Sulfamethazine antibiotics, sick rooster and no signs of improvement in 72 hours... help!

[farmerbeebee]

I recently posted on here about my sick rooster (5 months old). He has had green diarrhea, lameness, and lethargy for four days. Well, long story short I was told he has fowl cholera, so I have been treating him with sulfamethazine sodium solution (12.5%) in his drinking water. I have been syringe feeding him his water. I have also been giving him yogurt, tomatoes, corn, and greens since he has a poor appetite and he has been slowly eating, but getting some down. He has no other symptoms but the green diarrhea, lameness, and lethargy.
So, basically my question is- he has had a full 72 hours on antibiotics, with no signs of improvement... do I need to be more patient? Any other thoughts on what I can be doing?
We have only one vet in the area that is experienced with chickens, & he is booked to the brim- otherwise I would have already taken him to the vet. The lady at the feed store was absolutely clueless! I am at a loss as to what to do :'( I love my little guy and I can't stand to see him suffer. Any guidance would be much appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[2greenboyz]

Sorry about your roo - how do you know it's cholera? Did you get a dx? Anybody else show any signs of this? Green diarrhea usually indicates not enough food intake - that's what I've heard (and seen in mine). Of course, it could indicate other problems too. You seem to be doing everything you can at this point, but seeing as there has been no improvement in 3 days on sulfa, if it were me I'd try a broad spectrum antibiotic or treat with corid for cocci. (You say you treated with antibiotics but you don't say what it was). I would not be more patient, when they are showing obvious signs of illness, birds are already very sick. Sorry I can't help more on this, if you have more info on your roo, please add that. I'd like to know why you think its cholera though.....

Another idea on feeding, if you can get some baby bird formula - like for indoor pet birds (feed stores have this), you just mix it with water and syringe it in carefully. Watch out - it really thickens up you keep adding water. I've kept some of mine going on this until their appetite picked back up.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry to hear about your rooster. I don't know much about fowl cholera, but it sounds like your current antibiotic isn't working. It could be that he's not getting the correct dose, which happens often when it's in their drinking water. I always give antibiotics orally, but I don't don't know what the correct oral dose for Sulmet is. If it is cholera, and he is getting the proper dose of antibiotics, you might have a strain that is resistant to sulfa.

Either way, If I were you, I would switch to a different antibiotic or figure out the correct sulfa dose and give it orally. I would also weigh him daily and adjust the medication dose accordingly.

Can you get any Baytril? It's prescription only and often prescribed for cats and dogs, so maybe one of your friends has some extra. Or, if you look hard enough, you can find it on the web in the USA.
You could also try finding any small animal vet, pay their office visit/exam fee and ask them for Baytril.

Check out these links:
http://www.animalhealth.bayerhealthcare.com/5208.0.html
http://thepoultrygarden.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1185
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/202600.htm
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/61/fowl-cholera-pasteurellosis

-Kathy
Gilroy, CA

 

[casportpony]

3 days on sulfa, if it were me I'd try a broad spectrum antibiotic or treat with corid for cocci.  (You say you treated with antibiotics but you don't say what it was).

I assumed the antibiotic being used was/is Sulmet, aka sulfamethazine sodium 12.5%

-Kathy
Gilroy, CA

 

[2greenboyz]

Thanks Kathy I wasn't aware of that. Appreciate the clarification.

 

[farmerbeebee]

Thank you Kathy and 2greenboyz for your responses. So here's some clarification:
1. The rest of the flock is unaffected.
2. He hasn't been drinking water on his own, so I have been able to control the amount of antibiotics & properly dose him
3. He is currently on sulfamethazine 12.5% (sulmet)
4. The reason I thought it was fowl cholera was from a few different people who's birds had the exact same symptoms and also from a few of the other posts on here.
5. The vet that would normally see chickens in my area is unavailable to see him until Monday and I don't know that he will last that long. The feed store closes in 2 hours, so I am thinking that I need to try tetracycline now?
6. I have no access to Baytril
7. Within the last few hours he is refusing to eat even tomatoes :'(

I am at a loss for what to do next, but I will most definitely try the baby bird food, thank you!!!

So....do you think Corid of Tetracycline next? I hope corid isn't a RX...

 

[farmerbeebee]

I now believe that it is not fowl cholera, considering the antibiotics are not working, he has no signs of an upper respiratory infection, so I don't know if tetracycline is my best bet... no coughing, no nasal discharge, within the last 24 hours his comb has flipped over and it's now a light pink, he's laying with his chest down and his behind in the air and sleeping an enormous amount.

 

[2greenboyz]

Corid is similar to Sulmet, which you already tried. You have tetracycline on hand? Maybe Kathy will chime in and she seems to be more experienced with this on whether that might work - I hate to tell you to use it then find out my info was off base but as poorly as your roo is doing I'd say you don't have much to lose - just my opinion. I have put some sugar in water to provide an extra boost of energy, some use corn syrup also. I know its hard to sit by and do nothing, but keeping him hydrated is important.

 

[farmerbeebee]

Thank you greenboyz, I did not even think of doing sugar/water to boost his energy a little. I will a little sugar in the next syringe bottle. If corid is similar to sulmet, then I think tetracycline might be the way to go next, hopefully Kathy will let me know if she thinks its a good idea to go that route. I agree, at this point, doing something is better than nothing...
Thank you again!!

 

[casportpony]

Thank you greenboyz, I did not even think of doing sugar/water to boost his energy a little. I will a little sugar in the next syringe bottle. If corid is similar to sulmet, then I think tetracycline might be the way to go next, hopefully Kathy will let me know if she thinks its a good idea to go that route. I agree, at this point, doing something is better than nothing...
Thank you again!!

 

Corid treats coccidiosis. It is not an antibiotic, but it won't kill him.

Kathy
Gilroy, CA