Pet Rooster scooting backwards

[JGordon]

Hi everyone,

I have a 5 1/2 year old white Cochin Bantam pet rooster, named Peep. I got him at 2 days old, he is an only chicken and lives inside my house, but in nice weather goes outside in the backyard. Recently I noticed he would be down on the floor and scoot backwards kicking his legs. His entire butt area was red and swollen with sores. His poops were larger. His feathers around his butt were gone. His behavior was pretty normal otherwise.
I took him to a bird vet and she put him on an antibiotic called Enrofloxacia 20mg 0.7 mls twice a day for 10 days, for what she called "staph dermatitis". She anaylized his poop and said he had Coccdia and put him on Albon 1 ml a day for 5 days. His vent was not prolapsed.

I put Desitin on his butt after bathing him and eventually his butt looked fine and feathers grew back. After the 10 days of drugs he was back to normal.

Now 6 days later he is scooting backwards again, but otherwise is acting normal. His butt is a little swollen again and red and feathers thinner.

I have added apple cider vinegar and iodine to his water.

I am waiting to hear back from the vet, but wondering if any of you have suggestions.

Thanks for any help.

Julie

 

[Eggcessive]

He is kind of old to start showing symptoms of Mareks disease, but that is what it sounds like. Chickens can get it at any age if they are exposed. Does he have any twisting of his neck, up, down, or side to side which would indicate wry neck? I would start him on vitamins especially B1, E, and selenium (or give him some egg every day.) Poultry vitamins in the water or PolyVisol baby vitamins without iron 3 drops daily. Was he vaccinated for Mareks? A head injury or vitamin deficiency could also cause this.

 

[JGordon]

His neck is fine. He has never been exposed to other chickens since I got him 5 years ago. I checked out Mareks disease and it mentioned "meal worms" as a source. I have been feeding him dried ones. Maybe they are infected with it. If he had it it would be the Cutaneous (skin form), because he has none of the other symptoms.

I will ask the vet. She did mention something at the base of his feathers. I checked him out and I don't see anything at the base now.

How sweet of you to help me.

Thanks,

Julie

 

[Eggcessive]

I have never heard that about the mealworms before. His scooting around backwards sounds neurological, so that is why I mentioned the wry neck. They can walk around in circles and do all sorts of strange movements. Mareks is spread by dust and dandruff--even moving to a new residence or bringing it home on one's clothes or shoes can spread it. Hopefully it isn't that, but just wanted to mention it as a possibility.