Pullet with respiratory problem! Urgent!

[BantamLover21]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the correct dosage for Tylan50 is .5ccs for bantams, 1cc for large fowl. The dosage you just gave is for Tylan200, which is a stronger version of Tylan.

Yeah, you're right. I wasn't thinking.

 

[chippysmom327]

Well, I'm not sure. The symptoms of Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT), as found in Gail Damerow's Chicken Health Handbook, are:

Watery, inflamed eyes, swollen sinuses, nasal discharge, unthriftiness, coughing (that sometimes produces bloody mucus), head shaking, breathing through mouth, gasping, choking, gurgling, rattling, and whistling. The disease is acute, but spreads slowly.

Your bird only exhibits (from what I can gather) the coughing, sneezing, and wheezing, though it did come on suddenly. ILT is fairly common, especially at poultry shows, and probably, poultry swaps. Mortality is 10-20% on average, but can be higher in an acute infection or in mature birds in wintertime.

Infectious Bronchitis is just as likely. It causes (from the Chicken Health Handbook):

Gasping, coughing, sneezing, rattling, wet eyes, nasal discharge, loss of appetite, swollen wattles, and sometimes, swollen sinuses.

Infectious Bronchitis is just as common, if not more common, than ILT. The only real difference is no bloody mucus, and the fact that Infectious Bronchitis spreads faster and easier. So, I'm not sure which disease your bird has. Since both are viral, the treatment is the same (keep bird warm, well fed, hydrated, and stress-free). Personally, I think that your chicken has Infectious Bronchitis.

Survivors of Infectious Bronchitis are immune to further infections. However, they will be carriers. ILT survivors will also be immune, but carriers. If you want to keep your bird, you should vaccinate all of your other chickens for ILT. This will, at least, prevent them from being infected. ILT is a reportable disease in some states, as it is very serious.

So, give your bird the supportive treatment I wrote about above. It would also be a good idea to get Oxytetracycline (sold under names such as Duramycin, Tetroxy HCA-280, LA200, or Terramycin). Give this to your chicken to prevent secondary infection. A secondary infection of Chronic Respiratory Disease is especially prevalent in birds with Infectious Bronchitis.

What do gurgling, rattling, and whistling sound like? She's making a slight whistling noise. I'll try to record her making the noises and maybe upload it on YouTube. You know when a baby has a cold, and they can't blow their nose? It just makes that gurgley when they breath? She's doing that. Is that rattling? Or gurgling? She also occasionally makes a noise like at night when the wind blows REALLY hard and it makes a whistling sound? But not every breath. I think it's a noise she's making with her vocal cords though. I'm not sure.

I'm so scared and stressed out.

 

[keesmom]

Survivors of Infectious Bronchitis are immune to further infections. However, they will be carriers. ILT survivors will also be immune, but carriers. If you want to keep your bird, you should vaccinate all of your other chickens for ILT. This will, at least, prevent them from being infected. ILT is a reportable disease in some states, as it is very serious.

This is true of many respiratory illnesses. Those that recover become carriers, and your flock would be exposed. If it were me I would cull immediately, but that choice isn't for everyone.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I bought a pullet at a swap yesterday, and she looked healthy. Once I got her to my car I noticed her wheezing, coughing and sneezing. It's not a normal sneeze, but an EXTREMELY mucus-filled, nasty sneeze. Other than these symptoms, she was fine. I asked the seller, and she said she never saw anything like that in her flock.

I went into TSC and bought some VetRx, because that was the only thing there that would treat respiratory illnesses. There wasn't anything there like Tylan, Tetracycline, or anything that I've read on here that treats respiratory things. I gave her ACV in her water, and she drank a lot of that. She's eating great, but is EXTREMELY skinny. Her keel bone is very prominent. Sometimes when she coughs, little rice sized chunks of what looks to be food comes out of her mouth.

Today, she got worse. She has diarrhea, and it's pretty much the consistency of baby food. I gave her the VetRx into her nostrils, and will give some to her orally tonight. I'm using the bantam dosage, because she's about 8 or 9 weeks old.

She's quarantined already, and hasn't had exposure to the other chickens. I'm extremely careful not to spread it to my other birds.


So what should I do? I need help!

Couple of things to think about:

You have brought home some kind of respiratory disease. There is no way to know exactly what it is without having some testing done. It does help to know what you are dealing with. In any case, if she lives, this bird will be a carrier of whatever this is. That means all your birds are now at risk. The problem with quarantine as most people do it is that it is not true quarantine and is therefore not effective. These viruses travel so easily, on the air, on your clothing, shoes, skin and even your hair. Just washing hands between coops won't do it. True quarantine would mean housing this bird in a room where you care for her last after the other birds, remove all clothing and shower before leaving. More to it then that but that's the idea.

So the chance is high that your other birds have already been exposed to whatever this is. So if you want to keep this bird, I would treat her with antibiotics to prevent secondary infections and pneumonia, the VetRx isn't going to help in that regard. And keep a very close eye on the rest of your birds. Either that or cull her. Those are pretty much your only options at this point. Best of luck, we've been down the respiratory disease road here and it's not pretty.

 

[chippysmom327]

Couple of things to think about:

You have brought home some kind of respiratory disease. There is no way to know exactly what it is without having some testing done. It does help to know what you are dealing with. In any case, if she lives, this bird will be a carrier of whatever this is. That means all your birds are now at risk. The problem with quarantine as most people do it is that it is not true quarantine and is therefore not effective. These viruses travel so easily, on the air, on your clothing, shoes, skin and even your hair. Just washing hands between coops won't do it. True quarantine would mean housing this bird in a room where you care for her last after the other birds, remove all clothing and shower before leaving. More to it then that but that's the idea.

So the chance is high that your other birds have already been exposed to whatever this is. So if you want to keep this bird, I would treat her with antibiotics to prevent secondary infections and pneumonia, the VetRx isn't going to help in that regard. And keep a very close eye on the rest of your birds. Either that or cull her. Those are pretty much your only options at this point. Best of luck, we've been down the respiratory disease road here and it's not pretty.

I actually do do this with the quarentine. I'm going to also vaccinate my flock against IB if that's what she has. Can I vaccinate a 10 week old bantam the same as I'd vaccinate my 2 year old hen?

 

[cafarmgirl]

I actually do do this with the quarentine. I'm going to also vaccinate my flock against IB if that's what she has. Can I vaccinate a 10 week old bantam the same as I'd vaccinate my 2 year old hen?

Apparently it depends on the method of delivery. I have a Fort Dodge Newcastle-Bronchitis Vaccine direction sheet. It states that for intranasal or intraocular vaccination it is for chicks 1 day of age or older. If given in the water it is for chicks age 2 weeks or more. And for spray vaccine, such as a hatchery might do, 4 weeks of age and up.

 

[chippysmom327]

Apparently it depends on the method of delivery. I have a Fort Dodge Newcastle-Bronchitis Vaccine direction sheet. It states that for intranasal or intraocular vaccination it is for chicks 1 day of age or older. If given in the water it is for chicks age 2 weeks or more. And for spray vaccine, such as a hatchery might do, 4 weeks of age and up.

Okay!!! Thank you!

I still am not really at a conclusion...

 

[chippysmom327]

I'm going to give her back to the lady I got her from. I have her number. I'll get another bird somewhere else.

 

[Wyandottes7]

What do gurgling, rattling, and whistling sound like? She's making a slight whistling noise. I'll try to record her making the noises and maybe upload it on YouTube. You know when a baby has a cold, and they can't blow their nose? It just makes that gurgley when they breath? Yes, I think that this is gurgling.She's doing that. Is that rattling? Or gurgling? She also occasionally makes a noise like at night when the wind blows REALLY hard and it makes a whistling sound? I believe that this is whistling. I have never experienced any whistling with my birds when they have had a respiratory disease, so I don't know exactly what it sounds like. But not every breath. I think it's a noise she's making with her vocal cords though. I'm not sure.

I'm so scared and stressed out.

 

[chippysmom327]

Thanks. I'm gonna give her back and look into an ex battery hen. Not sure if I'll get one though.