Oxytetracycline banned from sales in my state..need alternative suggestions

[Bocktobery 10]

Hi!

It’s been some time since my state decided to ban off-the-counter sales of oxytetracycline. Since then, which was a few years ago, I had one more bag of the powdered stuff which is mostly used up now. There’s not enough left for full time of dosage. So I noticed today, I have something respiratory going around (it’s springtime!) and I’d be treating them ..and with wonderful results might I add, if I had more oxytetracycline which was easy and sufficient. I had thought it wasn’t that it was totally banned, but you call your vet and the vet will distribute accordingly, give you a prescription. Well, I called, and it turns out, they are also not allowed to distribute that drug anymore-it’s not just over-the-counter sales-its not to be used at all.. So, I understand this issue is probably related to superbugs getting stronger and regularly prescribed antI biotic not working as well...but I need something quick to treat my flock. I haven’t got a clue as to what else to try. I’ve probably got something in my chicken medicine cabinet that would do the trick but since I always went to the tried and true oxytetracycline I have no idea what to use otherwise. Can anyone suggest to me what to do or use? I’ve got Tylan, but as far as I know, that’s for injecting. There’s no way I could do that as I need to treat the whole flock. I need to get some meds in them by tomorrow morning. ..or something. I will be putting apple cider vinegar in their water and feeding turmeric-laden oats otherwise. So far, only one is looking quite ill, but still walking around acting ok, there are others showing signs. I’d feel better getting some treatment right away. The vet I spoke to couldn’t help me. Anyone have any suggestions? Keep in mind, this is for seramas. I know dosage is different. Typically they have been very healthy since I got them, so I’m not accustomed to needing to treat them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’ve got Tylan, but as far as I know, that’s for injecting. There’s no way I could do that as I need to treat the whole flock.

Are all of them sick? Any chance you know what you are dealing with? Mycoplasma?

Which Tylan do you have Tylan50 or 200? The injectables can be given orally by weight. Dose for Tylan50 is .25ml per pound of weight given orally 3 times a day for 5 days. Only treat those that have symptoms.

IF you are dealing with MG, then Denagard (Tiamulin) may be something you want to consider getting. Many folks administer it for 3 days each month to the whole flock to help control symptoms of MG.

Tylosin powder can be ordered online and is also used to treat MG, but you really only want to treat birds that are symptomatic.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Wyorp Rock, thank you for your reply.

I‘m sorry I didn’t reply until now. I’m not actually sure what I’m dealing with, really, but I may have a better clue now. The day after I wrote the post I checked in on the flock and especially the sick hens. They both looked much better, swelling down significantly. I should note none of them seemed lethargic or horribly ill..just respiratory symptoms of swollen face/eyes. No discharge that I could see and no smell. No sneezing, no breathing heavy..no distress at all from observation. Definitely not MG as that’s horrid and yes the denugaurd is outstanding with that just so as long as one treats promptly. I hope to never deal with that again.

SO..While moving around some broody hens I noticed what might be the culprit... fighting. All the hens exhibiting symptoms either had been brooding or still are. (Many of them are since Spring has sprung here). So, I’m not sure yet but it seems the puffy faces might be from pecking and fighting. Some have little red dots on their faces. One has a plucked patch of feathers missing from her head. I try moving them to new boxes but I guess they all want to be a part of the ‘in’ crowd and use the popular nesting box. Last night there were 9 piled in there. Quite a tight squeeze. It would be understandable that some would be a bit irritable and protective. I’m just going to continue to observe. The one hen that looked super bad , as I said has improved significantly.

Getting back to my main subject...I do have both Tylan products but I almost never use them except in emergencies. I think I’ve used it three times in my 10 years of chickenry. I’m not a fan of it really. They seem like harsh drugs. I really like the antibiotics where putting it in the water so that the whole flock can get treated can stop an outbreak.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Just an update..it does seem it was broody ‘mean girls’ that caused my “outbreak”. Everyone is fine here, and aside from some ointment on boo-boos I didn’t treat them with anything, though I did give them some turmeric oats as a healthy treat, just in case.

 

[BDutch]

IMHO its a Good thing they forbid tetracycline and other antibiotics to use on poultry uncontrolled. Its a real hazard if this is abundantly administered to live stock.

I believe a survival of the fittest is a better way to deal with reoccurring sicknesses in poultry. Where I live (with too many huge livestock farms) lots of farmers have incurable MRSA.

MRSA Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is popularly known as the 'hospital bacteria' because it mainly causes outbreaks in hospitals. The MRSA bacteria is insensitive (resistant) to a treatment with antibiotics that resemble the drug methicillin, a group of drugs that is widely used. MRSA bacteria are part of the particularly resistant micro-organisms (BRMO).

Source: https://www.rivm.nl/mrsa translated with google.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

IMHO its a Good thing they forbid tetracycline and other antibiotics to use on poultry uncontrolled. Its a real hazard if this is abundantly administered to live stock.

I believe a survival of the fittest is a better way to deal with reoccurring sicknesses in poultry. Where I live (with too many huge livestock farms) lots of farmers have incurable MRSA.

Source: https://www.rivm.nl/mrsa translated with google.

I totally understand where you are coming from and you bring up excellent points. I’ve been aware of pathogens becoming resist to anti-biotics and that’s not only an issue for animals but humans especially when it comes to health. I have heard as well, with breeding of chickens it’s best ‘survival of the fittest’, but what if you’re not breeding and have chickens as pets? Many people do. I do hope when it comes to antibiotic use there are safer, gentler alternatives with the same ease if use...which is what I miss about using the oxytetracycline. It always worked well, and it was simple to administer.
Just an tidbit of information I learned concerning MRSA- manuka honey is very effective when applied topically. Studies have shown it outperformed any antibiotic used to treat it. Manuka honey is wonderful when it comes to healing. It cleared my stomach ulcer under a week‘s time use whereas I was on prescribed drugs for it for months (extremely expensive) and didn’t work at all. Also another time, I had lesions on my skin that would not heal and manuka honey healed it up in two days. I don’t believe it would be safe for use on chickens though... I’m not sure, but only guessing because it is honey derived from bees pollinating tea tree plant and tea tree I know is poisonous to dogs and cats. Just had to say that in case someone trues the manuka honey on their chicken. It may have adverse reaction to them. For people though... it’s worth it’s weight in gold. Clears sore throats too. Absolutely fantastic natural medicine! I’d like to know what natural foods would help chickens heal. I gave mine turmeric oats which seemed to help.

 

[Myrshine]

Just because they aren’t sneezing, coughing, etc, doesn’t mean that it’s NOT MG. It sounds like MG to me, unless you smell a nasty foul fishy odor from their faces, eyes or nares. Facial and eye swelling is ONE of the first signs of MG or other respiratory diseases.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Just because they aren’t sneezing, coughing, etc, doesn’t mean that it’s NOT MG. It sounds like MG to me, unless you smell a nasty foul fishy odor from their faces, eyes or nares. Facial and eye swelling is ONE of the first signs of MG or other respiratory diseases.

They’ve all since recovered. I suppose it still could be MG? No fishy or foul smell. do you think I should do a round of denugaurd?

 

[Myrshine]

They’ve all since recovered. I suppose it still could be MG? No fishy or foul smell. do you think I should do a round of denugaurd?

It still could be, unless you get testing done specifically for MG, you wouldn’t know. You can do another round if you feel that’s best. MG doesnt normally have a smell to it like Infectious Coryza does.