Question about Corid treatment

[LTygress]

I am treating my chickens with Corid, after finding a pile with some bloody poop. I have no idea who it was, but it doesn't matter, they're all being treated.

I was actually fully expecting to dump the water out each day, rinse the pan, and then refill it with fresh water and a new dose of Corid as well. But as luck would have it... the temperatures dropped and the water froze. I didn't have another dish of water for them (I know it has to be their only drinking source), and the garden hose was ALSO frozen (this is Georgia, it rarely freezes here). So knowing only the surface was frozen, I took a sledge hammer and busted the ice up so they could actually access the WATER.

Since I can't refill it yet, I didn't replace it, even after breaking up the ice. I just let them have the existing water.

My question is, are they technically still getting dosed with Corid enough to count it as another day of treatment? The water that froze over, was water that I had added Corid to and it was still at normal strength, not "clean" water, or diluted with more water. However, it is actually clean as they haven't made the water or ice dirty, so I'm not THAT worried about changing it.

Since I can't replace it though, thanks to the frozen garden hose, I'm not sure if I should consider them to be on day 2 and 3 of their treatment, or still on day 1. Since no water has been added at all, they are still getting the full dose strength when they drink from it.

Should I continue counting the days, or wait until I can replace the water properly, and consider that to be Day 2?

 

[casportpony]

Depending on what you read, the recommended treatment at the max dose is between 3-7 days, so do what feels best to you.

FDA recommendations:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/animaldrugsatfda/details.cfm?dn=013-149
"Chickens
Indications: For the treatment of coccidiosis.
Amount: Administer at the 0.012 percent level in drinking water as soon as coccidiosis is diagnosed and continue for 3 to 5 days (in severe outbreaks, give amprolium at the 0.024 percent level); continue with 0.006 percent amprolium-medicated water for an additional 1 to 2 weeks."

And this link has these instructions:
http://www.drugs.com/vet/amprol-9-6-solution-can.html
"Poultry - as Soon As Caecal Coccidiosis Is Diagnosed, Give 0.024% Amprolium In The Drinking Water For 5 To 7 Days. Continue The Treatment With 0.006% Amprolium Medicated Water For An Additional One To Two Weeks. No Other Source Of Drinking Water Should Be Available To The Birds During This Time."

The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid Powder is 1/3 teaspoon (1.134 grams)
The preventative dose (.006%) for Corid liquid is 1/2 teaspoon.

The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid Powder is 3/4 teaspoon (2.268 grams).
The moderate outbreak dose (.012%) for Corid liquid is 1 teaspoon

The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid Powder is 1.5 teaspoons (4.536 grams)
The severe outbreak dose (.024%) for Corid liquid is 2 teaspoon.

-Kathy

 

[LTygress]

I think simply because they are still getting the full-strength dose (the .012% level), I'm going to go ahead and count the days as treatment days. If I had diluted the water, I might not count it, but the water was simply frozen, not diluted.

So that would make this day 3, and I'm going to say I have 4 more days to go with the actual treatment. No one has become lethargic, or showing other signs of illness aside from that one bad poop, so I don't consider it severe. At least not yet. This cold weather may weaken some immune systems, so we'll see how it goes and whether or not I see anymore signs.

 

[casportpony]

Sounds like a plan!

-Kathy

 

[Sarevan]

I can't find the link, but I read that medications put in water that freezes can change the effectiveness of the meds if not totally null it. I live in WA we can get cold water freezes, until I got a heated waterer I had to do water several times a day.

When I had them on corid I used the lil water containers swapping them out with the medicated water. I didn't use the heated water container as even water that is heated can change the meds effectiveness. I either did all that work so the medication was doing its thing or made a lot more work for myself.