Hen gaping and wheezing

SashaLClay

In the Brooder
Nov 11, 2017
33
18
44
Southwest Georgia
I have a hen 5 months old that started wheezing. I brought her in the house almost 2 weeks ago to keep an eye on her. She got worse after 3 days (due to not having antibiotics) started her on Tylan 50 injections x3days. She seemed to get a little better then back to gaping again. Gave her Denagard but she still has no improvement. I wormed her with Safeguard, giving her vet rx, vitamins, eggs, oatmeal with cayenne garlic oregano and cinnamon(switching up the herbs) her poop is normal no nasal discharge and no eye issues. Ive swabbed her for gape worm she has no lesions in her mouth or on her body. I’m at a loss of what it could be? Could it be MG? I have no other chickens sick, she has been eating and drinking but due to her trying to breath has a hard time eating and now drinking is difficult. I also have a humidifier with vet rx on right now.
 
Sometimes people overlook something very obvious as a source of gaping and wheezing. If there's no discharge from the eyes and nares, maybe this hen has crop issues or an issue with her airway.

Check the crop tonight and again first thing in the morning. If it's full come morning, you need to deal with a crop disorder and not a respiratory issue.

To be very certain there is no obstruction in the airway or around the tongue, get someone to help you look down her throat with a strong flashlight. Sometimes a string or hair can get wrapped around the tongue, and the tongue itself can sometimes be the source of obstruction.
 
Sometimes people overlook something very obvious as a source of gaping and wheezing. If there's no discharge from the eyes and nares, maybe this hen has crop issues or an issue with her airway.

Check the crop tonight and again first thing in the morning. If it's full come morning, you need to deal with a crop disorder and not a respiratory issue.

To be very certain there is no obstruction in the airway or around the tongue, get someone to help you look down her throat with a strong flashlight. Sometimes a string or hair can get wrapped around the tongue, and the tongue itself can sometimes be the source of obstruction.
Crop is good actually pretty empty. She’s not been eating enough to fill it. I’ve looked several times in her throat and havent seen anything. I’ve also massaged her neck trachea and esophagus in case there was something lodged. Nothing seems to be in there. It’s just odd. I just feel like running something down her trachea to clear it. Idk just confused ‍♀️
 
Is she having any head shaking, nasal drainage, sneezing, or foamy eyes? Respiratory diseases can last for weeks or months, can be viral where antibiotics won’t help, bacterial where Tylan might help, or fungal from mold spores. I would keep helping her eat and drink, and hopefully, she will start to improve. Gapeworm is not common, but you could go ahead and treat her for it with SafeGuard liquid goat wormer 1/4 ml per pound, given orally for 3 to 5 days.
Get a weight on her with a kitchen or postal scale.
 
This hen has no other symptoms of CRD, just the apparent respiratory congestion. No nasal discharge or runny eye, or swollen facial tissue, I'm assuming from the OPs descriptions.

Maybe it's a fungal infection of the trachea since there is no nasal or eye discharge of a classic CRD. http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/upper-respiratory-fungal-infections/

The treatment is Oxine mixed into in water then used in a vaporizer to kill the fungus in the bird's airway.
 
Is she having any head shaking, nasal drainage, sneezing, or foamy eyes? Respiratory diseases can last for weeks or months, can be viral where antibiotics won’t help, bacterial where Tylan might help, or fungal from mold spores. I would keep helping her eat and drink, and hopefully, she will start to improve. Gapeworm is not common, but you could go ahead and treat her for it with SafeGuard liquid goat wormer 1/4 ml per pound, given orally for 3 to 5 days.
Get a weight on her with a kitchen or postal scale.
No head shaking, nasal drainage or foaming eyes. She occasionally sneezes and will scratch her face like something is on it but it is only if she sneezes. I know gapeworm isn’t common but I did do a treatment with safeguard. I did do another Tylan 50 injection tonight’s she is still wheezing but not gaping now. She is getting thin so might head to Tractor supply and buy feeding syringes to help fill her crop some. She did eat a little for me a little bit ago I basically
have to hand feed her. She has food but seems to only eat if I give it. (Crazy bird). It seems the Tylan worked so far but it helped last time as well and then she reverted back. I only did Tylan injection for 3 days do you think 2 times a day for 3 days or once a day for 5? She’s a Polish so only giving 1/4 cc a dose. I hate giving it because if it is viral it won’t help but seems to be helping when I do.
 
This hen has no other symptoms of CRD, just the apparent respiratory congestion. No nasal discharge or runny eye, or swollen facial tissue, I'm assuming from the OPs descriptions.

Maybe it's a fungal infection of the trachea since there is no nasal or eye discharge of a classic CRD. http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/upper-respiratory-fungal-infections/

The treatment is Oxine mixed into in water then used in a vaporizer to kill the fungus in the bird's airway.
I was thinking this might be my next treatment. I’m at a loss to what it could be. I’ve basically ruled out a lot of things it could of been. She only has the wheezing and occasionally gaping. When she does gasp it seems like she will quit breathing at anytime so I’ve been massaging her and keeping her comfy. Then she quits for awhile. Guess oxide is next on my list. At least my chicken supplies are being stocked up.
 
Shou
This hen has no other symptoms of CRD, just the apparent respiratory congestion. No nasal discharge or runny eye, or swollen facial tissue, I'm assuming from the OPs descriptions.

Maybe it's a fungal infection of the trachea since there is no nasal or eye discharge of a classic CRD. http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/upper-respiratory-fungal-infections/

The treatment is Oxine mixed into in water then used in a vaporizer to kill the fungus in the bird's airway.
Would I get oxide or oxide with activator. I’m planning on doing the coop as well.
 

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