I HAVE SYMPTOMS!!!! (icky pics...)...UPDATE...post #35

[honeychild903]

Thsi also happened to my chickens. Are they sneezing some? I called my vet and he got me some Tylan and I put it in all of their drinking water. Kept the sick ones away every time I noticed one sleeping too much and standing around with a crusty nose I put them in with the sick ones. Kept on with Tylan every other day in water and they all got well and the others never got sick. Vet said to depopulate but I didnt and have not had another sick one with this and its been 2 months. good luck, I also put TAO in their eyes and they opened up after a couple of days and nostrils became clear within a week. Good Luck.

 

[askjcm2005]

Just in case you didnt know I was told Albon doesnt "treat" the problem it only keeps the problem under control until the animal is old enough to deal with it. It was more for coccidia and upper respitory infections in kittens/puppies but just thought i'd throw that out there just in case you use albon again.

 

[crystalchik]

I performed an autopsy on both a young chick that died and another older silkie pullet that died with the "cheesy" substance in her mouth.

On the silkie pullet, I found the "cheesy" lessions in her beak/throat and around the base of her trachea, in her trachea, and actually in her lungs. She also had the crusty eyes. Other than that, there was nothing. Her liver and intestine were clear. I did find that there was a lot of cecal poo, but im not sure if that was normal or not.
I had been treating this bird with Metronidazole (Flagyl) for 2 days for canker possibility without improvement

In the chick, I found nothing. The only thing that caught my eye was the fact that (and this was also in the older bird) the liver was more of a golden color than the usual dark red/black color. But in both birds, they were clear of liver lessions.

I just thought that I would let you all know. I was told to check for liver lessions in fear that it might be Salmonella G. but it most likely is not...its very uncommon. I am still planning on getting them cultured...I am just trying to find a place that is reasonable because I need a few done and the only vet locally here is charging $120 per culture. Ive had 3 more chicks die and one older chicken...one the best splash silkie pullets of this year's hatch.

 

[Chickiebaby8]

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I have to agree with Mypicklebird. The BEST thing I could have done was to bring one dead and one dying bird to the livestock diagnostic lab to get them necropsied. It is very important to bring a live bird that you would be putting down anyway because chicken's blood clots very fast and they cannot run all of the blood tests on a dead bird. It is vital to do this because otherwise, you are grasping at straws and treating your birds with antibiotics that might make a thrush infection worse, for example, or be treating a virus with an antibiotic which will make them more resistant to antibiotics when they need them. Trust me, I have been in your shoes. I lost 10 birds in a week and didn't grow up around chickens at all, and it was horrible but I learned a lot. I cried a lot, but the people on this board and Dr. Peter Brown of

was an invaluable help to me. By encouraging me to bring my birds to professionals and get results, I have saved the rest of my flock, which is now doing beautifully. I didn't depopulate because I don't show, breed or sell and don't want more chickens. And, since I got them tested at the state lab, they put me in touch with people who can come out and test my flock in a while for signs of any other disease for a very small fee.

I will look through my posts for the list I received on here that has the numbers for each state.
You are doing the best you can for your birds and you don't want them to suffer, so let's get a proper diagnosis. Hang in there!

Cheryl

 

[crystalchik]

Thank you all for your support and help. I have read all of your posts. I made several calls and I was able to talk to a poultry doctor at the University of Florida. I got transfered around a bit, but in the end I got ahold of 2 wonderful people that were able to help me out. Anyways, long story short, they said that they would be able to complete necropsies and cultures on my birds. They were very informative and very helpful and actually have experience in poultry. I am going to bring them tomorrow morning, so once I find anything else out, I will update. Thank you all again!

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

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That's wonderful! Great work being resourceful and getting ahold of the right folks, that's usually half the battle. I've been following your thread, but haven't posted because unfortunately, I have no idea what's going on....I just want you know that my heart totally goes out to you and your birds. Illness can spring up in even the healthiest of flocks and I think you're doing a great job trying to find the source.

 

[Oven Ready]

or be treating a virus with an antibiotic which will make them more resistant to antibiotics when they need them

This is a misconception, treating a bird (or human) with antibiotics that they do not need does not make 'them' resistant.
It is the bug that becomes resistant and it can only do so if the patient is already infected with the bug.

The most common way bacteria become resistant is via feed medication, feed animals are routinely given antibiotics (that are also used for humans) whether they exhibit symptoms or not, but because of the nature of the industry checks on whether the feed animal is free from the treated bacteria are not done. Resistant (or semi-resistant) bacteria can be passed in the meat, contact with the dead/live animal or even environmental contact (manure/fertilizer) from animal to animal or animal to human.

The other way bacteria become resistant is because people have a habit of not finishing their medicine, they stop taking it when they feel better, not when the course is complete. While most of the bacteria have been killed (hence the patient feels better) some bacteria may still have survived, if they mutate and become resistant they can spread - normally the patients own immune system will be able to destroy what is left behind, even if they have mutated.

Antibiotic resistance is neither common nor automatic.​

 

[SG_Chicken]

I might be time to fully sanitize the coop and start over if the coop is infected and its not cleaned it will be a breeding ground for future illness.

 

[MotherJean]

You need more expert help than the layperson on BYC can give. I encourage you to report your sick birds so you can get some help (often free) with Vet advice and lab examination.

Biosecurity Basics:
Report Sick Birds

Don’t wait. If your birds are sick or dying, contact:

* Your local cooperative extension office http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html
* Your veterinarian
* The State Veterinarian http://www.usaha.org/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
or State animal/poultry diagnostic laboratory http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/

To Reach USDA Veterinarians
Toll-free

1-866-536-7593

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

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Quote:
She did.