultry where I got the meds to have on hand... and it says 1 pill for 1 day...

http://www.twincitypoultrysupplies.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=83

Again, I'm wondering if I should do this.
And if so, do I have to treat all of them or just the sick one?

 

[casportpony]

Are they 100mg, 200mg, 250mg, 400mg or 500mg? Trust me, according to the AAAP Avian Disease Manual, treatment for canker or blackhead is 30mg/kg for five days, Twin City had made an error I think.

-Kathy

 

[Michael Apple]

Thank you Michael - why would I treat the hen for Blackhead? Is that a common parasite that causes this type of excrement?
That Valzaben doesn't get rid of?
What symptoms does she has that makes you think that is a good treatment?
I do have a "canker-blackhead" dosage on shelf from jeffers pet that says 1 tablet for 1 day.
Thank you.

Kathy mentioned in the last post why I mentioned treatment for Blackhead aka Histomaniasis. That is just in case. Cecal worms are quite common and are hard to see. If cecal worms carry the protozoa which causes Blackhead, worming will take care of the worms, but not the protozoa introduced to you hen. If you worm the bird, and you still see yellow-brown droppings, increased thirst, decreased appetite, drowsiness, weakness, it is highly possible Blackhead is the culprit. That's good you have canker tabs on hand if needed. They are likely Metronidazole, the same treatment for Canker as for Blackhead as you described.

 

[casportpony]

I just read the Twin City description and they are metronidazole, but it doesn't say what strength. I think they're probably 250's, but it would be good to know.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

FWIW, I have given 250mg to small chickens and seen no ill effects. Not saying that's what one should do, just that I have.

Actually have one right now that I'm doing an experiment on, lol, she's getting 200mg Flagyl for five days and she weighs less than 2kg.

-Kathy

 

[Michael Apple]

Are they 100mg, 200mg, 250mg, 400mg or 500mg? Trust me, according to the AAAP Avian Disease Manual, treatment for canker or blackhead is 30mg/kg for five days, Twin City had made an error I think.

-Kathy

Does that manual specify chickens or birds in general? I've used 250mg for an adult Wyandotte hen which weighed 6 lbs. No problems with that dose and the blackhead symptoms were gone.Those Euro metric weights are annoying. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs to any Americans confused on that. Kathy, you are recommending 60 mg for a 4.5 lb bird? That's half of what is recommended for a Bantam that I've commonly seen over the years. I've treated for both canker and blackhead only once in the last 20 years.

 

[Mountain Life]

We do have an abundance of earth worms here, so maybe she ate more or her immune system couldn't take them?
I just checked on her and she definitely still has diarrhea and the others do not.
I will give this poor hen a blackhead treatment this evening when I have her back inside in the hospital.
Should I give it to all of the others as well? Like I did the wormer?

 

[casportpony]

Does that manual specify chickens or birds in general? I've used 250mg for an adult Wyandotte hen which weighed 6 lbs. No problems with that dose and the blackhead symptoms were gone.Those Euro metric weights are annoying. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs to any Americans confused on that. Kathy, you are recommending 60 mg for a 4.5 lb bird? That's half of what is recommended for a Bantam that I've commonly seen over the years. I've treated for both canker and blackhead only once in the last 20 years.

The manual specifies chickens, turkeys and gamebirds, but like you, I have used more than what it recommends. When my nightmares with blackhead started I had liquid metronidazole and it was effective at 30mg/kg (30mg/2.2 pounds), so I know that it works and I saved many using that dosing scheme.

A 4.5 pound bird should get *no less* than 60mg once a day, but I have heard of vets prescribing twice that amount, twice a day.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

We do have an abundance of earth worms here, so maybe she ate more or her immune system couldn't take them?
I just checked on her and she definitely still has diarrhea and the others do not.
I will give this poor hen a blackhead treatment this evening when I have her back inside in the hospital.
Should I give it to all of the others as well? Like I did the wormer?

If you're going to do it, do it for five days, please!

-Kathy