Quail with head injury panting heavily

[maadroj]

He didn't have any appetite for the first week or two, though. He started to show progress once he started eating again--until the panting started.

 

[TwoCrows]

Well, keep doing what you are doing, and keep us posted!

 

[maadroj]

Thanks. Sometimes I think he's doing a bit better, and sometimes I think he's getting worse. It's hard to see him struggle, yet other times he's hungry and alert.

I know gapeworm isn't common in quail and I de-wormed not too long ago, but is there some chance this could be a case of gapeworm multiplying during his weakened state? What strikes me is the combination of symptoms: gaping, dyspnoea, head shaking, and loss of appetite/condition. https://thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/gape

I've never seen him eat an earthworm, but there are a lot of them underground in the aviary, and I did see him eat a beetle (June bug?) larva a few weeks before his injury. But I'm hesitant to randomly give him more medicines in his weakened state if this is unlikely.

 

[TwoCrows]

What did you worm with? If you used something that was supposed to kill off gapeworms, then I wouldn't tax his system with another round. If you wormed with something that may not have done the job, you might try another round. I don't like to worm really sick birds, but sometimes it is necessary to rule it out by worming, it could save the bird's life.

 

[maadroj]

Unfortunately, it turns out I didn't write down the dates. I know I used Wazine in November. I intended to wait six months, but then used Safeguard sometime after that, maybe January or February because some of the birds seemed not to feel well.

 

[TwoCrows]

Unfortunately, it turns out I didn't write down the dates. I know I used Wazine in November. I intended to wait six months, but then used Safeguard sometime after that, maybe January or February because some of the birds seemed not to feel well.

Safeguard does kill gapeworms, so chances are this isn't the issue. Did you repeat the safequard for 3 or 4 days? This amount of time kills off all worms, tapeworms being the exception. They require other wormers.

 

[maadroj]

Yes, treated over three days. Also now that I think more about it, he is sneezing, so that probably isn't gapeworm. Sort of disappointing, since I was hoping this might be something I could help him overcome.

 

[maadroj]

He might be making a little bit of progress. He's still very weak and panting but had regained a tiny bit of strength and a little bit of his normal feistiness.

I was able to find an amoxicillin tylosin mix online (https://allbirdproducts.com/products/amtyl). I'll buy some to have on hand, at least. It will take a few days to arrive, so we'll see how he's doing then. Amoxicillin is out of stock, but they sometimes sell 10% and 25%. Which one would you keep for quail? Are there any other meds that you keep ready?

 

[maadroj]

New development: there is a dark patch on the inside of his beak. When he broke it, I noticed what looked like a tiny crack deeper in the beak, but it looked like the crack was only on the inside. The area developed a dark patch. Is it infected?

 

[maadroj]

I think that patch is a bruise. It's hard to see because he isn't panting as much anymore, but it seems to be fading.

Now he is breathing normally except when stressed, and he is slowly regaining mobility. But he has also lost most of his appetite and has watery diarrhea.