Hi all! Hope you're all doing well 
I was hoping someone might be able to shine a bit of light on this problem that has been going on for 4-5 months now (maybe even longer).
My lovely faverolle, Aurora, started coughing/sneezing quite a few months ago now. She has no other symptoms other than this cough/sneeze and a bit of a wheeze. She sneezes a few times a week, sometimes days with no sneezing at all but of course I'm not with them 24/7, but she really doesn't sneeze much. The occasional tiny amount of clear liquid comes out.
She's never looked poorly, eats absolutely fine, very active, lays, and is currently broody for the 3rd time this year!
She was on tylan and then a tablet antibiotic (can't remember the name) which had no effect at all. This took us up until about June.
I thought it must be something I was doing at home, knowing chickens are very sensitive I checked online to make sure I was doing everything right, enough ventilation etc.
I found out even though I was using wood shavings, they weren't actually the wood shavings "meant" for chickens, more like a less dusty sawdust, so I ordered some proper wood shavings for the coop.
I thought I saw an improvement, being that it was summer I was spending a lot of time in the garden and barely heard her sneeze at all, so I thought she was on the mend and she was just sensitive to dust.
At the beginning of September she suddenly started sneezing more - I've noticed when its been raining and there is more moisture in the air she seems to sneeze more.
I took her to the vets again and she was booked in for an endoscopy, but there was too much mucus in her throat, so instead she went for an xray and some mucus sent away for tests.
The xray was clear, and the tests showed she had a bacterial infection.
She was put on a course of baytril which again had no effect.
Two weeks ago I had to go and see another vet because the one we had been seeing is off for a few weeks. The new vet said the bacterial infection was likely a secondary problem and the main problem was likely Mycoplasma. She was put on 1/4 tablet Doxycycline (dissolved in 5ml water) and 0.2ml Loxicom daily.
Again this has had no effect other than the Doxycycline causing her a lot of pain. The vet said this drug would be harsh on her throat, and after 3 days every time I was giving her it she was squawking, sneezing and stretching her neck out looking like she was really struggling to breath/in pain. I persisted for another few days but I rang the vet and she said I was fine to dilute it some more. I've tried this for the past week but she still struggles so much and we both end up with the medicine all over us. She now squawks/sneezes/pants frantically for 20-30 minutes after I give her it (honestly the last time I gave her it I thought she was going to die or pass out she was struggling so much) so I have had to stop.
She still has no symptoms other than the odd sneeze and wheeze (and now a sore throat I imagine) and we know there is mucus in her throat.
She has another appointment on Tuesday evening, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas what this could be?
Sorry this was so long winded!
Thanks for reading
I was hoping someone might be able to shine a bit of light on this problem that has been going on for 4-5 months now (maybe even longer).
My lovely faverolle, Aurora, started coughing/sneezing quite a few months ago now. She has no other symptoms other than this cough/sneeze and a bit of a wheeze. She sneezes a few times a week, sometimes days with no sneezing at all but of course I'm not with them 24/7, but she really doesn't sneeze much. The occasional tiny amount of clear liquid comes out.
She's never looked poorly, eats absolutely fine, very active, lays, and is currently broody for the 3rd time this year!
She was on tylan and then a tablet antibiotic (can't remember the name) which had no effect at all. This took us up until about June.
I thought it must be something I was doing at home, knowing chickens are very sensitive I checked online to make sure I was doing everything right, enough ventilation etc.
I found out even though I was using wood shavings, they weren't actually the wood shavings "meant" for chickens, more like a less dusty sawdust, so I ordered some proper wood shavings for the coop.
I thought I saw an improvement, being that it was summer I was spending a lot of time in the garden and barely heard her sneeze at all, so I thought she was on the mend and she was just sensitive to dust.
At the beginning of September she suddenly started sneezing more - I've noticed when its been raining and there is more moisture in the air she seems to sneeze more.
I took her to the vets again and she was booked in for an endoscopy, but there was too much mucus in her throat, so instead she went for an xray and some mucus sent away for tests.
The xray was clear, and the tests showed she had a bacterial infection.
She was put on a course of baytril which again had no effect.
Two weeks ago I had to go and see another vet because the one we had been seeing is off for a few weeks. The new vet said the bacterial infection was likely a secondary problem and the main problem was likely Mycoplasma. She was put on 1/4 tablet Doxycycline (dissolved in 5ml water) and 0.2ml Loxicom daily.
Again this has had no effect other than the Doxycycline causing her a lot of pain. The vet said this drug would be harsh on her throat, and after 3 days every time I was giving her it she was squawking, sneezing and stretching her neck out looking like she was really struggling to breath/in pain. I persisted for another few days but I rang the vet and she said I was fine to dilute it some more. I've tried this for the past week but she still struggles so much and we both end up with the medicine all over us. She now squawks/sneezes/pants frantically for 20-30 minutes after I give her it (honestly the last time I gave her it I thought she was going to die or pass out she was struggling so much) so I have had to stop.
She still has no symptoms other than the odd sneeze and wheeze (and now a sore throat I imagine) and we know there is mucus in her throat.
She has another appointment on Tuesday evening, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas what this could be?
Sorry this was so long winded!
Thanks for reading
have you had any tests done on your silkies?
