pullet still sick after deworming for capillary worms: UPDATE

[casportpony]

One day??? Wow!

Amazing stuff.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

This is where I got mine.
http://horseprerace.com/toltrazuril...edient-of-Baycox®)/toltrazuril-for-epm-200ml/

Giving it is tricky, something about ph and how it needs to be given diluted as a drench. Dose I believe is 7mg/kg.

-Kathy

 

[Michael Apple]

Interesting that you shared this. Now Frannie is testing positive for Cocci, and negative for everything else. Vet considers the Sulfadimethoxine a better choice than Amprol to treat it.

It depends. With E. necatrix/ E. tenella, sulfas are effective. For some of the caecal strains of coccidia, Amprolium is better. If intestinal bleeding is occurring, it is not recommended to use sulfas.

 

[chicknmania]

ok, so now I am really undecided. First of all, I noticed the blood spots on the barn floor at the very beginning, as I said. I never really pinpointed it directly to her, but if you read back, that's why I decided to treat her for cocci with the Sulfa. She did improve with it, she went from pure diarrhea to solid droppings, at which point I had the fecal done and learned she had the Capillary worms.

So now, her droppings are totallly normal looking. Which drug do you think I should use to treat the cocci? The vet probably isn't looking closely at all these details, though I could point it out to him, I guess. Also, I was going to deworm the whole flock again in mid January, I'm guessing I should also treat them all for cocci. I'm thinking Amprol in that case? No others are showing symptoms of being sick right now.

 

[chicknmania]

And can I deworm and treat for cocci back to back?

 

[casportpony]

And can I deworm and treat for cocci back to back?

Yes.

-Kathy

 

[chicknmania]

One day??? Wow!

No it wasn't one day. We treated her for cocci at first, and that's been about two and a half weeks ago. Then she tested positive for the Capillary worms, so we treated her for those. Then there was a space of five days where she had nothing but probiotics. Next, she had the antibiotics for three days. Her second fecal test was today, where she tested postive for cocci. So, about three weeks have passed between the first time we treated her for cocci, and now.

 

[chicknmania]

Oh whoops, sorry Kathy, I totally missed your post, so disregard my last post, lol. And that is interesting because I think that's what the vet recommended this afternoon. He was talking to me through his receptionist, so I didn't get to talk to him directly, and then he told her Sulfa was fine to use when she told him I had that. I will call him again tomorrow (he's been awesome with giving me advice) and see if that's what he recommended at first.

 

[chicknmania]

I decided to bring Frannie in the house today because she was starting to decline over the past two days, and I thought it might have to do with the extreme cold, even though her pen was pretty warm. Now that she' s in the house she acts like she's too hot, she's panting. And a little distressed, it's obvious she misses the other chickens, she's always calling for them. Eating better though. I am treating her with Sulfadimethoxine again, since the last fecal tested positive for cocci but nothing else. I have not had a chance to ask the vet about Baycox yet, he has not been in much. The Sulfa does not seem to be doing anything, this is day three. She is just very weak, she sits down to eat and drink. She has no other symptoms except her eyes are a little dull. But what is weird is her droppings look normal. They are normal color, and solid. How could she have problems with cocci OR worms, and have normal droppings?? Please, does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm getting very discouraged. I hate to see her get this far, and now she's backsliding.

If she improves, when It warms up again in a few days, I will transition her back to the cold outside by letting her stay in the garage a day or so where it is cooler, but not as cold as the barn would be. I hope that the sudden temperature change from bringing her in the house will not make her worse?

 

[Michael Apple]

The Sulfa does not seem to be doing anything, this is day three. She is just very weak, she sits down to eat and drink. She has no other symptoms except her eyes are a little dull. But what is weird is her droppings look normal. They are normal color, and solid. How could she have problems with cocci OR worms, and have normal droppings?? Please, does anyone have any other suggestions?

You've been treating the hen for a week. I mentioned Sulfadimethoxine as only being effective against strains of Coccidia which attack the intestines. The strains which attack the caecal sacs are more susceptible to Amprolium.You state droppings are normal though, so that doesn't seem be the problem. It could be an E. coli infection in the gut, or damage that has been done to the crop, gizzard, or intestinal tract depending how long the capillary worms were infesting their host. That could certainly prevent the absorption of nutrients, causing weakness and a compromised immune system. That is often the opportunity for a secondary infection to take place, such as bacterial infections, and not just the intestinal tract, but the reproductive system since they operate closely together. Of course, the only way to know for sure is cull the hen and perform a necropsy. I understand you are trying to save the hen though. A regiment of poultry vitamin-probiotic supplementation for at least 3 days may help since the hen has gone through a regiment of 2 medications this past week.