Pullet with swelling in one leg...please help.

[mejumpmore1]

This poor girl has had some difficulties. First with dry turned wet fowl pox coupled with a limp that had no discernible reason for the limping. Today I decided to once again check her out to see if I could determine why she was still limping. This has been going on for weeks now. While massaging her leg I noticed there was a large lump/swelling in one of her legs (lower feathered portion of her leg...pictures were not able to show the swelling at all. I felt the other leg and it is much thinner than the leg she has been having a hard time putting body weight on.

I'm not sure what has caused the swelling/nodule or how to treat it to help my sweet girl feel better. All help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

You might want to do some reading about mycoplasma synoviae which can infect the bones from an infection from the air sacs. It starts as a respiratory infection, and may have no symptoms until it affects the bones and joints. This could have happened during the wet pox when her resistance was down. If you think that she has it, Tylan and oxytetracycline, and Aureomycin (clhortetracycline) are some of the drugs that treat it. Mycoplasma is one of those things that can happen at the same time as other diseases, and make them worse. Another disease possibility is viral arthritis or tenosynovitis. Here are 2 links with info on each:

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/99/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-ms-infectious-synovitis

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...s/overview_of_viral_arthritis_in_poultry.html

 

[mejumpmore1]

Thank you, going to view those links now.

 

[mejumpmore1]

Do I need to use all three of those medications or just use one? I have some soluble duramycin that I can use in her water, would that do the trick?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do I need to use all three of those medications or just use one? I have some soluble duramycin that I can use in her water, would that do the trick?

No, you just need to use the Duramycin. It is tetracycline, and may be a little weaker than oxy- or chlortetracycline, but is still in that family. Of all of them Tylan may be best.

 

[mejumpmore1]

thanks! How Long Should I Keep Her On Antibiotics?

 

[Eggcessive]

If using the Duramycin10 you can mix it 1 tablespoonful per gallon water to get the maximum dosage of 800mg. That can be given from 7 up to 14 days. But if you don't see some improvement in a few days, I would be tempted to give Tylan50 injections for 5 days. Dosage is 1/2 to 1 cc/ml depending on weight. Use a 22 gauge needle, and go in 1/2 to 2/4 inch into the breast muscle. Alternate sides daily.