HELP!! I don't know what's wrong!

[chickybae]

So, I went out to check on my chickens this morning and noticed the smallest one was in the nesting box not acting right. I grabbed her and noticed the whole left side of her face, mouth, and eye is swollen!!!! It's so bad that she can not close her mouth and the swelling is almost closing her throat completely! she is still feisty when I handle her, and is breathing ok. I gave her a shot of la 200 and put her in a separate cage. Idk what else to do!! Has anyone else had this happen before?? What else can I do for her?? She looks so bad!

 

[nchls school]

A post from another thread.


Eggcessive


Location: southern Ohio
Joined: 4/2011
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There is no treatment for swollen head syndrome, but coryza can be treated with sulfa drugs, such as Sulfadimethoxine and Sulmet. Tylan 50 injectable may also be used in conjunction with sulfa drugs. It would be important to get the chicken tested, since coryza can make carriers of the flock for life.

Swollen Head Syndrome
Synonyms: Facial cellulitis, thick head, Dikkop, SHS
Species affected: Chickens and turkeys are the known natural hosts. Experimentally, guinea fowl and pheasants are susceptible but pigeons, ducks, and geese are resistant to the infection. SHS does not presently occur in the United States, but is present in most countries of the world.
Clinical signs: In chicks and poults, there is initial sneezing, followed by reddening and swelling of the tear ducts and eye tissue. Facial swelling will extend over the head and down the jaw and wattles. Adult chickens have mild respiratory disease followed by a few birds having swollen heads. Other signs include disorientation, twisting of the neck, and a significant drop in egg production (see Table 1).
Transmission: The infection spreads by direct contact with infected birds or indirectly by exposure to infectious material.
Treatment: There is no proven medication for swollen head syndrome. The disease is caused by a virus classified as a pneumovirus. A disease closely mimicking SHS is caused by a mixed infection of respiratory viruses and specific bacteria. Antibiotic therapy may be helpful against the bacterial component.
Prevention: A commercial vaccine is available. Swollen head syndrome is considered an exotic disease and a live vaccine is not approved for use in the United States.


Infectious Coryza
Synonyms: roup, cold, coryza
Species affected: chickens, pheasants, and guinea fowl. Common in game chicken flocks.
Clinical signs: Swelling around the face, foul smelling, thick, sticky discharge from the nostrils and eyes, labored breathing, and rales (rattles -- an abnormal breathing sound) are common clinical signs. The eyelids are irritated and may stick together. The birds may have diarrhea and growing birds may become stunted (see Table 1).
Mortality from coryza is usually low, but infections can decrease egg production and increase the incidence and/or severity of other diseases. Mortality can be as high as 50 percent, but is usually no more than 20 percent. The clinical disease can last from a few days to 2-3 months, depending on the virulence of the pathogen and the existence of other infections such as mycoplasmosis.
Transmission: Coryza is primarily transmitted by direct bird-to-bird contact. This can be from infected birds brought into the flock as well as from birds which recover from the disease which remain carriers of the organism and may shed intermittently throughout their lives.. Birds risk exposure at poultry shows, bird swaps, and live-bird sales. Inapparent infected adult birds added into a flock are a common source for outbreaks. Within a flock, inhalation of airborne respiratory droplets, and contamination of feed and/or water are common modes of spread.
Treatment: Water soluble antibiotics or antibacterials can be used. Sulfadimethoxine (Albon

, Di-Methox

) is the preferred treatment. If it is not available, or not effective, sulfamethazine (Sulfa-Max

, SulfaSure

), erythromycin (gallimycin

), or tetracycline (Aureomycin

) can be used as alternative treatments. Sulfa drugs are not FDA approved for pullets older than 14 weeks of age or for commercial layer hens. While antibiotics can be effective in reducing clinical disease, they do not eliminate carrier birds.
Prevention: Good management and sanitation are the best ways to avoid infectious coryza. Most outbreaks occur as a result of mixing flocks. All replacement birds on "coryza-endemic" farms should be vaccinated. The vaccine (Coryza-Vac) is administered subcutaneously (under the skin) on the back of the neck. Each chicken should be vaccinated four times, starting at 5 weeks of age with at least 4 weeks between injections. Vaccinate again at 10 months of age and twice yearly thereafter.

 

[Eggcessive]

From the swelling of her face and sinus, plus the yellow nasal drainage, my guess is that she could have coryza or MG, both of which are chronic respiratory disease, and are carrier diseases. Does she smell bad? That can be common with coryza. She needs to be separated as far as possible away from your other birds. Clean her eye and nasal opening with saline. Terramycin eye ointment from your feed store, or plain Triple Anitbiotic ointment may be applied to the eye twice a day. The oxytetracycline injections may help. Is there any signs of a peck wound near her eye, or does she have any rattles, wheezes, or coughing? Have you added any new poultry in the last week or two? Here is some reading:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...verview_of_infectious_coryza_in_chickens.html
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/82/infectious-coryza/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[chickybae]

Thank you for th responses. I have not added any new animals or chickens to the flock. She is almost a year old. No rattling or wheezing sounds. I listened to her chest and hear nothing in there. She seems to be breathing normally. No signs of distress. There is one spot that is larger than the rest, and it's white. I'm thinking maybe a spider bite? She does not smell at all, not even the swollen part of the liquid.

 

[nchls school]

How quickly did this swelling happen? It could be a reaction to something in its environment. If there is a wound site and the swelling is infection with pus, it might need to be drained; check into this before doing as I am unsure. Hopefully more group members will have knowledge of what to do and reply to your thread. Good luck.