How often can you dose with ivermectin?

[keeversgirl]

I dosed my 4 ladies back on July 20th. I have also done a few fenbendizole(sorry spelling?) treatments as well, but they still act like the have gape worms, i.e shaking head, arching neck, and opening mouth.

I am having other issues with them as well (diarrhea/bloody stools/anemic/temp color loss in combs) and have been taking them to a vet who I am absolutely done with. She's has put them on so many meds, charged me up the hoo hoo, and it is insane, and although there has been some improvement, it's not major, so I am trying to do this myself, with the help of you lovely folks. So I figure if I can go ahead and dose them again with Ivermectin, that will eliminate one issue, and make it easier to diagnose and treat the others.

Thank you so much in advance!

Megan

 

[dawg53]

No, I dont recommend redosing with ivermectin nor fenbendazole....you're giving them too much wormer in such a short period of time (July 20). The ivermectin wouldve killed gapeworm. If it's a lice/mite issue and you used the ivermectin pour on, that wouldve killed the lice/mites. If you're still having lice/mite issues, then use sevin dust on them and in their house as well. Redust in 10 days including the chickens Seeing a small bit of blood in the poop once in awhile is normal, that means a piece of intestinal lining was shed. If you're seeing bloody poop all the time, you're most likely dealing with coccidia and need to give them corrid (amprollium.) It has been very hot and the heat will cause watery diarrhea, I've been dealing with it all summer. You might need to increase their protein levels....provide them with plain yogurt or buttermilk mixed with either scrambled egg or canned beef catfood for a few days. That should get everything back in proper working order. BTW...Here's how you tell if a chicken has gapeworm; take a Q-tip and gently stick it 1 inch down its throat,gently swab and remove it. If you see a "Y" shaped red in color worm on the Q-tip...you have your answer.

 

[keeversgirl]

I didn't even know they made ivermectin to pour on chickens! Is it a powder or a liquid, and I assume I should be able to find it at my local feed stores? What about the neck arching and opening their mouth wide? That's usually a sign of gape worm. The chickens had giardia and were treated for it, and are no on Purina Layena to keep it away. The last lab work the vets had done (a month or so ago) came back clear, that's why I'm confused as to what it is. One of them was actually diagnosed as to likely have lymphoma (rectal exam) and she is the only one not laying eggs. Figures my love bug would be the one to be diagnosed.

Thank you sooooo much for your help!!!! I will surely to the q-tip test tonight!!

 

[dawg53]

So I figure if I can go ahead and dose them again with Ivermectin, that will eliminate one issue, and make it easier to diagnose and treat the others.

There is no need to use ivermectin again, nor use a Q-tip to see if they have gapeworm...the ivermectin that you used most likely killed them if they had them in the first place which I doubt. Did you ask the vet why they are shaking their heads, neck arching etc..? What did the vet say? FYI; Safeguard paste, equine (fenbendazole) is useless against gapeworm.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

First, is you vet experienced with chickens?

What type of ivermectin did you use, and how much? Pour-on is made and labeled for cattle; there is none labeled for chickens in the US, but MANY people use it on their birds. Pour-on lasts in the system longer than injectible given orally. I know that horse paste is also sometimes used, but IMO, getting a properly sized dose is much more difficult, not to mention it having the same short time in the digestive system issue as injectible given orally.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I use the pour on once every 3 months, I also dust them with DE and spray them with adams flea and tick spray if needed to kill mites in between ivermectin treatments. I don't have the dosages handy at the moment but I believe its something like....

1 drop for super small bantams
2 drops per average bantam
3 drops for standards
4 drops for the really big lunkers

I get a 24 guage needle and fill it not even half way to cover the flock of over 50 birds. You want to wear gloves when using this stuff and you MUST part the feathers and apply directly on the skin, if it soaks into the down then they didn't get the dose. It soaks into the skin immediately. It helps if you have 2-3 people to do alot of birds. I print out a list of every bird I have and cross the bird off once it was treated as well as the date for my records.

ETA- IVER ON is alot cheaper then the ivermectin pour on

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I agree, and what did the vet prescribe for the OP's chickens?

 

[keeversgirl]

I apologize for not getting back to you guys sooner, things have been hellish around here lately, so I haven't been able to reply. Dawg53: The vet has limited experience with chickens, but is a bird/small animal vet. My problem with her is she is so over booked, I have to be a nag just to get an answer, and have spent waaaay to much money with her. I do the injectable Ivermectin orally, about 6-7 drops per chicken, since they are 6.5 to 8 lbs. I'm sorry I don't know what you mean by "OP"

chicken addict: is the poor, the same as the oral?

Sonora Silkies: I use the one for cattle, as recommended by the vet....I lost my RIR Amy to it, and it was so traumatic, I've been good about the using it since.

Again, I can't thank you all enough for your help, you are way more reliable then their vet. I will do my best to post some pics of my babies.

 

[keeversgirl]

P.S. So mites make them arch their neck and open their mouth? I thought that was only gape worm?

 

[sticks]

Sticks here have question giving all of flock ivermectin have mama hen hatching out bitties put medicated starter in there for her and chicks should I wait on putting ivermevtin on her or wait till she is done hatching out?