HELP! Somethings wrong with my turkey.

[Jonathan and Briana]

I came home and my one of my turkeys isn’t doing to well. The skin on its head is super dry and almost feels dead and around it’s head is swollen. Any ideas what it can be? I will add some pictures as well.

 

[R2elk]

@casportpony

 

[casportpony]

Is a vet an option? I suspect it's a respiratory infection, but no idea which one. Could be this, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/avian-metapneumovirus/avian-metapneumovirus, could be something else.

 

[Jonathan and Briana]

Is a vet an option? I suspect it's a respiratory infection, but no idea which one. Could be this, https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/avian-metapneumovirus/avian-metapneumovirus, could be something else.

Thank you for the response! I haven't been able to find a vet that handles poultry. Do you know of anything I can do that could possibly help?

 

[boskelli1571]

I came home and my one of my turkeys isn’t doing to well. The skin on its head is super dry and almost feels dead and around it’s head is swollen. Any ideas what it can be? I will add some pictures as well. View attachment 2212814

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/swollen-head-syndrome
here's some info to help you decide what's going on. She should be isolated away from the rest of the flock, it is likely contagious,

 

[casportpony]

Thank you for the response! I haven't been able to find a vet that handles poultry. Do you know of anything I can do that could possibly help?

Where do you live?

 

[Bo Garrett]

It would seem to me that it has been in a scuffle with one or more of your other birds and hence the swollen and scabby feeling skin on the head. Treat it with some medicated salve such as neosporin and also give a broad spectrum antibiotic for secondary infection. Since you have to have a prescription now for water based antibiotics and most vets do not work with poultry I recommend Fishbiotics which can be purchased without a prescription and come in Penicillin and Amoxycillin. They come in 250 and 500 mg tablets and can be broken in half or quartered depending on the size of the bird. If it is respiratory this will also address that problem.

Blessings,

Bo

 

[Jonathan and Briana]

Where do you live?

We live in Colorado.

 

[Jonathan and Briana]

It would seem to me that it has been in a scuffle with one or more of your other birds and hence the swollen and scabby feeling skin on the head. Treat it with some medicated salve such as neosporin and also give a broad spectrum antibiotic for secondary infection. Since you have to have a prescription now for water based antibiotics and most vets do not work with poultry I recommend Fishbiotics which can be purchased without a prescription and come in Penicillin and Amoxicillin. They come in 250 and 500 mg tablets and can be broken in half or quartered depending on the size of the bird. If it is respiratory this will also address that problem.

Blessings,

Bo

Thank you so much for the info! We started some Amoxicillin that night and it helped with the swelling. Her skin did ended up getting worse. All the skin on her head was hard and got to a point that she could no longer open one of her eyes. I did try putting ointment on it and it didn't loosen the skin. We had given her a nutri drench morning and night to help her out but we could not get her to eat (she would occasionally drink on her own). This morning she was so weak that she could not stand on her own even with the nutri drench. We sadly felt it was best to put her down so she wouldn't suffer anymore. Thank you everyone that gave advice! We really appreciate all the help!

 

[casportpony]

Oh no, I am so sorry for your loss.