Hens with pox - Fish Zole?

[ksbmom]

I just noticed yesterday that one of my RIRs has one black warty looking spot on her comb. From looking around on this site I am pretty sure it's fowl pox. One post suggested giving Fish Zole - is this an antibiotic? Where do I get it and how do I give it to my girls? Will it keep it from going to wet pox? I also saw some recommendations to check inside the chicken's mouth - just how does one open a chicken's mouth? I tried but she wasn't too cooperative! So far only one other hen seems to have any spots, but I know it can go through all 8 of them (mosquito control is out of the question where I live in Florida). Thanks for your help!

 

[keljonma]

I found this on another board I am on....

Get online and order FishZole. Order it right away since it does take a while to get the meds when they have to be ordered.

Fowl Pox is endemic in the wild bird population. It can change to the wet form without you realizing and be passed thru the flock from bird to bird without any mosquitoes helping it along. It can kill a huge percentage of your flock while you are waiting to get the meds. The meds don't cost much and will keep in the fridge for years and years.

Watch the birds closely for signs of respiratory distress and/or eye discharge or swelling around the eyes. Also look inside their mouths and watch for yellow plaques forming inside the mouth. These will need treating immediately. Put all that are showing any distress in isolation, partly to keep them from infecting others, but also because they will have a better chance of recovering if well birds cannot harass them. It is ok to put all sick birds in the same coop or holding pen.

Put the bottle in the fridge and you will have it when you need it. You do not need a Rx to order it as a fish med and it is the same as Flagyl or Metronidazole. Give 250 mg in a gallon of water for 3 days.


Flagyl or Metronidazole
GENERIC NAME: metronidazole
BRAND NAME: Flagyl
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Metronidazole is an antibiotic effective against anaerobic bacteria and certain parasites. Anaerobic bacteria are single-celled, living organisms that thrive in environments in which there is little oxygen (anaerobic environments) and can cause disease in the abdomen (bacterial peritonitis), liver (liver abscess), and pelvis (abscess of the ovaries and the Fallopian tubes).
Metronidazole selectively blocks some of the functions within the bacterial cells and the parasites resulting in their death.
PRESCRIBED FOR: Metronidazole is used to treat parasitic infections including Giardia infections of the small intestine, amebic liver abscess and amebic dysentery (infection of the colon causing bloody diarrhea),

Metronidazole is also used alone or in combination with other antibiotics in treating abscesses in the liver, pelvis, abdomen and brain caused by susceptible anaerobic bacteria. Metronidazole is also used in treating infection of the colon.