Please help, chicken STILL sick

[natgrinks]

Good morning all,
I had two sick chickens. One got much worse and we had to put her down The other is keeping weight on fine shows no other symptoms besides some wheezing and she no longer "bawks". She just makes a breathy sound. She's had a round of injectable tylan50 5 days, injectable penicillin for 6days and duramiacin in water for 7 days. She has also been dewormed with safeguard paste so I'm assuming that would take care of gape worm if it was that. I've used pet rx on her beak and have been feeding her eggs oatmeal applesauce yogurt fruit and vegetables along with crumbles. She is laying eggs again as well. Is she STILL sick or is she permanently damaged from being sick? I don't want to put her down as well. Please, if anyone has any experience with this or just good sound advice, please, please help. I don't know what else to try. This has been going on since June 23. I'm desperate Thank you all for listening
Natalie

 

[natgrinks]

Please, please, please help! Totally desperate to help my chicken. I have no idea what to do next. Please!

 

[Sonshine Acre Chickens]

Is she a meat bird? If so, I would put her down... you have spent so much time that it wouldn't be worth your while.

If she is a pet... What are her symptoms now? She may still have tape worms... (or gape worms). You have to feed her de-wormer for a while... but in small amounts. The stuff is very potent!

 

[natgrinks]

Thank you! She is a pet. She only wheezes now and doesn't make bawking sounds. I dewormed with Wazine at first and then went five days with safeguard paste. Is that not enough if is gape worm? Should I deworm again? She has no mucous or sneezing like the other one did. She is also keeping a good weight. If she had tapeworms would she be losing weight? Thank you for responding!

 

[Sonshine Acre Chickens]

Hmmm... from my experience Wazine isn't actually the best to de-worm layers with. Is there another type in your area that you can get? I do mainly meat birds... so if one starts to get sick, I have a "three strike" rule for them So I don't have a ton of experience with layers. However, you may want to try deworming again... but be careful, and take it slow. I would also maybe add some diatomaceous earth in her diet as well.... though not proven to work, it will not hurt trying. Just put a tiny bit in with the feed or water.

Wheezing and the bawking sounds usually indicate that something is lodged in the throat (near the larynx/top trachea area). A tape worm may very well be living there from what I have heard. My best bet would be to monitor her closely, do the above,

If she had a worm... you are right, she would be losing weight. Age may have something to do with it as well.

Hope that helps... and another thought is the ol' vinegar trick... though not proven to work either, it seems to cure a bunch of ailments (it's an acid... so it helps neutralize foreign objects in the stomach I guess!)

 

[natgrinks]

Ok I will deworm with Safeguard again. Will 5 days suffice? Or would you do it longer?And will add diatomaceous earth and apple cider vinegar to her diet. I will keep watching her closely I hope something works soon!

 

[Sonshine Acre Chickens]

Sounds good to me. I would not do diatomaceous earth at the same time as the de-wormer though.... to much good stuff will make her still the more sicker De-wormer her again, then wait a few days before mixing the earth with her diet. If she is in with some other birds, separate her, and make sure she gets clean and dry bedding as well. Keep the ACV to a minimum to... everything like that is meant for big animals... so it always has to be given sparingly to small birds

 

[natgrinks]

Ok I understand. I just gave her some more Safeguard and a little ACV in a bowl of water. Our chickens love to drink out of water they "find" instead of their waterers. Silly things. It's been really hot and muggy here and she seems to wheeze more when it's hot. All the others are open mouth breathing as well just not wheezing. She must be getting enough oxygen since her comb is not turning blue. (I've heard that's what happens). I just want to make her better. The other one was declining so it was an easier choice to put her down so she didn't suffer more. I'm not sure how to tell with this one since she's only wheezing. Her egg laying has come back and I know if they're really sick they won't lay. Any advice on how to know when her time is up? I don't want her to suffer Also, do you know how to check to see if something is lodged in there? She eats quite a bit with no problem. Thanks again Also, she has been separated for quite a while.

 

[Sonshine Acre Chickens]

See this thread here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/168044/hen-acting-like-she-has-something-stuck-in-her-throat

Nothing may be down there... but you can give her some olive oil to loosen any obstructions or "debri" from worms just in case.

If she is listless, stops eating, stops laying, or otherwise you can see she is sliding downhill... she might be suffering internally, and you may be better off to "send her home" instead of letting her suffer on.

Also, it may take a few days to get better... these things don't cure instantly overnight.

 

[natgrinks]

I figured after all the antibiotics and de wormer she'd be better by now. I have given her olive oil soaked bread and I did that again today. She's wheezing like crazy right now No other symptoms anymore except that. I will continue to keep a close eye on her. I'm super frustrated she's not better with everything I've done so far I will keep up with the de wormer and hope Thank you if you think of anything else I'm all ears!