Help chicken is gasping

[casportpony]

There is so much for me to learn about all of the different worms and what wormers work, at what dose and how many days, etc. My latest mission is to find effective treatments for the Capillary worm.

For me, worming by mouth is *always* done on any sick bird unless it looks like the act of handling it will kill it, then I try to stabilize it first, but once stable, it gets wormed, period.

Dawg knows his stuff about worming and diseases, that's for sure, you can't go wrong asking for his advice.

This is the one study I mentioned in my previous post:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6750887
Efficacy of fenbendazole against helminth parasites of poultry in Uganda.

Ssenyonga GS.
Abstract

Fenbendazole 4% (Panacur, Hoechst) administered in feed was used to treat chickens infected with Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Railletina spp. It was also used to treat Syngamus trachea in broiler birds. There was a marked drop in helminth egg counts in the faeces on the second day of treatment and the faeces became negative by the seventh day after the last treatment. Post-mortem examination 15 to 21 days later showed that the drug was 100% effective against Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum at 10 mg/kg. However, for complete removal of Railletina spp. 15 mg/kg was required. Similarly 20 mg/kg fenbendazole was effective against Syngamus trachea. It was concluded that fenbendazole is suitable for the treatment of the important intestinal and tracheal worms of poultry, a dose of 15 to 20 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days being recommended for use under field conditions.

 

[casportpony]

Forgot to say that I think the follow-up worming is 10 days after the last treatment, but don't quote me on that, lol.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Fenbendazole 10%, you'll find it in the cattle, goat and horse sections of most feed stores.

 

[KatsCountryCritters]

I got the goat dewormer and started that today. Let's hope this fixes her and she'll be right as rain in a few days. We traded out silkie roo for her. We got extremely lucky finding her. She is only about 5 months old and not laying yet. She's a sweet beautiful bird. We aren't sure if she is auracauna or americauna.

 

[KatsCountryCritters]

I used the goat wormer for 3 days. She was better yesterday, no gasping, but she is back at it again today. I gave it to her to swallow. Was that correct? I just read on here on a different thread you're supposed to put it in their nose? Sounds a little odd. So I think I will try the antibiotic now. Off to TSC I go again.

 

[mithious]

There is so much for me to learn about all of the different worms and what wormers work, at what dose and how many days, etc. My latest mission is to find effective treatments for the Capillary worm.

For me, worming by mouth is *always* done on any sick bird unless it looks like the act of handling it will kill it, then I try to stabilize it first, but once stable, it gets wormed, period.

Dawg knows his stuff about worming and diseases, that's for sure, you can't go wrong asking for his advice.

This is the one study I mentioned in my previous post:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6750887
Efficacy of fenbendazole against helminth parasites of poultry in Uganda.

Ssenyonga GS.
Abstract

Fenbendazole 4% (Panacur, Hoechst) administered in feed was used to treat chickens infected with Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum and Railletina spp. It was also used to treat Syngamus trachea in broiler birds. There was a marked drop in helminth egg counts in the faeces on the second day of treatment and the faeces became negative by the seventh day after the last treatment. Post-mortem examination 15 to 21 days later showed that the drug was 100% effective against Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum at 10 mg/kg. However, for complete removal of Railletina spp. 15 mg/kg was required. Similarly 20 mg/kg fenbendazole was effective against Syngamus trachea. It was concluded that fenbendazole is suitable for the treatment of the important intestinal and tracheal worms of poultry, a dose of 15 to 20 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days being recommended for use under field conditions.

Thank you Kathy. I just got through reading a thread that Dawg had written about worming on and he also said to treat orally. He didn't mention the gapeworms specifically though. I DID notice that the symptoms came back rather quickly, maybe 2-3 days after the two day treatment, so I did start them on the water safeguard, the night of day 6, and am on day 3 of that. I was wondering if I could switch them over to the oral treatment, even though I have been giving it in the water. They are getting better, but slowly this time...Dawg also recommened valbazen but did say, safeguard does work.

Do you know if I can treat them orally, or would I OD them? I have the 10% liquid goat wormer. The above says 4%. My math is horrible, always has been. LOL I have no idea how to calculate the difference. I read on that thread that you can put the wormer on bread, not sure who said that? and give it orally that way also. I could try that, if it is ok to treat orally, in the middle of treating with the "in the water" treatment?

If I had more than just the 15 birds, I would cull the poor little pullet that is the sickest...but am trying to pull them through this, if possible. So much work and money has gone into them already, I hate to cull just yet. Might have to anyways, if I can't get a handle on this. They aren't really acting sick anymore, but the littlest one, is so thin. I have, at Dawgs suggestion, been giving them buttermilk and scrabbled eggs, in between treating.

I don't know what to do any more....I am almost certain I did not treat them correctly the first time, like orally, or long enough, either. Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated!!!!

Oh one quick question, is the above dose, oral? Thanks again Kathy!

edited to add, Dawg did give a general dosing of safeguard, but not sure if that would take care of the gapeworm, as it is hard to irradicate, like tapeworm is.

 

[mithious]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ts-is-not-coryza-or-crd-parasites-are-rampant

Kathy and anyone else interested, here is the thread talking about wormers and what does and doesn't work. I just got through reading the whole thing, and wrote a lot in my notebook. Nothing specific about the gapeworm though Dawg did mention that safeguard and vlabazen both work.

Kathy he mentions about capillary worms also, but not sure which page..sorry...gotta run out and do the chickens before it gets dark. I can look after if you want though?

Huge thanks for the info too!!!!

 

[mithious]

Kathy Post 153 is where Dawg mentions the capillary worms

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...s-not-coryza-or-crd-parasites-are-rampant/150

Hope this helps!

Ran through the chores tonight

 

[mithious]

I used the goat wormer for 3 days. She was better yesterday, no gasping, but she is back at it again today. I gave it to her to swallow. Was that correct? I just read on here on a different thread you're supposed to put it in their nose? Sounds a little odd. So I think I will try the antibiotic now. Off to TSC I go again.

Did you retreat? They say to retreat in 7-10 days. I failed to do it orally, and am finding I have problems...am trying to find out if I can start orally in the middle of the second treatment.

Mine got better after the first treatment also, but went backwards after I stopped...too soon I believe. Dawg doesn't recommend the watered down wormers, and says the gapeworm is hard to get rid of, like the tapeworm...I'm trying to find out if there is a different way to dose them for gapeworm, like there is for the tapeworm, right now...hoping someone will know...the tapeworm treatment is quite different than the regular treatment and is retreated 3 times...it's on that link above..I am thinking the gapeworm treatment might be the same or similar?

Best of luck with yours!!!

 

[mithious]

Just to update, since I still don't know if I can stop the water treatment and switch to an oral dose, I am still giving the safeguard in the water BUT, the poops are getting better each day. I clean off the poop boards, every morning and am so glad I have them at this point, as I can see the poops well. There is less brown runny poos. I am starting day 4 of the water treated with safeguard. Each day, I see an improvement, and no gaping at all now. They had started again, after the first dose.

I still wish I knew if I could stop the water treatment, and do the oral, without ODing them. I read most of last night on this and found that gape is supposed to be treated hard and fast,, with 3 treatments orally in 10 days.

I am debating on switching over to orally treating them, for the 3 times in 10 days, or staying on the water treatment for two days past the last time of seeing the brown runny poo's. The brown runny poo's are getting less and less each day, but this seems to be so much, for so long and I am guessing, hard on their systems. I wish I had found that thread before I started as I would've treated orally for the 3 days and probably switched to valbazen on one of the treatments or two.

They are acting fine again though. All of them. Even the skinniest pullet that seemed to start all this and even she is not gaping at all.

I tried to find the meds recommended for gapeworm, levamilsole from Jefferslivestock.com but nothing came up in the search. I read an article that Dawg recommended, and the OP said that was the best wormer for gapeworms, though no dosing and can't find the wormer anyway.

ARGGGG...hard to know what is right to do. I also read that gapes will detect the wormer in the blood and stop feeding for a day or two...so maybe if I treat long enough, they will have to feed and get enough of the wormer to kill them?

If anyone knows if I can switch to the oral treatment in the middle of the way I am treating now, without ODing them, I would greatly appreciate any advice, opinions, ect....I won't hold anyone accountable if I OD them trying...as it is my decision, and I believe in personal responsibility....just would really love and appreciate any answers, suggesstions, ect on switching to the oral treatment mid swing. It does sound like the best way and in the future I will be doing everything orally that I can! I am going to pick up some valbazen also, for future use, so as not to build a resistance...sure hope I am not doing that know????

I also, now know, that having a really wet summer this year, or wet land, dirt ect, I will have to worm more often and probably have some issues with my land. Wish my tranny wasn't shot. I would go dig some river sand and fill their run with it!

Thanks!