Hen gasping for air

[browning6]

I have a elaware hen that is gasping for air. Two months ago my whole flock contracted the avian pox. As far as I could tell all forty birds came down with it including this hen. They had the classic black spots on their combs so I know who got it.

I lost a six birds. Most of them doing this gasping for that last three weeks before dying. The thing that I am baffeled with is that this hen got it and recovered fully started laying eggs a month ago. All of the sudden she is gasping and lethargic. It is tough to tell in the photo but her comb is very purple compared to what it usually is which means she is getting cyanotic (not enough oxygen in the blood).

I gave her a shot of pennicillin sub cutaneous and i hope it helps.

Any other tips on what I should do or if it is something different than I think it is?



Here is a pic i took of her gasping

 

[Eggcessive]

Look inside her beak down to the throat to see if there is anything blocking or any yellow patches. She probably has a respiratory viral or bacterial infection. Gapeworm, a very rare condition is also a possibilty. I would probably start her on an antibiotic more fro respiratory diseases--Tylan50 is inexpensive and can be given as a shot for 3-5 days. Be careful giving penicillin under the skin--that is one that should only be given into a muscle. Here are some diseases with symptoms: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[browning6]

I have never heard that pen should only be given intramuscularly only. Thanks for the info.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Look inside her beak down to the throat to see if there is anything blocking or any yellow patches. She probably has a respiratory viral or bacterial infection. Gapeworm, a very rare condition is also a possibilty. I would probably start her on an antibiotic more fro respiratory diseases--Tylan50 is inexpensive and can be given as a shot for 3-5 days. Be careful giving penicillin under the skin--that is one that should only be given into a muscle. Here are some diseases with symptoms: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

X2

 

[casportpony]

I have never heard that pen should only be given intramuscularly only.  Thanks for the info. 

The injectable penicillin is one of the few injectable antibiotics that loses it's effectiveness when given orally, maybe the same is true for SC injections? I've only used it on horses and always IM with them.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I just looked in Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook and Penicillin G Procaine is given IM or SC to cattle, dogs and cats. The only listing for birds is turkeys and it says IM for them.

-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

Well I can only speak for human beings, but procaine pen G is never given subcutaneously, always intramuscularly. I don't think it would be absorbed well enough, and it can be painful, thus the procaine part.

 

[browning6]

Update on the hen. She is doing really well. 24 hrs later she jumped off the roost and came when i fed (before she sat there and gasped for air) so she is active and doing better. I will let you know in a week if she relapses.

Thanks to all for the advice.