Hopefully I've successfully treated my hen for salpingitis (reproductive infection)

[Erinnlyn]

By all accounts, I have 'cured' my 3 yr old barred rock hen of salpingitis. I treated her with 10% enrofloxacin 2x a day for 10 days. To start, she was feeling pretty terrible, and after 2 doses, her comb slowly started to turn back from peachy to red. She started walking more, not sitting all day. I was amazed and relieved at how fast she felt better. She is 4 days past the end of the treatment, and still doing very well. She's not laying eggs, which I am totally fine with. I just want her to be ok. I'm just scared to death it will come back, because I've read salpingitis is difficult to manage. Has anyone successfully treated salpingitis and had a healthy hen for a good long life, or what is the probable outlook for my girl? Anything else I should be doing for her?
Thanks!!

 

[alinas2010]

Hi, wanted to lend my support for you and your chicken. How is she doing? I know this is a painful, stressful journey. I lost my girl Jafar to internal laying or salpingitis…I’m not sure which really. I will attach a link to her story. You may be able to find something useful there from the educators. How old is your chicken? I hope she was treated early enough that she will be okay for the rest of her life. What is her name?

I was able to successfully treat her (Jafar) with amoxicillin and she recovered for about 3 months. Her belly even shrunk. Unfortunately she did eventually succumb to the infection. A second round of amoxicillin did not help her. I know amoxicillin is not the antibiotic of choice for reproductive infections, however, it is what I had. Your girl may do much better.

I often wonder if antibiotics were to be administered at the first sign of a wonky egg, before signs of illness show up, would the chicken end up better off? You know, since the theory is that by the time signs of illness show, it is usually too late, and the chicken is typically very far along with the infection.

Jafar:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/is-e-coli-opportunistic-in-chickens.1627417/

 

[Erinnlyn]

By all accounts, I have 'cured' my 3 yr old barred rock hen of salpingitis. I treated her with 10% enrofloxacin 2x a day for 10 days. To start, she was feeling pretty terrible, and after 2 doses, her comb slowly started to turn back from peachy to red. She started walking more, not sitting all day. I was amazed and relieved at how fast she felt better. She is 4 days past the end of the treatment, and still doing very well. She's not laying eggs, which I am totally fine with. I just want her to be ok. I'm just scared to death it will come back, because I've read salpingitis is difficult to manage. Has anyone successfully treated salpingitis and had a healthy hen for a good long life, or what is the probable outlook for my girl? Anything else I should be doing for her?
Thanks!!

Hi, thank you for your reply! I'm so sorry to hear about your girl. It is very stressful. I just love these chickens so much. lol My girl in question is a 3 year old barred rock named Cookie. I think I caught her fairly early?? She laid a couple small lash masses, then I had to wait several days for my enrofloxacin to arrive. I was sooo anxious. Now she is still doing well, and she is over a week past the end of treatment! I put her on probiotics right after to help rebuild her good gut bacteria. It did take her a few days to start eating food again. I gave her a bit of scrambled eggs (only thing she would eat besides bugs) a few times to build her strength. I was glad when she finally started eating pellets again. She takes dust baths, does wing flappies, stretches, chases/bites lower hens on the pecking order, crop is filling and emptying. All the things that tell me she's feeling good. At least, I think! We've only had chickens a few years, but this is my best guess! I suppose all I can do is keep a close eye on her now and I'll probably call my vet if she gets down again because I will need more knowledgeable assistance. Thank you for your link! I will definitely check it out! I'll attach a picture of Cookie here just for fun. Thank you again!

 

[alinas2010]

Aw Cookie, she is beautiful. I truly hope she pulls through okay for the rest of her life. I learned it can a very up and down journey, but the good thing is that you used the antibiotic of choice. Expelling lash material is thought to bring a relief of pressure and make them feel better sometimes. Let me know how she does.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If the infection was bacterial then hopefully the antibiotics took care of it.

One of my hens had salpingitis 3 or 4 years ago and was treated with enrofloxacin. She resumed laying and the next year she had a second round of salpingitis and was treated again. She stopped laying after that and has not laid again but she's 7 years old now and the head hen, so it didn't impact her overall quality of life.

 

[Susan Skylark]

This would be similar to treating pyometra in a dog, antibiotics can clear up most of the infection and prevent imminent death from endotoxemia but due to the nature of the repro tract (lots of nooks and crannies) it is almost impossible to cure. A spay or hysterectomy is the treatment of choice in dogs but not sure that’s an option in birds! Treating with antibiotics at the first sign of malaise, lethargy, off feed, draggy, etc will help keep the bird alive but also develops resistant bacteria after a while, meaning eventually nothing will work. You may also want to check with a knowledgeable vet and see if flunixin meglumine (banamine) is an option in chickens, it is an anti inflammatory that also binds up bacterial toxins and is a literal life saver in toxic metritis in various mammalian species. There’s a chance you cleared it but long term don’t be surprised if you get flare ups and overtime they become harder to treat.

 

[Erinnlyn]

If the infection was bacterial then hopefully the antibiotics took care of it.

One of my hens had salpingitis 3 or 4 years ago and was treated with enrofloxacin. She resumed laying and the next year she had a second round of salpingitis and was treated again. She stopped laying after that and has not laid again but she's 7 years old now and the head hen, so it didn't impact her overall quality of life.

Good information to know. I will have to keep a close eye on her. The second time around for yours, what was your first clue that she was affected again?
Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Good information to know. I will have to keep a close eye on her. The second time around for yours, what was your first clue that she was affected again?
Thanks!

The 2nd time, it was another lash egg dropped under the roost. By positioning we knew it was one of three hens, and she starting acting a little off shortly thereafter (which she'd done the first time) so that made her the likely candidate. After treatment there were no further instances of lash egg so I knew I'd treated the right bird.

 

[Erinnlyn]

The 2nd time, it was another lash egg dropped under the roost. By positioning we knew it was one of three hens, and she starting acting a little off shortly thereafter (which she'd done the first time) so that made her the likely candidate. After treatment there were no further instances of lash egg so I knew I'd treated the right bird.

Glad you were able to take care of it. I hope we can keep my girl healthy. Thanks for the info!

 

[Erinnlyn]

This would be similar to treating pyometra in a dog, antibiotics can clear up most of the infection and prevent imminent death from endotoxemia but due to the nature of the repro tract (lots of nooks and crannies) it is almost impossible to cure. A spay or hysterectomy is the treatment of choice in dogs but not sure that’s an option in birds! Treating with antibiotics at the first sign of malaise, lethargy, off feed, draggy, etc will help keep the bird alive but also develops resistant bacteria after a while, meaning eventually nothing will work. You may also want to check with a knowledgeable vet and see if flunixin meglumine (banamine) is an option in chickens, it is an anti inflammatory that also binds up bacterial toxins and is a literal life saver in toxic metritis in various mammalian species. There’s a chance you cleared it but long term don’t be surprised if you get flare ups and overtime they become harder to treat.

Thank you. Good information to check over with my vet if she seems to be affected again. Thanks so much.