Respiratory infection

[oshilo88]

Hi! What medicine is the best to treat my chickens with respiratory infection? I tried Denagard, doesn't help them. They are sneezing, coughing very bad.... I don't know how to help them, they're just suffering, their nostrils are all blocked... please advise. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi! What medicine is the best to treat my chickens with respiratory infection? I tried Denagard, doesn't help them. They are sneezing, coughing very bad.... I don't know how to help them, they're just suffering, their nostrils are all blocked... please advise. Thank you!

Can you please post some photos of what they look like today?
Have you tried any other antibiotics in the past or present?

I looked at a couple of your other threads and you mentioned that your coop had Bad Air and likely need more ventilation. Did you correct that? https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...one-half-way-closed-eye.1341301/post-21987018

Also you had another thread where you were using Denagard and birds did not seem to be responding, just as you have posted today that the Denagard is not helping.
Denagard only treats Mycoplasma, so you may be dealing with a virus, fungal or bacterial infection that Denagard won't treat.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/denagard-12-5-antibiotic.1334989/post-21813411
It's hard to know what to suggest for you to give without knowing the cause of the symptoms you are seeing. Do the birds have pus in the eyes and a bad odor? Is there yellow or white cheesy material inside the beak and/or throat? Is there mold in the coop?
Have ventilation issues been addressed?

Getting some testing/sending some swabs to be analyzed will give you some great information so you know what you are dealing with, then you can come up with a treatment plan.

There are many respiratory diseases that chickens can have -some are viruses and will not respond to antibiotics. Others that are bacterial may require different types antibiotics, so knowing what you have is going to dictate how you treat.

Ohio state lab
https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/programs/animal-disease-diagnostic-lab/
Independent Testing
http://www.zoologix.com/
http://www.vetdna.com/test-type/avian-bird

 

[oshilo88]

They are eating, drinking normal. Just coughing a lot, and loudly, and sneezing, I can see their nostrils are all with mucus....no other symptoms, nothing in their eyes or beaks. I corrected their ventilation.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with @Wyorp Rock, that you might be dealing with something other than MG, since Denagard is used for that. Coryza, is best treated with culling or sulfa antibiotics (Bactrim, Sulfatrim, Sulfadimethoxine.) A virus (infectious bronchitis or ILT) or a fungus (aspergillosis) would not respond to antibiotics. A virus would have to run it’s course over time. A fungus is from mold exposure.

The symptoms sound like possible infectious bronchitis.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They are eating, drinking normal. Just coughing a lot, and loudly, and sneezing, I can see their nostrils are all with mucus....no other symptoms, nothing in their eyes or beaks. I corrected their ventilation.

Can you post some photos?

Are these the same birds that were sick last year? What type of treatment/care did you do then?

 

[oshilo88]

Can you please post some photos of what they look like today?
Have you tried any other antibiotics in the past or present?

I looked at a couple of your other threads and you mentioned that your coop had Bad Air and likely need more ventilation. Did you correct that? https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...one-half-way-closed-eye.1341301/post-21987018

Also you had another thread where you were using Denagard and birds did not seem to be responding, just as you have posted today that the Denagard is not helping.
Denagard only treats Mycoplasma, so you may be dealing with a virus, fungal or bacterial infection that Denagard won't treat.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/denagard-12-5-antibiotic.1334989/post-21813411
It's hard to know what to suggest for you to give without knowing the cause of the symptoms you are seeing. Do the birds have pus in the eyes and a bad odor? Is there yellow or white cheesy material inside the beak and/or throat? Is there mold in the coop?
Have ventilation issues been addressed?

Getting some testing/sending some swabs to be analyzed will give you some great information so you know what you are dealing with, then you can come up with a treatment plan.

There are many respiratory diseases that chickens can have -some are viruses and will not respond to antibiotics. Others that are bacterial may require different types antibiotics, so knowing what you have is going to dictate how you treat.

Ohio state lab
https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/programs/animal-disease-diagnostic-lab/
Independent Testing
http://www.zoologix.com/
http://www.vetdna.com/test-type/avian-bird

I also tried Baytril, didn't help

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a handy link about all common diseases including the respiratory ones listed in post 4:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They are eating, drinking normal. Just coughing a lot, and loudly, and sneezing, I can see their nostrils are all with mucus....no other symptoms, nothing in their eyes or beaks. I corrected their ventilation.

I also tried Baytril, didn't help

If Baytril did not help, then likely you are dealing with a virus.
Can you send some samples in for testing?

Birds are eating and drinking like normal. You may want to just monitor them to see if symptoms improve like before. I don't know what else you can use are far as treatment.
More ventilation maybe. You could try a vaporizer or misting with Oxine - that may help relieve symptoms. https://www.shagbarkbantams.com/upper-respiratory-fungal-infections/

 

[oshilo88]

Can you post some photos?

Are these the same birds that were sick last year? What type of treatment/care did you do then?

Last year I used Bayril, which helped them. No, this year my young girls, 6 months old got these symptoms. I also tried Baycox, nothing helping...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Last year I used Bayril, which helped them. No, this year my young girls, 6 months old got these symptoms. I also tried Baycox, nothing helping...

I'm sorry nothing is helping.
You could try the Baytril to see if that makes a difference. Whatever you have going on, the youngsters likely contracted that from the others. Respiratory diseases make birds carriers and it gets passed along, even if birds recover.

Have you considered closing your flock and letting your birds die off instead of adding more that will get sick? Once all the carriers are gone, then sanitize, leave the coop empty for a resting period and repopulate. Get birds from a reputable hatchery or breeder.

It may be worth looking into using Oxine to see if that helps as well.

Baycox (Toltrazuril) is a Coccidiostat (antiprotozoal) and is used to treat Coccidiosis, it's not an antibiotic so would not be effective against bacterial respiratory disease.