Medicating with a dropper?

[huck]

My 3 month old Australorp, who I just got less than 48 hrs ago, is sneezing, coughing, and blowing beak-bubbles. I've kept her isolated and began giving her (and everyone else) a round of Sulmet. She was doing soooo much better by the end of yesterday that I was convinced that she wasn't sick at all, that she'd just been overheated or stressed from our move, and so I put her back in the coop.

But she's terrible today and back in isolation.

The man I got her from told me to give her Sulmet dose via a medicine dropper to the beak because sometimes putting it in the water doesn't always do the trick. I'm having the HARDEST TIME doing this... is there a secret to getting her to open her beak for the meds, or is it like telling the newbie to go tip cows or go snipe hunting?

I'm also trying to feed her yogurt and tomatoes for vitamin C and probiotic-goodness, as I've read in previous posts. She likes tomatoes. But not the yogurt.

Any advice you could give would be great. These are my first chickens, and it's a little scary having sick ones right off that bat. Very disappointing. But they're still beautiful and sweet..... I'm just worried.

~Huck

 

[dlhunicorn]

sick birds will often not want to drink or eat when they are ill particularly if there is a med in it (often dehydration from this tendency will kill them quicker than what is ailing them!)
This is also what makes medicating through their water so iffy... read here:
http://www.avianmedicine.net/ampa/17.pdf

...that being said, sulmet is effective enough in general WHEN the bird drinks it... you were advised correctly to give with dropper.
Do you have an old fashioned glass one? > put tip of beak into the hole and then oh-so-gently squeeze the water into beak and the bird should start sucking it it out (Do NOT squirt into beak or else the bird cannot swallow it correctly and will aspirate the liquid into the hole leading to the airways > if this is the case or you find this method not working then simply dribble it alongside beak > you should see the bird swallowing it although much will dribble down its neck)

 

[sussexgal]

There are numerous things to say here..... Um.... I don't think Selmut is going to treat what is going on with your bird. Other poultry health gurus need to chime in here, but I think Selmut is for cocci - an intestinal parasite. Your bird was most likely exposed to whatever is making it sick while with the man you got it from. Did you get all your birds at once from the same source? If not, please read up on biosecurity and isolating new birds from the existing flock. If yes, then watch the other birds for signs of illness.... Eye dropper. You may have to pry the beak open. Be cautious because chickens don't have an epiglotus and can aspirate the liquids. Slow and easy is best - let it trickle in. Good luck to you.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
http://www.drugs.com/vet/sulmet-drinking-water-solution-12-5.html
Chickens
Infectious Coryza (Avibacterium paragallinarum)
Coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella, Eimeria necatrix)
Acute Fowl Cholera (Pasteurella multocida)
Pullorum Disease (Salmonella Pullorum

 

[twzlrwho]

Interesting. I didn't think sulmet was a good choice for respitory infections. I thought Tylan was better for this. (If you are willing to treat something that will always be lurking in your birds)


My advice....TAKE IT BACK and don't go back!

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
In general it is however considering the specifics stated by the OP (recently acquired birds > think sTRESS and lowered immunity / age > OP incquired back to the source of the birds who advised sulmet (perhaps they have not been on medicated starter as chicks and the move to a new environment has lowered their immunity and cocci might be involved here)... if the respiratory symptoms remain after the treatment period with sulmet the OP can change over to Tylan and give a supplement along with that (polyvisol enfamil)

 

[twzlrwho]

IMO (for what that's worth lol) it seems a little more than stress. Coughing and sneezing I can see, but SNOT BUBBLES? WOW. Just not something I would take a chance with on my farm. But that's just me.

Stress from moving can also reveal those hidden illnesses. Just something to watch for. But if it were me I wouldn't be masking any condition by medicating it until it had a chance to show it's true colors.

 

[dustbath]

If the OP is giving the meds by dribbling it along the beak, how will it be clear when enough has been administered?

I've had the devil of a time with this problem too, with an adult rooster. He doesn't open his beak. I can pry it open (gently) but then I'm always afraid I'll drown him. Sometimes if I put liquid in a spoon a hold it in front of his beak, so the tip of his beak is in the liquid, he'll seem as if he's drinking some. But I'm never sure.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Get and keep on hand 1cc oral syringes. You put the correct amount of medicine in and stick the syringe WAY down the throat. For an adult bird, just about the entire syringe (not counting the plunger) will be in its mouth, less with a smaller/younger bird.

Easiest way to get the bird to open its beak is to wrap it in a towel, and put it on your lap, facing away from you. With your left hand come up under the bird's head and hold the beak with thumb and first two fingers. Use right hand as necessary to help pry open beak. Keep middle finger of left hand inside the mouth to keep it open. Using left hand thumb and fingers spread the beak and insert the syringe. It sounds harder than it is.

 

[huck]

Thanks for your replies, everyone.

I got all the birds the other day from the same source. Some were even penned together with this one. The previous owner swears up and down that none of the others are sick. He's also been calling/emailing me to check in on how they are and advising me. I believe he's a good guy, and I was really impressed with his set up and his birds. Just my luck of the draw.

I wanted to get a range of opinions, though, and not rely solely on his with regards to treatment. So thank you.

While the other hens may have sneezed once or twice .... they are acting nothing like this Black Australorp, and they seem to not have a problem drinking the medicated water. The BA's got the sneezing, coughing, mucous on beak, clicking/swallowing, head-shaking/scratching, and slow-blinking that makes me think it's Coryza. Yes?

I did manage to get her to open her mouth wide enough for me to get the dropper in. It takes patience and practice. I did fill the dropper a bit more than the 1.5 ml dose because I knew some would end up on me/the towel and not in her mouth.

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for improvement soon. Like I said, it really is a bummer to have my first chickens be ill.


:' ( But thanks for your support.