Peafowl gasping - video in post

[EldritchAcres]

Hello!

My rescue peahen is gasping and shaking her head with a wheezing, gargly noise.
I had been treating her for an injured wing, she was found on the side of the road. I've had her for over a month and quarantined in a pen and I just saw this issue today.
I've read through some posts on the forum here and I'm trying to find the right dosages.

If it's a respiratory issue, I have Tylan 50 (maybe 200).
How much do I give per pound, per day, and how many days?

I saw someone post a Safeguard dosage if it is gapeworm, the closest vet is almost 2 hours away and my vet won't do a fecal. I'm going to keep trying to see if a vet around me will to confirm if it is or is not gapeworm.

Video ^
Thank you!!

 

[Waterfaery]

I don't think you need to wait for a vet to confirm if it's gapeworm. Have you wormed her at all since you got her? It's good practice to worm peafowl every 6 months anyway. Of course, if you can afford it, it would be better to do fecals every 6 months and only worm if needed but if your peahen is sick with something else and has any worms, they can contribute to taking her down. I wouldn't be waiting to worm her.

With Safeguard, make sure you do it for 5 days in a row to cover all worms including gapeworm. Then after a break of 10 days, do another 5 days in a row.

I'm not an expert on Tylan but I think 3 days is the minimum so if you start with that, hopefully someone else can advise if you need to go longer.

With any antibiotic, if it's the right one and it's going to work, you should see signs of improvement within 3 days anyway. If that's the case, it's probably a good idea to continue treatment until the symptoms are totally gone but I wouldn't go more than a week without consulting a vet. That's not an expert opinion but it's just what I would do.

 

[EldritchAcres]

Tylan works best if given several times a day. Can you give her 1 ml orally 3 times a day?

I can, thank you so much!! How many days is recommended?

 

[KsKingBee]

The above advice is for Tylan 200, if using Tylan 50 you will need four times the amount.

 

[KsKingBee]

You should contact your state vet lab and ask about testing. In Kansas I can send a swab to be tested for a very low cost. Use a six-inch swab that any local vet should have on hand if your pharmacy doesn't have any. Insert the swab down the airway and twist as you pull up and out making sure to go between the roof of the mouth coming out. Send the swab to the state and they will report back what the problem is and recommendations on what to treat with. If you see tiny red threads on the swab, those would be gape worms. If there is not any then gapes are not your problem.

 

[EldritchAcres]

I don't think you need to wait for a vet to confirm if it's gapeworm. Have you wormed her at all since you got her? It's good practice to worm peafowl every 6 months anyway. Of course, if you can afford it, it would be better to do fecals every 6 months and only worm if needed but if your peahen is sick with something else and has any worms, they can contribute to taking her down. I wouldn't be waiting to worm her.

With Safeguard, make sure you do it for 5 days in a row to cover all worms including gapeworm. Then after a break of 10 days, do another 5 days in a row.

I'm not an expert on Tylan but I think 3 days is the minimum so if you start with that, hopefully someone else can advise if you need to go longer.

With any antibiotic, if it's the right one and it's going to work, you should see signs of improvement within 3 days anyway. If that's the case, it's probably a good idea to continue treatment until the symptoms are totally gone but I wouldn't go more than a week without consulting a vet. That's not an expert opinion but it's just what I would do.

She's never been wormed, so I can do a worming, I do have Safeguard. She was on the side of the road by a swamp on public hunting grounds with an injured wing so I have no idea what her previous health history was but it's been and up and down with it, luckily she's been tough and making it through. Thank you!!

 

[EldritchAcres]

You should contact your state vet lab and ask about testing. In Kansas I can send a swab to be tested for a very low cost. Use a six-inch swab that any local vet should have on hand if your pharmacy doesn't have any. Insert the swab down the airway and twist as you pull up and out making sure to go between the roof of the mouth coming out. Send the swab to the state and they will report back what the problem is and recommendations on what to treat with. If you see tiny red threads on the swab, those would be gape worms. If there is not any then gapes are not your problem.

Ohh this is great information, thank you. I'll contact them. I have some 6 inch swabs, my husband is an army medic and we have a bunch of excess supplies. Thank you!

 

[Midnightman14]

I would worm her immediately. Doesn't look like a respiratory infection to me looks like gapeworm.

 

[casportpony]

How much does she weigh?

 

[EldritchAcres]

How much does she weigh?

6.2lbs