Infection or virus?

[StellaP]

Hello again,
sorry for the long post...
I have recently bought a house and with it I inherited a small flock, I have added three point of lay to the flock this week from an apparently reputable local breeder (the set up was good, birds seemed happy and healthy) there are two leghorn, one black.
I noticed one of the leghorns sneezed when I put them in the quarantine run, and over the next 24 hours she progressed to coughing, gaping and sleeping a lot.
I treated them all with ivermectin when I got them.
I started treating the three with tylosin ( she is very bonded with the other leghorn and I didn't want to stress them even more by separating them), I'm feeding the sick hen with emeraid and giving her metacam twice a day, on day three she stopped gaping, and the coughing seemed to be improving, she started to show an interest in food so I thought I'd cracked it, but today (day four of antibiotics) when I brought her in to medicate and feed her I noticed her eye is closed, it's slightly swollen, red in the eye it's self and she is rubbing it as if it itches. No discharge or bubbles. I can't see anything in it, so I've washed it out and put antibiotic eye ointment in it. But she is not eating or showing interest in anything.
I had assumed her illness was a latent infection triggered by the stress of moving, but now I'm not sure?
Should I continue the tylosin or change to a different antibiotic, or is there anything else I should be doing please?

 

[StellaP]

Ok, as an edit, two hours after feeding and medicating, she is now ruckling again as she breaths and is tucked up not moving.
After four days of oral antibiotic in the food and water I would expect improvement?
I have doxycycline, should I change, or am I wasting my time?

 

[KatsHerd]

Seems like a secondary infection, in which case tylosin would be administered for 30 days. I also believe with tylosin you'd be using it in conjunction with doxycycline. In my experience you won't be seeing improvements for at least a few more days, if you're treating appropriately. Also if you do happen to have a vet that treats chickens, they may be able to help with advice over the phone.
Might be worth saline flushing that eye.
Id also definitely be complaining to the company you purchased them from. If they were sick upon arrival, especially.
Hopefully you can get some more advice! I haven't dealt with many sicknesses within my flock, so take my advice with a grain of salt, please . Hopefully you see improvements soon!!

 

[StellaP]

Thank you, I am in Portugal, so can’t get the combination, I have either Tylosin, or doxycycline, can I give both at the same time?
They are in powder form for adding to water.

 

[KatsHerd]

Thank you, I am in Portugal, so can’t get the combination, I have either Tylosin, or doxycycline, can I give both at the same time?
They are in powder form for adding to water.

yes definitely! The dosing is different, for each powder. Should say on the packets you have at home so just ensure you are following what they say! I would be administering for at least 14 days - but potentially longer? Someone else may be able to help you out there - it's detrimental you don't cease medication before the sickness is actually clear

 

[StellaP]

Ok, I think I will have to separate her, and give the combination (tylosin is 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons in a litre and Doxycycline is one teaspoon in five litres), I will mix them accordingly and dose just her ( I don't want to give the other two any more antibiotics as they have no symptoms

 

[StellaP]

Me again
So another check and her eye is open, she is grooming herself and looking much brighter (I think the metacam has maybe kicked in)
I have been thinking, if an average hen drinks about half a litre of water a day, and the dosage for the antibiotics is based on that, then she has not been getting enough (with me feeding she has been having about 20 to 30 ml of water/food) I had been putting the antibiotic in the food and water for all three hens, but as she hasn’t really been eating or drinking much I think all she has been taking in is what I’ve fed her.
So, I’m going to leave her with her sister, but bring her out and give her three feeds a day of the emeraid each with a third of a daily dose of both doxycycline and Tylosin in and not medicate the food or water in the run so only she is being medicated and she is getting the right amount.
I will also continue with the eye ointment to get rid of the secondary infection.
Sorry if this is blindingly obvious to everyone, I’m an idiot and have only just thought of it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I started treating the three with tylosin ( she is very bonded with the other leghorn and I didn't want to stress them even more by separating them), I'm feeding the sick hen with emeraid and giving her metacam twice a day, on day three she stopped gaping, and the coughing seemed to be improving, she started to show an interest in food so I thought I'd cracked it, but today (day four of antibiotics) when I brought her in to medicate and feed her I noticed her eye is closed, it's slightly swollen, red in the eye it's self and she is rubbing it as if it itches.

Should I continue the tylosin or change to a different antibiotic, or is there anything else I should be doing please?

two hours after feeding and medicating, she is now ruckling again as she breaths and is tucked up not moving.
After four days of oral antibiotic in the food and water I would expect improvement?
I have doxycycline, should I change, or am I wasting my time?

Thank you, I am in Portugal, so can’t get the combination, I have either Tylosin, or doxycycline, can I give both at the same time?
They are in powder form for adding to water.

Ok, I think I will have to separate her, and give the combination (tylosin is 1 and a 1/2 teaspoons in a litre and Doxycycline is one teaspoon in five litres), I will mix them accordingly and dose just her ( I don't want to give the other two any more antibiotics as they have no symptoms

Do you have photos of the packaging for your medications?

Tylosin is normally given for 5 days. Doxycycline powder is usually given for 5-7 days.
Normally, the instructions are printed on the packaging.

If she's not drinking very well, she may not be getting enough medication, so syringe the medicated water into her a few times a day to see if that helps.

Photos of the hen, her eye(s) and her poop may be helpful.

If the eye is still giving a problem, flush with saline, apply your eye ointment into the eye a couple of times a day.

 

[StellaP]

So the medication is just in a pot (vets here in Portugal often dispense in plain packaging, you don’t get a label saying what it is or what the dose is, I make them write down the name and dosing instructions, but it’s a bit of a nightmare.
The Tylosin dosing is 1.5 teaspoons per litre of water, so based on the assumption she should be having half of that dose a day (if she drinks half a litre as expected from an average hen) I am giving a quarter of a teaspoon, three times a day mixed with her food.
The doxycycline dose is one teaspoon in five litres of water, so her daily dose is one tenth of a teaspoon, which I’m dividing into three and putting in her food.
I’m washing her eye out and putting the medicated gel in it and it’s still very pink and sore, but she is opening it a little now.
The other leghorn is now looking like she is starting with the respiratory infection, so I guess I will have to do the same with her.

 

[StellaP]

Hi,
So to update, both hens are now very very sick, I have them in the kitchen in a dog crate, I am feeding them emeraid every four hours and they are both having metacam, the first one is still on antibiotics but her breathing is really ruckly, her eye is not getting any better, so I fear it must be a virus.Would you continue with the antibiotics ? (She has had four days of me dosing her directly and before that five days in her water).
The second hen has no respiratory symptoms but she does have fowl pox on her comb (two blisters so far). She is just sitting hunched up with her eyes shut. I am not giving her antibiotics as i know they won't help.
I'm so sad for the poor little things.