Is it infectious bronchitis?

[heatherincolor]

On Wednesday I picked up an OE bantam pullet from the state fair. (I only got one because I need a friend for my blind RIR bantam). We got home late and when I put her in her makeshift coop I thought I heard a couple clicks as she was settling in. Yesterday morning when I went to check on her she had her head tucked under her wing (none of my other hens sleep like that so I'm not sure how weird that is) and looked fluffed up and unhappy and I heard what sounded like a rattle when she was breathing, but I had to leave for work. When I got home yesterday she was very clearly rattling when she breathed, so I gave her a dose of Tylan and moved her into the bathroom with a heating pad available for snuggling if needed. By bedtime she was occasionally gasping for air and she woke me up this morning making crazy noises that sounded like a cat's meow or maybe a chihuahua bark. She was gasping more frequently and "barking" every few minutes. She seems to be happiest on the heating pad (it's not too hot) and I did manage to get a few drops of electrolyte water down her throat before leaving, but does this sound like IB or something else? Is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable?
Thanks guys!

 

[Eggcessive]

That's a shame that she is sick. She could have picked up IB or something else while she was at the fair, or may have been exposed at home. She probably needs some extra heat since respiratory diseases will make them chill. The symptoms fit for infectious bronchitis, although it can be hard to tell one disease from another without testing. Secondary bacterial infections will sometimes accompany IB, but the disease has to run it's course over 4-5 weeks. She will be a carrier for up to a year if it's IB, but other respiratory disease can be them carriers for life. The Tylan will help to prevent secondary diseases. There should not be any facial or eye swelling unless she gets a bacterial secondary infection. Here is a link that has all of the common respiratory diseases to compare symptoms, along with an excerpt from Merck Manual: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Clinical Findings of Infectious Bronchitis

Infectious bronchitis, wrinkled egg shells
​

Morbidity is commonly close to 100%. Chicks may cough, sneeze, and have tracheal rales for 10–14 days. Conjunctivitis and dyspnea may be seen, and sometimes facial swelling, particularly with concurrent bacterial infection of the sinuses. Chicks may appear depressed and huddle under heat lamps. Feed consumption and weight gain are reduced. Infection with nephropathogenic strains can cause initial respiratory signs, then later depression, ruffled feathers, wet droppings, greater water intake, and death. In layers, egg production may drop by as much as 70%, and eggs are often misshapen, with thin, soft, rough, and/or pale shells, and can be smaller and have watery albumen. In most cases, egg production and egg quality return to normal, but this may take up to 8 wk. In most outbreaks mortality is 5%, although mortality rates are higher when disease is complicated by concurrent bacterial infection. Nephropathogenic strains can induce interstitial nephritis with high mortality (up to 60%) in young chicks. Infection of young chicks may cause permanent damage to the oviduct, resulting in layers or breeders that never reach normal levels of production.