Help with Oral Administering of Baytril/others

[ben]

Hi All - we had a small free range chicken flock - just 3 girls and one rooster. We suffered what I believe was a coyote attack - during the day and lost all 3 hens.

My rooster survive but has a small puncture wound that is healing. Vet has me giving Baytril via a funky curvy needle so I can go down the chicken's throat but I am super inexperienced and don't want to hurt him or me. How do I do this? How do I keep the mouth open and immobilize the neck? (I know I need to secure the legs).

OR - do I really need to do this at all?

Other ways such as combining with food?

Thoughts please! I just don't want to traumatize mr. rooster any more than necessary.

Ben

 

[Tootsie]

I always get the baytril tablets and just pop it down their throat. Before I figured out how to do that I would mash it with a few drops of water in a syringe but pill down the throat works better.

Is this an avian vet? The needle sounds dangerous going down the throat to me. I would ask if you can just give it orally. If you can I would then remove the needle after the right dose is in the syringe and open the mouth and administer it that way so he swallows it. After that attack I would definitely use the baytril.

Sorry for your loss. Sure hope he does well poor guy.

 

[briteday]

If you can, I would take off the curved irrigation tip and just drip the Baytril in the tip of the beak. Don't drown the bird in it, just one drop at a time.

 

[ben]

Thanks!

How do you hold the bird still and keep the beak open?

BTW - we mixed the antibiotic with scrambled eggs and he ate it all!!

The vet was probably not an avian vet.

Thanks