In need of plan of attack for possible ear infection

[dawg53]

The ointment should clear it up in time. If it's ear mites, the ointment will smother them. Wait about a week and watch for improvement. If there's no improvement, amoxicillin might be needed.

 

[kcan2]

The ointment should clear it up in time. If it's ear mites, the ointment will smother them. Wait about a week and watch for improvement. If there's no improvement, amoxicillin might be needed.

Ok, just for reference, is amoxicillin only available through a vet diagnosis?

 

[dawg53]

You can give fish amoxicillin to your rooster. Dosage is one 250mg capsule twice a day for 5 days. Here's where you can order it:
https://www.jefferspet.com/aqua-mox-250-mg-100-ct/p

 

[kcan2]

You can give fish amoxicillin to your rooster. Dosage is one 250mg capsule twice a day for 5 days. Here's where you can order it:
https://www.jefferspet.com/aqua-mox-250-mg-100-ct/p

Perfect, thank you!

If you have any expert tips as to how to administer the capsule to the chicken, that would be very helpful. I haven't had much success giving him anything orally.

 

[dawg53]

Perfect, thank you!

If you have any expert tips as to how to administer the capsule to the chicken, that would be very helpful. I haven't had much success giving him anything orally.

Cradle him in your forearm and use your finger and thumb to pull straight down on his wattles and his mouth will open. With your free hand, put the capsule in his mouth and quickly let go of the wattles so he can swallow it
If you dont immediately let go of the wattles so he can swallow it, it could go down in his trachea and possibly choke/suffocate.

Also: Perhaps you can open the capsule and put the powder on a treat that he likes. Wet the treat so the powder sticks to it. Be careful that he doesnt offer it to a hen though, roosters are good for that.

 

[kcan2]

Do you think a product called "Aqua Mox" would be an ok substitute for Fish Mox?
Link: https://www.tractorsupplyrx.com/aqua-mox-amoxicillin-52208.html

And one other question - in the chance this is not a bacterial ear infection after all, would dosing with FishMox or Aqua Mox cause any harm, or would it just simply not work?

 

[dawg53]

That's what I linked to in post #13 above. It wont cause harm, follow the directions above.

 

[kcan2]

Thought I would give an update on my rooster's ears:
For the past two weeks or so I have been taking him off the roost in the PM and administering a couple of drops of peroxide from an eyedropper, letting it fizz, wiping, and then applying a mixture of Lotrimin ringworm antifungal cream and Polysporin to the surface of his ears, enough to give good coverage and go inside a bit. Here is a picture of the treatment items:


Today, when I was cleaning his ear for debris prior to peroxide, I got this chunker out:

Of his right ear. The left ear doesn't seem as affected, or at least not producing as much yellow stuff.

I also ordered AquaMox and it will be arriving in the next day or so.

Since it is yellow, I am assuming it is/was a bacterial infection of some sort, hoping aquamox treats for bacterial (not viral) - is this correct?

So far, his head shaking seems much reduced, and I think I am noticing less of a sharpness to his keel bone (hopefully putting on weight)!

*edit* to ask: would this type of infection be contagious to flockmates?

 

[dawg53]

Yes. Aquamox treats bacterial infections. Give him one 250mg capsule twice a day for 5 days. It should clear it up. I dont believe it's contagious to other birds, it's just a localized infection.
Excellent job cleaning out his ears. You're right, now you know why he was shaking his head.

 

[kcan2]

Oh, the things we do...
Here I am emptying aqua mox pills into partially hollowed out blueberries, somewhat effectively disguising them as tasty.
Since he is a bantam weighing around 2lbs total, can the dosage be decreased to about 200mg? which is about right considering what I lost onto the paper towel!