Help, think my bantam Cochin has the Gapes

[Cbf]

She’s a year old. Occasionally has been mouth breathing before but now she closes her eyes and sits after walking just a few steps. No avian vet around here works with chickens and cat vet won’t help. Seems to be the only one affected. Being picked on by some of the others. Have been giving her egg mixed with a little yogurt. Added dried garlic chili powder and black pepper. Kept her in cellar a couple nights. After a rain storm I did find an unsegmented worm in a tub that had some poop, but not ever visible in fresh poo. Don’t know what to use. Please help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She’s a year old. Occasionally has been mouth breathing before but now she closes her eyes and sits after walking just a few steps. No avian vet around here works with chickens and cat vet won’t help. Seems to be the only one affected. Being picked on by some of the others. Have been giving her egg mixed with a little yogurt. Added dried garlic chili powder and black pepper. Kept her in cellar a couple nights. After a rain storm I did find an unsegmented worm in a tub that had some poop, but not ever visible in fresh poo. Don’t know what to use. Please help.

Can you post a video of her? Upload to youtube and provide a link.
A photo of her poop may be helpful as well.
I'm sorry she is not well.
Have you added chickens to your flock in the last 30days?

She may have Gapeworm, but it would be good to explore a few other things as well. When is the last time she laid an egg, does she have any bloat/swelling or fluid in the abdomen? Is her crop empty first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks?

You can treat Gapeworm with Valbazen or Fenbendazole (Safeguard).
Valbazen would be given at a rate of 0.08ml per pound of weight for 3 days in a row, then repeat in 10 days.
Safeguard (Fenbendazole) is given at a rate of 0.23ml per pound of weight for 5 days in a row.

 

[Cbf]

Thanks for your response. No new chicks. I’m not sure when her last egg was. I know she hasn’t laid for at least 3 days as she was in the cellar. Abdomen seems ok. Will check her crop tomorrow. Should I go ahead and treat with the med now or wait till you can see the video. I’m not technically bright so not sure I can post to YouTube.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for your response. No new chicks. I’m not sure when her last egg was. I know she hasn’t laid for at least 3 days as she was in the cellar. Abdomen seems ok. Will check her crop tomorrow. Should I go ahead and treat with the med now or wait till you can see the video. I’m not technically bright so not sure I can post to YouTube.

If getting testing for worms is not possible and you feel like it is Gapeworm, then treating her may be your best shot.
Have you looked inside her beak for any obstruction, plaques or canker?

 

[Mosey2003]

Myself, I would treat. With Valbazen (I already have it).

Echo checking inside the mouth for obstructions.

If you saw that worm out amongst the flock, I would treat them all at the same time. Also give the coop a good clean out.

 

[Cbf]

Myself, I would treat. With Valbazen (I already have it).

Echo checking inside the mouth for obstructions.

If you saw that worm out amongst the flock, I would treat them all at the same time. Also give the coop a good clean out.

 

[Cbf]

Thanks to you. I’ll get some meds from Amazon. I know if they are on this type of med their eggs are not to be eaten. Correct? I felt her crop and there seems to be a hard marble sized thing up at the top. Not sure if this is normal. I’ll check again in the morning and see if the others have it as well.

If getting testing for worms is not possible and you feel like it is Gapeworm, then treating her may be your best shot.
Have you looked inside her beak for any obstruction, plaques or canker?

 

[Cbf]

Not sure what a normal beak looks like inside but I’ll check tomorrow also. As well as her crop.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks to you. I’ll get some meds from Amazon. I know if they are on this type of med their eggs are not to be eaten. Correct? I felt her crop and there seems to be a hard marble sized thing up at the top. Not sure if this is normal. I’ll check again in the morning and see if the others have it as well.

Some people do observe a throw away period when they de-worm, generally it's 14 days after last treatment.

 

[Mosey2003]

Yes, I use a 14 day egg withdrawal with both Valbazen and Safe Guard. That means the day of the first dose start pitching, and don't stop pitching until 14 days after the second dose. In the garbage, not fed back to any other birds, not fed to dogs, etc. Typically, you want to deworm, and then deworm again in 10 days, in order to catch the ones in the stage of their life cycle that weren't caught with the first dose.

Tell us what you end up buying and we can give you correct doses. It's important both to never under-dose and to do the two wormings 10 days apart, in order to prevent/slow down resistance to dewormers. If you use one wormer on your farm repeatedly, at an insufficient dose, you'll creat worms that aren't killed by that drug anymore after a few years.