Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[seminolewind]

Interesting reading.

 

[KAT Bird]

I just read a paper that says that it's very, very hard to tell the difference via DNA PCR testing when a bird has had the Rispens vaccine-- that the vaccinated virus looks like MDV-1.

Anyhow I am going to the vet with my possible Marek's rooster tomorrow and I can ask her to assist in a blood draw, if you find anything out before I go. He had the HVT vaccine only.

I'll forward you the info as soon as he answers me with the instructions. Good luck with your rooster tomorrow. Is he still the same? I keep hoping that it isn't Marek's.... I know it's possible that the vaccine might not work but I wanted to believe that it would. I can only imagine how you feel. I am going to be holding my breath when I put the remainder of my birds outside.

 

[Nambroth]

I'll forward you the info as soon as he answers me with the instructions. Good luck with your rooster tomorrow. Is he still the same? I keep hoping that it isn't Marek's.... I know it's possible that the vaccine might not work but I wanted to believe that it would. I can only imagine how you feel. I am going to be holding my breath when I put the remainder of my birds outside.

Thank you. Yeah, he is the same. No improvement, but he hasn't degraded at all, which has me a bit surprised honestly, because usually once both their legs go it's a matter of days. His appetite is still awesome and his color is good. We'll see if the bloodwork shows elevated lymphocytes tomorrow.

 

[casportpony]

How does one check for elevated lymphocytes? Is it something that could be done at home with a scope, centifuge and misc lab equipment?

-Kathy

 

[Nambroth]

How does one check for elevated lymphocytes? Is it something that could be done at home with a scope, centifuge and misc lab equipment?

-Kathy

When I went in with Trousers, my roo that died last year, they did a visual count via microscope, and compared it to a normal "expected" count. His were three times as high as a normal count.
I am not sure what normal levels are, though. If you would like I can ask the process tomorrow, if I remember. I already have a list a mile long to ask about!!

 

[Haunted55]

When I went in with Trousers, my roo that died last year, they did a visual count via microscope, and compared it to a normal "expected" count. His were three times as high as a normal count.
I am not sure what normal levels are, though. If you would like I can ask the process tomorrow, if I remember. I already have a list a mile long to ask about!!

Please do Nambroth. I may be able to see my way clear for a home lab soon as well. Kathy, we'll compare notes, lol. Yes, I am still following as much as I can, but life is getting in the way of responding.

 

[casportpony]

When I went in with Trousers, my roo that died last year, they did a visual count via microscope, and compared it to a normal "expected" count. His were three times as high as a normal count.
I am not sure what normal levels are, though. If you would like I can ask the process tomorrow, if I remember. I already have a list a mile long to ask about!!

Sounds like something I can learn... Don't have the lab set up yet, so don't worry about asking, I'll figure it out later. Good luck!

-Kathy

 

[Nambroth]

Sometimes they are very busy in there, it's the only avian/exotic vet for some hundreds of miles. If it's slow I'll ask. When Trousers was dying they had me come into the back lab area, where they had him on oxygen to keep him comfortable until they could put him down (he was struggling to breathe as many do at the end) and they sort of showed me around after I told them that my second career choice would have been ornithologist/avian vet.

I'm sure it's a pretty standard lab procedure, similar to doing a WBC (white blood cell) count? I have to get going to get myself ready as it's a two hour drive, but sometime next week I'll see if I can find the lab procedure outlined somewhere online if no one beats me to it. A lot of us have to sort of become our own vet when it comes to chickens and other livestock; vet care can get expensive, fast, especially when you have more than a handful of animals. The only reason I can afford what I do is I started a savings account just for my critters some years ago. And there are a lot of folks on here that don't even have access to a vet. Whatever we can learn and pass on, hopefully, can benefit someone out there.

 

[seminolewind]

Today one of my roos is sick. He is hunched over and his breathing is not clear. No new birds, nothing's changed. He's with 8 girls. The only thing that would mean something or not is that he has Marek's. He was one of 5 that were hatched and vaccinated. 2 died with paralysis and wasting 2 months ago.

I've given him a dose of Penicillin IM.

Any other ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

Is he having rales or wheezes? Have you checked inside his beak and throat for foreign bodies or abnormal tissue? Tylan50 might be better for respiratory.