Study about MAREKS/ treatment with hypericum

[Jfiscus12]

I thought I would post this information to hopefully help somebody that is going through the same thing as I am. When I suspected mareks I searched the internet for hours hoping to find anything I could to help my poor baby. I started a study with my mareks flock and here are the results. I had silkie chicks that were about three months old.

Chick number 1:
Limping for days
Right leg extended
Separated from flock
Got depressed
Loss in appetite
Eventually couldnt walk
One leg forward one back
Normal poop
Couldn’t feel crop
Loss in eyesight

Treatment for chick number 1:
Before I knew it was mareks for sure I did a molasses flush for any worms/parasites. I gave vitamin E and selenium and vitamin B complex with no improvement. Symptom onset until the time I choose to end suffering was 2 weeks.

Chick number 2:
Started limping
Left leg extended
Normal poop
Collapsed crop
I separated from flock but remained outside to help with depression.
Slowly losing eyesight
Legs stuck in “split” position
Couldn’t stand

Treatment for chick number 2:
I immediately started vitamins. I read on here about hypericum/St. John’s wort to help with mareks. I bought 6c. Of hypericum(lowest dose) and started treatment for that right away. 2x a day every 12 hours. I mixed it in plastic with distilled water. I Still wasn’t positive it was mareks but ruled out lice/mites/worms/parasites. I stopped vitamins and treated with Corrid. Things didn’t seem to be getting better or worse. Another chicken tried to get through the fence and scared her and that made her decline very fast. This time the chick made it to 3 weeks since symptoms started.

Chick number 3:
Started limping
Left leg extended
Losing balance
Started to isolate

Treatment for chick number 3:
I ruled out everything else it could be and based on symptoms I knew it was mareks. I got these chicks from a back yard breeder that did not vaccinate for mareks. I spoke with a vet that recommended giving the mareks vaccine to the rest of my flock as well as my one showing symptoms. Yes I am aware you are supposed to give the vaccine to day old chicks and once they show symptoms it’s apparently to late. This vet said they had seen first hand the vaccine shrink the tumors that were starting to form. I had nothing else to lose so I tried it. I got the vaccine and administered it to my only chick showing symptoms as well as my healthy ones. So far it has been two and a half weeks and the foot is not extended anymore and the limping is slowly going away. I still need time to see the final results but my other two were paralyzed by 2 weeks and couldn’t stand so I’m very hopeful this will work. I am posting this to give anyone hope that is searching the internet to find anything that might help about mareks.

 

[Jfiscus12]

Do you have updates on what you've tried, especially with giving the vaccine to already sick birds? I have a boy we're treating with Acyclovir for Mareks. It's of course not a standard treatment, but there was a study done on its effects on Mareks. He's also getting pain reliever with gabapentin and and antiinflammatory. It's been about a month since onset of symptoms and he's still alive. It seems like he's slowly improving, but we are near the end of week one of the Acyclovir. I'd like to try the vaccine once done with this if in fact your birds saw improvement

Yes! She made a full recovery! No limping and full appetite and happy after the vaccine. It took about a week or so to see improvements and it will only work if given early enough. I tried on one that was to far gone and didn’t work. I ordered the vaccine on Valleyvet. She was good for awhile and even hatched out some babies but I messed up and tried to change the coops up and it stressed her out(stress brings out mareks). So overall the vaccine completely got rid of symptoms and she was happy and healthy but as in any case a carrier of mareks will always be a carrier and stress is a huge trigger. The stress caused another outbreak with her and she started going downhill again.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Welcome from New Orleans. I am sorry you are going through this with your chicks. However, I must tell you that I am skeptical of your vet's method of treatment. I think I would want a second opinion on the method of treatment. just MHO

 

[Tsnn]

I thought I would post this information to hopefully help somebody that is going through the same thing as I am. When I suspected mareks I searched the internet for hours hoping to find anything I could to help my poor baby. I started a study with my mareks flock and here are the results. I had silkie chicks that were about three months old.

Chick number 1:
Limping for days
Right leg extended
Separated from flock
Got depressed
Loss in appetite
Eventually couldnt walk
One leg forward one back
Normal poop
Couldn’t feel crop
Loss in eyesight

Treatment for chick number 1:
Before I knew it was mareks for sure I did a molasses flush for any worms/parasites. I gave vitamin E and selenium and vitamin B complex with no improvement. Symptom onset until the time I choose to end suffering was 2 weeks.

Chick number 2:
Started limping
Left leg extended
Normal poop
Collapsed crop
I separated from flock but remained outside to help with depression.
Slowly losing eyesight
Legs stuck in “split” position
Couldn’t stand

Treatment for chick number 2:
I immediately started vitamins. I read on here about hypericum/St. John’s wort to help with mareks. I bought 6c. Of hypericum(lowest dose) and started treatment for that right away. 2x a day every 12 hours. I mixed it in plastic with distilled water. I Still wasn’t positive it was mareks but ruled out lice/mites/worms/parasites. I stopped vitamins and treated with Corrid. Things didn’t seem to be getting better or worse. Another chicken tried to get through the fence and scared her and that made her decline very fast. This time the chick made it to 3 weeks since symptoms started.

Chick number 3:
Started limping
Left leg extended
Losing balance
Started to isolate

Treatment for chick number 3:
I ruled out everything else it could be and based on symptoms I knew it was mareks. I got these chicks from a back yard breeder that did not vaccinate for mareks. I spoke with a vet that recommended giving the mareks vaccine to the rest of my flock as well as my one showing symptoms. Yes I am aware you are supposed to give the vaccine to day old chicks and once they show symptoms it’s apparently to late. This vet said they had seen first hand the vaccine shrink the tumors that were starting to form. I had nothing else to lose so I tried it. I got the vaccine and administered it to my only chick showing symptoms as well as my healthy ones. So far it has been two and a half weeks and the foot is not extended anymore and the limping is slowly going away. I still need time to see the final results but my other two were paralyzed by 2 weeks and couldn’t stand so I’m very hopeful this will work. I am posting this to give anyone hope that is searching the internet to find anything that might help about mareks.

I’m right there with you and I’m willing to try anything to save my baby

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

So sorry you went through that. Your documentation will surely help others in similar situations.
Did you do any treatment to the rest of your flock to lessen symptoms other than vaccine? How are they now?

 

[cavemanrich]

I will follow this thread to see what others post as treatment. My flock never had Mareks,,, but things can change instantly.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Jfiscus12]

I’m right there with you and I’m willing to try anything to save my baby

I’m sorry you are going through this. It’s a tough situation.

 

[chickengothmom]

I’m sorry you are going through this. It’s a tough situation.

Do you have updates on what you've tried, especially with giving the vaccine to already sick birds? I have a boy we're treating with Acyclovir for Mareks. It's of course not a standard treatment, but there was a study done on its effects on Mareks. He's also getting pain reliever with gabapentin and and antiinflammatory. It's been about a month since onset of symptoms and he's still alive. It seems like he's slowly improving, but we are near the end of week one of the Acyclovir. I'd like to try the vaccine once done with this if in fact your birds saw improvement

 

[Justso]

Did you send any of your animals out for a necropsy to verify they had Mereks?

 

[Calshoney]

I thought I would post this information to hopefully help somebody that is going through the same thing as I am. When I suspected mareks I searched the internet for hours hoping to find anything I could to help my poor baby. I started a study with my mareks flock and here are the results. I had silkie chicks that were about three months old.

Chick number 1:
Limping for days
Right leg extended
Separated from flock
Got depressed
Loss in appetite
Eventually couldnt walk
One leg forward one back
Normal poop
Couldn’t feel crop
Loss in eyesight

Treatment for chick number 1:
Before I knew it was mareks for sure I did a molasses flush for any worms/parasites. I gave vitamin E and selenium and vitamin B complex with no improvement. Symptom onset until the time I choose to end suffering was 2 weeks.

Chick number 2:
Started limping
Left leg extended
Normal poop
Collapsed crop
I separated from flock but remained outside to help with depression.
Slowly losing eyesight
Legs stuck in “split” position
Couldn’t stand

Treatment for chick number 2:
I immediately started vitamins. I read on here about hypericum/St. John’s wort to help with mareks. I bought 6c. Of hypericum(lowest dose) and started treatment for that right away. 2x a day every 12 hours. I mixed it in plastic with distilled water. I Still wasn’t positive it was mareks but ruled out lice/mites/worms/parasites. I stopped vitamins and treated with Corrid. Things didn’t seem to be getting better or worse. Another chicken tried to get through the fence and scared her and that made her decline very fast. This time the chick made it to 3 weeks since symptoms started.

Chick number 3:
Started limping
Left leg extended
Losing balance
Started to isolate

Treatment for chick number 3:
I ruled out everything else it could be and based on symptoms I knew it was mareks. I got these chicks from a back yard breeder that did not vaccinate for mareks. I spoke with a vet that recommended giving the mareks vaccine to the rest of my flock as well as my one showing symptoms. Yes I am aware you are supposed to give the vaccine to day old chicks and once they show symptoms it’s apparently to late. This vet said they had seen first hand the vaccine shrink the tumors that were starting to form. I had nothing else to lose so I tried it. I got the vaccine and administered it to my only chick showing symptoms as well as my healthy ones. So far it has been two and a half weeks and the foot is not extended anymore and the limping is slowly going away. I still need time to see the final results but my other two were paralyzed by 2 weeks and couldn’t stand so I’m very hopeful this will work. I am posting this to give anyone hope that is searching the internet to find anything that might help about mareks.

What was the name of the vaccine and where did you purchase it from