Pullet is gasping, coughing and sticking the neck forward and upwards

[pips&peeps]

With ILT they don't always cough up blood, just with the really bad strains, that doesn't mean the strains with the lesser symptoms aren't as deadly or contagious.

 

[qhluvr34]

Last night my son and I was able to get a dose of Ivermec down her without her chocking/spraying it everywhere. I gave her a 6th dose of Tylan 50. This morning she is drinking, eating and there is poop in her cage and she is no longer gasping. She is even starting to do her hen purr, that sound she makes when she is happy/content.

 

[chickenlady]

I am happy to hear some good news about her. How is she doing tonight? I hope better.

 

[qhluvr34]

She is still drinking but not eating real well, picking at her food though. I was giving her chopped boiled egg and when she started eating I mixed chick starter with it. I gave her just chick starter last night and she is not eating it, so I will go back to boiled eggs. How long should I give the Tylan 50? She is still not totally well, but seems to be getting better. Should I switch to Terimycin in the water? Or Sulfa or something else.

 

[chickenlady]

I dont know if I would switch that quickly. I'd be afraid of a reaction to too many different meds. I can only speak of what I would do in a case like this, I am not telling you what to do.....I would stop the tylan and see what happens. If in a week (pending her health doesnt worsen) and she wasnt better, I would try something else. But I would try to wait at least a week. Meds are hard on a chickens bodies. I think I would switch to sulmet or something like that when and if she needs something else.

This may also be something viral that meds cannot help.

In addition to the tylan for the last 7 days, what else have you been doing? ie: vitamins, electrolytes, probiotics, anything?

How much of the ivermec have you given? That may need time to work. I still think there is more than a respiratory thing going on here.

Keep up the good work. I know it is hard and exhausting. Keep trying to get food and water in her. How was her poop by the way?

 

[qhluvr34]

I haven't given any vitamins, electrolytes, probiotics, don't know really what to give. I will give her the last Tylan shot tonight and she how she does over the next few days. You mentioned some bird formula, where can I get this? I thought I might try it as she is kinda eating but maybe she would eat it better? Her poop was bright green but changing to brn/grey now. She hadn't pooped in 4 days and is now pooping, so I thought it was a good sign. Thanks for you help, I am new to chickens and at a total loss except what I have learned from the internet and here.

 

[chickenlady]

You can get the baby bird formula from any pet store. It is in the bird section, lol.

Dont rule out gapeworm still. They can live unnoticed in the trachea of the bird until it finally suffocates the bird. How much ivomec were you able to give? Ivomec will take care of gapeworm as long as it is not to overpopulated with them. You may also want to think about retreating with ivomec 10 days after the first treatment, just in case of a heavy infestation.

I'm pulling for your pullet to get better soon.

 

[qhluvr34]

1/4cc of ivermec. My next question was do I treat her again with it and when, but you already answered it, thanks. I will get her some formula tomorrow.

When feeding tonight I noticed one of my Bantam chicks sneezing and clear fluid came out his nostrils. I started him on Tylan 50 just in case he caught what this hen had as she was in a pen near him. Should I of just waited a couple of more days or was that ok?

 

[chickenlady]

You probably should have waited to see if it was happening consistently however, after going through what you have been through already, I would have totally done the same thing, lol. I dont think I would treat that one more than 2 or 3 times unless it gets worse.

The use of probiotics would not be a bad idea right now with all these meds going into her. You can use yogurt also, the kind with live cultures in it. They we both essentially do the same thing.

Keep trying to get food and water in her. The green poop is probably from lack of food, that would be my guess. Lets hope for some more brownish poop.

Have you tried moist cat food at all? Mine love it, cant resist, lol. Maybe sprinkle some chicken food crumbles on the top of it to make her peck at it. Yummmmmmmmmm.

Back to some original symptoms:
Is she still wheezing?
Face still darker in color and warm?
Is she still gasping at all?

 

[qhluvr34]

No gasping, no wheezing, no longer as warm, face normal color. I gave her some moist cat food with crumble on top, she is eating it. Can I give this to her instead of the bird formula or should I get the formula? I will get her some yogurt today.