Silkie Pullet is bone thin, diarrhea, weak!

[Kiki]

Yes, treating her with Furaltadone and Ronidazole, why? I've not heard that before. Hoke gets the meds in the am (pill form) and a diluted solution of vitamins and electrolytes in the evening, about 3cc only because I didn't want to dehydrate her with sodium.

I don't know if either of those actually kill Cocci.

 

[Kiki]

Furaltadone is for respiratory infection
and Ronidazole trichomonal infections, neither treat Cocci.

 

[sbhkma]

You need to use something like Corid if you're treating for Cocci.

 

[fruitbrute]

I don't know if either of those actually kill Cocci.

Ronidazole is a very effective antiprotozoal, which is what coccidiosis is caused by (coccidian protozoa).
(It also treats canker which is prevalent in pigeons and can also affect chickens, it's caused by a flagellated protozoan - has a little whip tail, and not that I suspected it was an issue here but it treats it just the same)

The Furaltadone is an nitrofuran antibiotic which combats bacteria like e.coli and salmonella/paratyphoid.

It was what I had on hand and has always worked great treating really sick pigeons and other birds. I've used it on a chicken before with excellent results, and it seems to have helped Hoke so far.

I honestly didn't think she would make it through the first night, but there was a dramatic improvement the next morning and that's in line with my results using these drugs before, so it seemed to have helped? I think?

My experience and knowledge of chickens ailments and drugs is so small and limited, but my experience with pigeons is pretty extensive - thankfully it seems a lot of the same things affect/work for both, though I'm sure certain drugs are used/not used due to people eating the chicken eggs (or the chickens themselves)?

 

[Kiki]

But remember...Cocci thrive on the vitamin...If you care pumping her full of vitamins while trying to kill off Cocci you are defeating the purpose of treating for it to begin with.
I've never seen nor heard either of these two kill Cocci.

 

[fruitbrute]

You need to use something like Corid if you're treating for Cocci.

Agreed, Corid is great - but I had to act fast and didn't have any on hand (and I wanted something in pill form as I prefer it when treating one sick bird - you get a measured exact dose). Since she responded so well and quickly to the Furaltadone/Ronidazole combo, I stuck with it, as generally it's wise to complete the suggested course of treatment (7 days in this case).

I plan to treat the other birds with Corid since it's easier to administer it to a flock that way, even a small flock, as preventative care.

 

[Kiki]

Knowing how coccidia develop helps to understand and control the disease. Coccidiosis is caused in poultry by a one-celled parasite of the genus Eimeria. The life cycle of Eimeria takes about four to seven days to complete. It begins when active “oocysts” are picked up by the bird and swallowed. An “oocyst” is a capsule with a thick wall protecting the parasites. They “sporulate” or become infective if moisture, temperature, and oxygen become conducive to growth. After a bird eats the oocysts, coccidia imbed in the intestinal lining and multiply several times, damaging tissue.

Coccidical Multiplication

Coccidia are very prolific parasites. A single sporulated oocyst can have a big impact when eaten by a chicken. Each oocyst has four sporocysts in it, and each sporocyst has two sporozoites in it. The digestive tract releases the eight sporozoites from the oocyst, and they move into the cell lining of the digestive tract. Inside the cell, the parasite divides and invades more cells. There may be several generations of asexual multiplication; however, this stage is self-limiting and eventually stops. Finally, a sexual stage occurs in which male and female organisms unite and form new oocysts that are protected by a thick wall. These oocysts are shed in the feces. See Coccidia Life Cycle Diagram below.

 

[Kiki]

Here is what will treat Cocci:

• Sulfa drugs: An exciting discovery in the 1930s was that sulfa drugs would prevent coccidiosis – the first drugs shown to do so. Sulfa drugs also have some antibacterial action. However, a relatively large amount of sulfa was needed (10-20 percent of the diet) and could be tolerated by the bird for only a short time, since it caused rickets. (Reid, 1990) Sulfa drugs had to be used intermittently (e.g., three days on and three days off). Nowadays, comparatively small amounts of sulfamonaides, such as sulfaquinoxaline, are used. They work only against Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria maxima, not against Eimeria tenella. Sulfamonaides are used to treat coccidiosis.
• Amprolium: Amprolium is an anticoccidial drug. It has also been used for many years and needs no withdrawal time to guard against residue in the meat. It is given in the drinking water and interferes with metabolism of the vitamin thiamin (vitamin B1) in coccidia. Amprolium treats both intestinal and cecal coccidia.
• Quinolones: Quinolones are “coccidiostats” that arrest the coccidia in an early stage of development. An example is decoquinate (Deccox®). The drugs are used for prevention.
• Ionophores: Ionophores are anticoccidials commonly used in the large-scale industry. They alter the function of the cell membrane and rupture the parasite. Ionophores also have antibacterial action and help prevent secondary gut diseases. Ionophores are not synthetic drugs; they are produced by fermentation and include monensin (Coban®) and salinomycin (Salinomax®). However, some ionophores are now completely ineffective against coccidia because of resistance the coccidia have developed. They are used for prevention.
• Other drugs: There are many other anticoccidial drugs in various chemical classes with various modes of action. Examples are Cycarb® (nicarbizine) and Cycostat® (Robenidine Hydrochloride).

 

[sbhkma]

Agreed, Corid is great - but I had to act fast and didn't have any on hand (and I wanted something in pill form as I prefer it when treating one sick bird - you get a measured exact dose). Since she responded so well and quickly to the Furaltadone/Ronidazole combo, I stuck with it, as generally it's wise to complete the suggested course of treatment (7 days in this case).

I plan to treat the other birds with Corid since it's easier to administer it to a flock that way, even a small flock, as preventative care.

Understood, but if it IS Cocci you're dealing with your untreated bird will still be suffering from it. If it were my bird, I'd treat her for it as well as the whole flock. Then follow up with probiotics and vitamins for a few days.

 

[fruitbrute]

But remember...Cocci thrive on the vitamin...If you care pumping her full of vitamins while trying to kill off Cocci you are defeating the purpose of treating for it to begin with.
I've never seen nor heard either of these two kill Cocci.

Well, I wouldn't say I'm pumping her full of anything. And while Cocci protozoan do rely on some vitamins to thrive, so do the chickens - so it's also generally advised to continue vitamin support during treatment to assist in recovery.

At least in my experience and how I learned to rehabilitate birds.

The medication is usually effective enough disrupting protozoal DNA to counter any influence the presence of vitamins may have.