my chickens have avian poxs

[chickenbottom]

what is the best medication to use for it we do have a high mosquito problem and only a few of my girls are showing signs of it they dont have wet pox just dry and its on only the combs and waddles they are eating fine the one who has it the worse hasnt dropped any weight she lays every day um if you need any more info ill be glad to share it i just need to do as much as i can for them before it gets too bad i dont want to have to start over my flock that would be heart breaking. thanks in advance this is one of my worse fears having to post in this section i never wanted to.

 

[chickenbottom]

also i thought i should add that the stage they are at is the white specks if you look on the diseases page you will see and one has a big lump on her waddle. also it seems to be about 7 of them that have the problem mostly the ones with the biggest combs my rooster isnt effected he has no white spots no nothing really he looks okay.

 

[kathyinmo]

Here is a thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=186496

 

[4kidZ]

Hi,

Separate immediately, although the rooster may already have it. If he doesn't, you are saving yourself a lot of heartache should the dry move to wet pox later.

Start putting betadine or iodine on the pox 2-3 times a day. Just hold them under your arm (or have someone else hold them) and dab a Qtip into the iodine, then dab each pox, being sure to soak them good. They will dry a LOT quicker and fall off. Be sure to sterilize the area during and after as the pox are always contagious...even when they fall off. The birds that are already effected will never get pox again.

If you have any other birds, don't take any chances and vaccinate them right away.

Good luck and I hope you don't get the wet pox...

~4kidZ

PS~Start using a mosquito control if possible - Permethrin, foggers, etc work great. Anything for flies, I've found works great.

 

[Judy]

There really isn't any treatment for avian pox. The dry type will run its course and go away, and then they will be immune. They can spread it to others, it is true, but I just left them together and let it run its course.

One thing that can happen to those with the dry type, though, is that they can get a secondary bacterial infection, especially if they have lots of lesions, or the lesions are close to the eyes. I did have one pullet who looked like this might be happening to her. So I caught them all one night and put Betadine or Neosporin on all the lesions, using Neosporin for the ones near eyes as it doesn't cause discomfort in eyes. About 10 days later, all the lesions disappeared.

 

[4kidZ]

Quote:
Thanks ddawn...you're totally right. Just be sure that you don't use antibiotics as preventative. Use homeopathic ways as preventative, like garlic (search byc ... there are LOTS). No antibiotics unless you have an INFECTION or you will just create a SUPER BUG. yikes

 

[Lollipop]

I vaccinate all of them when an outbreak occures. Couple weeks and they are fine. The vaccine is cheap and easy and goes a long way. Don`t worry about starting over, if you treat it, it is not life threatening.........Pop

 

[chickenbottom]

good im getting some iodine tomorrow and ill put that on them i noticed that none of them had it near their eyes and mouth it was towards the bottom of the waddles and the middle to the tips of the combs thank you all for the help i deeply appreciate it.

 

[YonkFarm]

I've just discovered that my flock (my first chickens ever, 29 birds, 14 weeks old) has pox as well, and so far, just the dry pox. I read that they should be given tetracycline (I have Duramycin 10) to ward off any secondary infections. But then I see that if I give an antibiotic, I should be giving probiotics as well during treatment, and then follow up with vitamins after stopping the antibiotic. The more information I gather, the more confused I'm getting! Can someone please help here?

My questions are:
*Should I give them the Duramycin? They won't be laying until Sept./Oct. so from what I've read it would be "safe" to give it to them, but do they really need it?

*What should the dosage be for Duramycin 10? The package states anywhere from 200-800 mg., which is around 1-3 tsp. per gallon?

*How long should I administer the Duramycin 10? 3 days? 14 days?

*What are probiotics and how should I administer those?

*What vitamins should I give them?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Whether to put the birds on a prophylactic (preventative) course of antibiotics is controversial. Some say it helps more than harms, others say the opposite. A preventative course is given at a lower dosage than a treatment course, so 1 t rather than 3t.

Live-culture yogurt is the easiest probiotic, but don't give with any "cycline" or "mycin" antibiotics. You can purchase powdered probiotics at the health food store (or possibly section of the grocery or drugstore) or at the pet store.

The only difference between wet and dry pox is the site at which the infection takes place. Dry pox is external; wet pox is when it infects the mucous membranes.

So watch any lesions near the eyes, nostrils and mouth. Definitely treat them with iodine or listerine. The sooner the lesion dries up, the sooner it falls off, and the less likely it is to spread to the immediately adjacent mucous membrane. If you do get lesions in the mouth, swab with listerine daily, removing as much gunk buildup as you can--it is the spread and blockage of breathing and eating capabilities that kills them, so if you can keep the passages open, the bird is more likely to survive.

Pox is spread primarily by mosquitoes, but also by mites, lice and direct contact. Spray your coops nightly with a good mosquito repellant such as you would use on yourself (I have considered getting and using the repellant fans you clip to your clothing that I've seen advertised this year if we start having mosquito problems), and separate birds with lesions from those without. It won't completely protect them, but it will lessen the odds of their becoming infected.