(Please help) My chicken is gasping and has foam coming out her mouth

[Jennifur]

@Miss Lydia @HeatherKellyB

Do you think it may be aspergillosis?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Possibly I thought of that before the airsaccullits. I’d say a avain vet would be the only way of finding out. Is she sick other ways like off her feed? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150149/

 

[Jennifur]

Possibly I thought of that before the airsaccullits. I’d say a avain vet would be the only way of finding out. Is she sick other ways like off her feed? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150149/

She's 5 years old, a long time ago I think she may have been infected by eating moldy food. Do you think oxine and putting it in an aerosol sprayer would be the best way to treat her for aspergillosis?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

This is interesting. Thank you for tagging me. Last night, we got into the low 70's and I didn't hear her breathing. I believe it's aggravated by different things (temps, humidity, etc) and likely flares up at times, similar to any chronic condition. I did find an avian vet, but they're about 2 hours away. If Darla (my Buff Orpington) gets worse, I'll be taking her in and I will definitely share any findings with you. I do plan on ordering the Oxine that's been mentioned several times. Didn't you say that spraying this around your sweet girl has helped? I need to look around and find this product. Is there anything particular that I need to look for (any specific strength, or anything specific?)? Does your hen have a noticeable wet mouth when she's doing this? Darla isn't drooling by any means, but I've noticed her mouth does seem more moist than normal. It's not alarming or anything, just something I took note of. Darla will run (actually a very fast waddle) around, gets very vocal around laying time, and does everything else all of my other chickens do, but when she breaths like that, my stomach sinks. She seems healthy otherwise, knock on wood. So that's why I haven't brought this up. I really appreciate you bringing it up. Hopefully both of our girls can breathe easier and go back to being perfect (in our eyes at least <3)

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I have asthma and whenever I hear her breathe in this way, it makes me lung (damaged lung due to a really bad ordeal with pneumonia and sepsis) hurt. It's just sympathetic pains for her but it does make me wonder if she's in any discomfort or feels like she's struggling to get a really good breath. I know they're not made like we are, but I still worry about what's going on. I had to go check on her late last night because I didn't hear her breathing. Thankfully she was snoozing! We have 3 foxes that travel through here every night and I worry about them hearing her breathing and coming to check it out and then my chickens being on their menu.

Side note, we have a gentleman around the corner that has chicken houses and he leaves any deceased chickens out for the foxes. He says that doing that deters the foxes from attempting to break in his houses I've been tempted to take her inside on the nights that her breathing is extra loud, for her sake and the sake of all of the other birds.

 

[Jennifur]

This is interesting. Thank you for tagging me. Last night, we got into the low 70's and I didn't hear her breathing. I believe it's aggravated by different things (temps, humidity, etc) and likely flares up at times, similar to any chronic condition. I did find an avian vet, but they're about 2 hours away. If Darla (my Buff Orpington) gets worse, I'll be taking her in and I will definitely share any findings with you. I do plan on ordering the Oxine that's been mentioned several times. Didn't you say that spraying this around your sweet girl has helped? I need to look around and find this product. Is there anything particular that I need to look for (any specific strength, or anything specific?)? Does your hen have a noticeable wet mouth when she's doing this? Darla isn't drooling by any means, but I've noticed her mouth does seem more moist than normal. It's not alarming or anything, just something I took note of. Darla will run (actually a very fast waddle) around, gets very vocal around laying time, and does everything else all of my other chickens do, but when she breaths like that, my stomach sinks. She seems healthy otherwise, knock on wood. So that's why I haven't brought this up. I really appreciate you bringing it up. Hopefully both of our girls can breathe easier and go back to being perfect (in our eyes at least <3)

Thank you very much, I would love to know how it goes after you take her to see a vet. I'm also very far away from one. It upsets me a ton when I see her breathing that way too, and makes me stressed. I really hope the oxine spray treatment works. I haven't tried it yet, but it seems like an effective treatment. Over here explains how to use it.

Do you think a spray bottle will work too, or does it need to be a fogger?

I think this is the kind that's used to be sprayed on them.

http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store2/disinfectants/oxine-gallon.html

On this site you can get a quart instead of a gallon.

https://poultrysupplies.com/index_files/Page395.htm

I have asthma and whenever I hear her breathe in this way, it makes me lung (damaged lung due to a really bad ordeal with pneumonia and sepsis) hurt. It's just sympathetic pains for her but it does make me wonder if she's in any discomfort or feels like she's struggling to get a really good breath. I know they're not made like we are, but I still worry about what's going on. I had to go check on her late last night because I didn't hear her breathing. Thankfully she was snoozing! We have 3 foxes that travel through here every night and I worry about them hearing her breathing and coming to check it out and then my chickens being on their menu.

Side note, we have a gentleman around the corner that has chicken houses and he leaves any deceased chickens out for the foxes. He says that doing that deters the foxes from attempting to break in his houses I've been tempted to take her inside on the nights that her breathing is extra loud, for her sake and the sake of all of the other birds.

I hope you feel better too. Having problems breathing must be a nightmare. I wish treatment was more easily available.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I have heard great things about the oxine spray as well. I was planning on trying to use a spray bottle first and then order the fogger if that doesn't help. If I find the fogger to be economical, I'll order it, but I hate to order if something simple like a spray bottle mist will work just as well. Thank you so much for all of that awesome information!!! I'm going to place the order tonight and I will certainly let you know how it goes once I receive it and treat her. Does the oxine treat for both of the possible ailments that have been discussed on this thread? It seems like it does. I hope it doesn't come down to her needing a vet. I feel like being separated from her flock and the long car ride will be stressful. Not to mention the price of seeing an avian vet. Just the basic visit, no testing of any kind or medication included, will be at the very least $90. Everything will add up very quickly after that.

 

[Jennifur]

I have heard great things about the oxine spray as well. I was planning on trying to use a spray bottle first and then order the fogger if that doesn't help. If I find the fogger to be economical, I'll order it, but I hate to order if something simple like a spray bottle mist will work just as well. Thank you so much for all of that awesome information!!! I'm going to place the order tonight and I will certainly let you know how it goes once I receive it and treat her. Does the oxine treat for both of the possible ailments that have been discussed on this thread? It seems like it does. I hope it doesn't come down to her needing a vet. I feel like being separated from her flock and the long car ride will be stressful. Not to mention the price of seeing an avian vet. Just the basic visit, no testing of any kind or medication included, will be at the very least $90. Everything will add up very quickly after that.

I think I will do the same. I have the same problem with seeing a vet too. It would stress her out terribly to be separated from her flock and go on a long car ride to a strange vet's office. It also seems like it will cost too much to get the same information I can get from a site like this. I would only take her to a vet if it was absolutely necessary. I think the oxine cures both air sacs and aspergillosis, but I'm not sure.

I hope the mister works as well as the fogger, but do you think an essential oils vaporizer can help her breathe it in easier?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I guess it would depend on how much of the oxine is carried out in the Vapor. Does your vaporizer require a carrier oil to be added or water? I imagine oxine is more thin than any EO's so just the regular mixing instructions would work well. The more I think about it, I believe it would work well. I'm curious about this now

 

[Miss Lydia]

Check out countryside pets supply .com for the oxine ah. I mix it in a gal jug 6.5 oz and then put it into a reg spray bottle that you can adjust the spray, put on mist and mist above their heads so it gently falls onto their face. I believe you can also use a humidifier with it. I use the oxine for spraying bedding a couple times a week and since I have chickens I spray roosts also with it.