Hen with bubbly eye/respirory infection- what antibiotics can I give her that I don't need a perscription for UK

[Bramblesfarm]

My Bhrama hen - aproximately a year old - has got a bubbly eye and has had the odd sneeze, she doesn't have any nasal discharge and other than not eating as much and acting 'sad' [droopy tail sometimes, hung head] has no other symptoms. I know she has some sort of respiry infection as I've been reading back through past threads.

Shes only been exhibiting these symptoms today and I've isolated her from the rest of the flock. No others have any of the same symptoms. I'm not sure what may have caused this although she almost looked like she'd fallen in water - we have a small natural pond in the large day paddock that they have access to so that is a posibility.

I also finished treating my flock and coop for mites about a week ago as they had a mild infestation due to the recent heat.

I haven't seen her poo yet as I had to go to work so cant comment on that.

No treatment has been administered so far - I've read that antibiotics or culling is the only way to treat this but I can't find any antibiotics that I can get in the UK without having to go to the vet first - which is not something I can afford to do - £35 to get her seen on monday, £20 for the persctiption and buy medication online or £50-£80 to buy it from the vet isn't financially feasable for me. Shes a £45 chicken and although loved I cant justify spending that much money on her.

I don't have a picture but it is only a bubbly eye, no nasal discharge, no swelling of the face/sinuses/comb/wattle/legs. She has been laying, eating and drinking normally till today.

She usually has hay and nesting herbs in the coop.

 

[Perris]

you might find this useful
https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/

 

[Bramblesfarm]

you might find this useful
https://www.nadis.org.uk/disease-a-z/poultry/diseases-of-farmyard-poultry/part-1-mycoplasmosis/

Thank you! I've looked at the link previously and think that could be the cause, but can't find Tylan Soluble anywhere in the UK that I can buy without a perscription. Vets in my area are very strict on viewing animals before perscribing [even for something simple like flea treatments] which I can't justify paying.

My real issue is finding antibiotics to treat the hen with that don't need a vetinary perscription.

 

[Perris]

you won't find antibiotics without prescription here, and they only reduce the symptoms anyway, assuming it is MG; but as you said, you don't actually know what's wrong with her as yet. I'd give it a few more days, and not rush to treatments until you do actually have a reasonably solid idea of what is causing whatever symptoms she exhibits. The wrong treatment can make things a whole lot worse. Antibiotics are indiscriminate and kill all the good bacteria in her gut along with whatever else they might be intended to kill.

FYI MG isn't disastrous for non-commercial flocks. Many birds will develop resistance to it over time with a bit of tlc; it is reckoned to be present in the majority of flocks but most keepers simply don't realize they've got it.

 

[Bramblesfarm]

you won't find antibiotics without prescription here, and they only reduce the symptoms anyway, assuming it is MG; but as you said, you don't actually know what's wrong with her as yet. I'd give it a few more days, and not rush to treatments until you do actually have a reasonably solid idea of what is causing whatever symptoms she exhibits. The wrong treatment can make things a whole lot worse. Antibiotics are indiscriminate and kill all the good bacteria in her gut along with whatever else they might be intended to kill.

FYI MG isn't disastrous for non-commercial flocks. Many birds will develop resistance to it over time with a bit of tlc; it is reckoned to be present in the majority of flocks but most keepers simply don't realize they've got it.

Thank you. As stated in my text, I know she has some sort of respiry infection becasue she is sneezing and today is quite wheezy.