Lethargic Chicks and Diarrhea after Nutri-Drench

[Offshoreorca]

My six Swedish Hedemora chicks went through a bought of coccidiosis at about 4 weeks old while I was gone on a trip for work. Thankfully, I was able to get Amprol from the vet as soon as I was back to treat them and we didn't loosing any. Full strength dose for a week and then a weaker dose for the next two weeks.

After the Amprol treatment, two of them were still fairly lethargic (though eating and drinking well). I figured this was because they were hit hard by the coccidiosis and probably nutrient/vitamin deprived as a result.

So, I did what was recommended and gave all the chicks some Nutri-drench in their water after the treatment was done. It was the proper dosage for their age group according to the back of the bottle.

The next day (yesterday) all six were unusually quiet and not active as they had been, with quite a bit of diarrhea. I took the Nutri-drench water away as I figure this is what caused it and replaced it with plain fresh water. Today they are still quiet and still have diarrhea, though all are eating and drinking.

Has anyone else had this issue giving Nutri-drench after coccidosis? I can't find any threads here about this. Is there anything I can do to help them rebound?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of your chicks, their poop and the brooder?

I've never had any issues with giving PND. Is it in date?

What are you feeding? I might try enticing them with a treat of scrambled eggs to go along with their chick starter. You can also make a wet mash of their feed, stir in a small amount of yogurt/buttermilk and add some water. Mine love wet feed.

What's your weather/temps like?

 

[Offshoreorca]

Can you post some photos of your chicks, their poop and the brooder?

I've never had any issues with giving PND. Is it in date?

What are you feeding? I might try enticing them with a treat of scrambled eggs to go along with their chick starter. You can also make a wet mash of their feed, stir in a small amount of yogurt/buttermilk and add some water. Mine love wet feed.

What's your weather/temps like?

I'm just on a work trip and in communication with my partner, who is looking after them while I'm away. I left yesterday morning (so saw how things changed from before to after the vitamins were given on Sunday afternoon) and will be heading back on Friday. Will try to get some photos from him in the mean time.

It doesn't seem dire, but the quick change in activity and sudden diarrhea has been alarming. They remain alert (except for the two that have been more lethargic since the coccidiosis) and eating/drinking without problem (medicated chick starter), but have had a serious behavioural change and stool change. I know that diarrhea isn't good in the long term, so I'm hoping it resolves sooner than later.

I just purchased the Nutridrench last week and it is in date - they are in a large brooder inside the house, so weather doesn't effect them. Have a Titan brooding plate in one corner that they rarely used before I gave them vitamins, but now are using it a bit more regularly. It is the only change that has happened (besides being taken off the small dose of amprol), so that is why I'm wondering if the vitamins themselves have been known to cause this.

The poop is just very watery - clumps suspended in liquid and sometimes just liquid and urea. It is the right colour and no blood. I just talked to my partner and he says it seems to be slowly resolving and that they are a bit more active, but not back to normal yet almost 48hrs later.

 

[dawg53]

Poultry Nutri Drench contains thiamine. Amprol is a thiamine blocker. You're not fully controlling the protozoal infection, and the medicated feed is an antagonist.
Amprol would be effective if you fed the chicks non medicated feed because it does not contain a minute quantity of Amprolium as does the medicated chick starter.
It would be better to use a sulfa drug (sulfadimethoxine) to treat the coccidiosis in this instance.
As far as a probiotic goes after treatment in this situation; Probios dispersible powder would be preferred. Dosage is a 1/2 teaspoon sprinkled as a top dressing over the feed.

 

[Offshoreorca]

Poultry Nutri Drench contains thiamine. Amprol is a thiamine blocker. You're not fully controlling the protozoal infection, and the medicated feed is an antagonist.
Amprol would be effective if you fed the chicks non medicated feed because it does not contain a minute quantity of Amprolium as does the medicated chick starter.
It would be better to use a sulfa drug (sulfadimethoxine) to treat the coccidiosis in this instance.
As far as a probiotic goes after treatment in this situation; Probios dispersible powder would be preferred. Dosage is a 1/2 teaspoon sprinkled as a top dressing over the feed.

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I do understand that amprol inhibits thiamine, but they're finished with the amprol treatment now (three weeks of it) and no longer showing signs of coccidiosis being an issue. From what I had read on coccidiosis on this forum, Nutri Drench or another source of vitamins is good for following up after treatment because the thiamine blockers also inhibit the chicks from up taking thiamine so they can become deficient. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I put them on medicated food recently as a precaution (they switched only about a week ago once the first two weeks of treatment were over), but from what I understand the traces of amprol are so small in the medicated feed that it's it probably won't make much of a difference.

In Canada the drugs are extremely regulated so I could only get what the veterinarian was willing to dispense as treatment upon confirmation of cocci through a faecal test... we can't order it or get it at the farm stores here unfortunately.

I will check for probiotics as this is certainly something that might help them - this sounds like a good one if I can get it here in Canada!

Thanks so much for the advice! I've had chickens for years, but have never had this issue come up before.