Swelling around the lower jaw in my Leghorn

[Eggsoteric]

Have you taken a look inside her mouth? That looks like it could possibly be a case of canker.

 

[jlblock01]

Her mouth is clean and pink on the inside... a bit of swelling in the bottom of her mouth but no lesion, no cheesey bits, nothing as far as I can see down her throat... no bad smell. The swelling is greatly reduced today... she is still eating and drinking well.

 

[jlblock01]

Updated pics of Josie today after a night inside and some TLC, water with ACV, she ate oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast and some yogurt. I think we will rename her pigpen because every photo she seems to have something on her face ! The white stuff on her beak is yogurt!! As you can see the swelling is much decreased and her eyes and nose remain clear. The inside of her mouth is still clear.

This side was less swollen from the beginning and barely noticeable now. We will continue to watch her and treat her comb with iodine to see if the spots improve.

 

[Eggsoteric]

That's quite the improvement!

 

[cowcreekgeek]

jlblock: Cowcreekgeek is good here on byc and is always helping folks out. I'll be watching to see how Josie (love the name) turns out.

Thank you for your kind words, but fowlpox is mostly one of those situations where we'll all just be watchin' as there really is no effective treatment for the virus itself; about all anybody can do is try 'n manage it's spread, and treat 'em for any secondary infections that might come along.

We isolated her yesterday first thing and started the whole flock on water with ACV in a plastic waterer. The rest of the flock appear fine and are eating and doing all the things that chickens do! Josie (the ill chicken) is eating well this morning ... oatmeal with blueberries and some yogurt, she has water with ACV in it as well. I will look at the web link for medications someone provided and get an order in ! The swelling that did extend from one side to the other is now just a bit on both sides nothing in the middle... her eyes are still clear, no mucus discharge from her nose etc. We kept her in the house last night because we were concerned about her not being warm enough out near the others (it was mid 20's here last night) She rested well and is scratching around in the dog crate this morning peeking out at us trying to figure out where she is ! I will do some research on fowl pox and see what I see as suggestions for medications. Thanks so much for all the help!! This is our first flock so we are learning as we go after having done a great deal of research which apparently did not include enough preparation for illnesses! Though this is our first one!

As heart-breaking as watchin' birds suffer through fowlpox is gonna be, there is no effective treatment for the virus itself ... you can make 'em more comfortable, and provide the ACV and good nutrition, which is what you're doing.

One thing you might wanna try to do ... invite your son by your side, and have him read along w/ you, as this is his Josie that we're talkin' about. Your son, of course, to guide as you see fit, but I encourage you to let him take his place on the battle field, 'cause it's his fight, too.

>> peck here << for a good page on caring for the ill/injured.

As you read up on fowlpox, you'll see that mobidity is extremely high, but that number refers to the rate of incidence of the disease, rather than the mortality rate, which is actually rather low (which I'm Josie will be glad to hear ~'-)

The part she won't is that there's a very high incidence of secondary infections, and that the wet form is far more risky for any chicken to have, as it can interfere w/ eating/drinking/breathing. So, you're gonna have to take a really close look into her mouth, and try 'n differentiate her condition from the wet form of fowlpox, as birds can indeed have both, but most often don't.

​

diptheritic nodules (oropharynx)​

Hopefully, you won't see these in her mouth, or those of any others in your flock (but, wash up really well before checkin' the others). It can sometimes look like they're eating cheese. These images came from Cornell University's Atlas of Avian Diseases, which is some heavy reading.

Now, I'm goin' off the books with this suggestion, but I'm certain it will reduce the numbers of viable viri which may help to reduce the spread, or even lessen the severity of infection (although it probably won't). Pick up a gallon of OdoBan (home depot carries it, for certain) and drag out your garden sprayer (clean it out w/ soap and water). Mix it at a ratio of 1:32, and then spray absolutely anything that can't outrun the mist ... the goal is to keep anything you can wet for one minute, as that will be enough to kill everything that it can. And, even if this doesn't prevent the fowlpox from finding any it will? It will certainly have an impact on the secondary infections.

Sorry y'all have to go through this ...

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I've simply gotta quite leavin' windows open, and returning to later respond to 'em ... so glad to hear it's gonna prove to be the dry form, and just some manner of infection (even though missin' such important updates makes me look like an idiot ~'-)

 

[Bogtown Chick]

OHHH Wow jlblock! She looks great right now. Yay! Josie! Everytime I go onto byc I tuck away a little bit more information for my own rainy day, if/ when that should come. Thanks for letting me sound out and "dip my paddle." I wonder if your quick work were key.I know with viruses the quicker you respond with action the less toll they take in general. Is this change just in one day? Or would you say it's been getting better since the original photos...? At any rate if you could rate out which actions you took and timing of response to those treatments. I might just start my own cut and paste Chicken malady/treatment document.

Yay Josie! again!

 

[jlblock01]

The first photos were taken Sunday evening when we first noticed the swelling .. they had been foraging in the yard when my son picked her up and noticed it. We weren't sure what to do so left her in the coop overnight then isolated her first thing Monday morning as she began to act like she was cold and not feeling as energetic. We had researched into the night Sunday night and so Monday I went on a search for medicines but found 3 local feed stores were all out of what the first farm store had recommended (Oxytetracycline? ) We had immediately put ACV in the water for all the birds and examined each one for signs of anything in the rest.... all look fine.

Both days I have given water with ACV, made warm oatmeal with apples, pears, blueberries(whatever was handy) and yogurt. The pictures posted today were from this morning after her breakfast of oatmeal, blueberries and yogurt. We have taken periodic looks into her mouth and throat and she looks pink and healthy with no lesions... the swelling in the bottom of her mouth is almost entirely gone. I appreciate all the help from everyone! I hope to learn enough to one day be of help to someone else!!

 

[cowcreekgeek]

The first photos were taken Sunday evening when we first noticed the swelling .. they had been foraging in the yard when my son picked her up and noticed it. We weren't sure what to do so left her in the coop overnight then isolated her first thing Monday morning as she began to act like she was cold and not feeling as energetic. We had researched into the night Sunday night and so Monday I went on a search for medicines but found 3 local feed stores were all out of what the first farm store had recommended (Oxytetracycline? ) We had immediately put ACV in the water for all the birds and examined each one for signs of anything in the rest.... all look fine.

Both days I have given water with ACV, made warm oatmeal with apples, pears, blueberries(whatever was handy) and yogurt. The pictures posted today were from this morning after her breakfast of oatmeal, blueberries and yogurt. We have taken periodic looks into her mouth and throat and she looks pink and healthy with no lesions... the swelling in the bottom of her mouth is almost entirely gone. I appreciate all the help from everyone! I hope to learn enough to one day be of help to someone else!!

I want you to know that you are already helping tremendously, just by sharing your experience ... helping others helps those that do, and there's a few things I'd like to know for sure, if you don't mind:

1. I saw no indication that you had ever found/given any antibiotics, but only that you had searched for them unsuccessfully. Is this correct?
2. Is the ACV that you use(d) unpasturized, and is is unfiltered, and does it say 'mother' anywhere on the label?
3. Can you specifically name the brand and the type of yogurt that you used, so that I can find the specific cultures it contains?
4. Did you apply or deliver any other medications?
5. Are you happy that God's smiled on you 'n yours today?

Just had to throw that last one in, 'cause I sure am ~'-)

 

[jlblock01]

I want you to know that you are already helping tremendously, just by sharing your experience ... helping others helps those that do, and there's a few things I'd like to know for sure, if you don't mind:

1. I saw no indication that you had ever found/given any antibiotics, but only that you had searched for them unsuccessfully. Is this correct?
2. Is the ACV that you use(d) unpasturized, and is is unfiltered, and does it say 'mother' anywhere on the label?
3. Can you specifically name the brand and the type of yogurt that you used, so that I can find the specific cultures it contains?
4. Did you apply or deliver any other medications?
5. Are you happy that God's smiled on you 'n yours today?

Just had to throw that last one in, 'cause I sure am ~'-)

NO I was unable to find antibiotics... I did purchase VetRx but did not use it. I planned to buy Silver Colloidal but since my family is also down with respiratory illnesses prior to the chicken emergency I never made it out of the house today!
I used regular "canning" type ACV... White House brand from the grocery... I have heard folks say they use something from the feed store but I used what I had on hand so I could get it in them right away. The label just says "Canning ACV" and it was White House brand though I usually have Braggs organic on hand. My daughter uses it for rinsing her hair, my husband uses it for fungal skin problems... it has soooo many uses!
I used Fage Greek Yogurt.. Plain... it's what I buy for my family and what I give to the birds... Greek yogurt has twice the protein as regular yogurt so I think it's a great treat for them !
No other meds... just the ACV in the water, kept her warm, dry and in the dark. Gave her warm oatmeal with a bit of milk and blueberries and some yogurt on top today which she gobbled up!

And YES I am totally happy that God saw fit to improve this little beastie! My son is happy but I have cautioned him that we don't know that she's for sure better but we will take every improvement we see!! We are encouraged that's for sure!!