Hi
this is an older thread but I am having a chicken that is wheezing awfully. I am trying to figure out how to message you to see if you still have some danegaurd? i have baytril and vet rx also. thank you laura
You tend to get more replies if you post a new thread, instead of posting in a three-year-old thread.
Could you upload a video of your hen wheezing? To post a video, upload it to youtube or Vimeo, and copy/paste the link here. How long has she been doing the wheezing? Are there any other respiratory-related symptoms going on, such as sneezing, facial edema, nasal discharge? Any other hens showing symptoms?
Since you posted this yesterday, I'm unsure if the problem resolved, but wheezing can sometimes be experienced on occasions directly due to the bird getting dust, high ammonia, feed, or debris in their airways, luckily this problem tends to resolve itself after a few hours. If you posted this yesterday, and your hen is still wheezing, that may point towards a respiratory infection such as IB, MG, Coryza, or ILT. Fungal infections such as aspergillosis can cause wheezing in birds. Wet fowl pox, canker, and less commonly experienced Gapeworm can cause wheezing. Sometimes hens with EYP, acitices , or other reproductive problems may wheeze due to fluid build-up.
I would check inside the hen's mouth, to ensure there are no signs of plaque buildup, something stuck, or lesions to indicate something such as Coryza. Checking her abdominal area may be a good idea too.
In regards to respiratory diseases, a lot of them mentioned have no treatment, only supportive care, and antimicrobial therapy, and some of the diseases such as MG, and Coyza will remain host to the birds for the rest of their lives. So while antibiotics often do help alleviate the symptoms, the birds may show symptoms of the disease, often during winter, when they're penned in close quarters, and overtime the antibiotic may become ineffective so a new one will need to be chosen, and of course, during/after antibiotic therapy, eggs, and meat cannot be eaten in most cases.
You could try treating the birds with an antibiotic such as Denegard, Tylosin, doxycycline, or Enrofloxacin, but it might be better to send samples into your state lab to confirm which/if respiratory disease you're dealing with, so you can choose the most effective for that disease.
For now, it would be a good idea to keep the hen in a well-ventilated area, with feed and water provided.
