Swollen eyes, different ages, different breeds, different pens..help..

[roll8221]

I have rhode island reds an blue barred rocks in the brooder about a month to a month ad a half old, i also had a black/white polish and a male butter cup which were from 3-5 months of age, and two bearded silkies one white and one splash, that all seem to have aquired this eye thing. different pens in different spots of the yard. i've been treating with teramycin and im not sure if its helping. i lost one of the blue barred rocks, the polish and buttercup and a rhode island red i had seperated s far. Our white silkie snowflake is inside with us now in dog crate to keep a better eye on her. both her eyes are swollen shut. is there something else i should be trying or is this the right medicine? i have oe red that im having to guide to food and water because it can no longer see. im really oping this isnt an epidemic or whaever. any help is appreciated.

 

[Blue_Myst]

It sounds like MG (Coryza) to me. A quick search on here or google will tell you a lot more about it than I can off the top of my head.

If it is MG, terramyacine eye ointment is supposed to help with the eye swelling. If possible, quarantine all the sick ones, but if it is MG, it will have probably spread to a majority of the flock, they just don't show the symptoms.

Here's a bump at any rate! Hopefully someone will come along who knows more than I

 

[threehorses]

(a gentle correction: MG isn't coryza, incidentally. M. gallisepticum (MG) is referred to as CRD and is a mycoplasma bacteria. Coryza is caused by Haemophili bacteria, which are susceptible to a different set of antibiotics)
But it sounds similar to those and other respiratory problems to me. Without a "culture and sensitivity" it's nearly impossible to tell which species.

If the discharge smells fetid (nasty) treat with Sulmet.
If it doesn't treat with LS50 (lincomycin/spectinomycin) or Tylan (tylosin) instead.

Keep all ill birds separate from the others. Do their chores last in the day so you don't spread it too much.

Buy a tube of Terramycin ophthalmic (eye) ointment from the feedstore to facilitate ocular healing.
Buy some form of probiotics (live gut bacteria) to keep from secondary infections from happening.
Consider buying vitamins/minerals/electrolytes for those birds who aren't eating/drinking normally.
I'd highly recommend adding VetRx to the list to help facilitate good breathing and comfort of the birds. Comfortable birds who breathe eat better.
You can top it off by buying organic apple cider vinegar to add to the water to help take down the amount of mucus.

Here's my reasoning.

First Tylan or LS50 (if the birds don't smell) is a much stronger drug. Tylan injectable (labeled for cattle) is a 3 day treatment, via IM shot in the breast muscle, and highly effective. If you're going to use an antibiotic, this is a good one for certain bacteria.

Vitamins: birds who are healing need premium nutrition which should include a good oil/liquid source of vitamin A for respiratory/ocular healing. That could include their good food and vitamins/minerals in the water, or their good food and a drop-in-the-beak vitamin like PolyVisol baby vitamins (Enfamil non-iron, see Walmart's vitamin section) at 2 drops per day for a week or during treatment tapering off.

Probiotics: The beneficial bacteria that line the digest tract are essential for your bird's health. Respiratory drainage drains through the opening in the roof of the mouth into the digestive tract, upsetting the balance of good bacteria - enabling bad bacteria/fungi/yeast to be more apt to take over. So you add more living bacteria in the form of a probiotic to build those armies back up. This helps prevent a secondary bacterial diarrhea situation and its related dehydration and nutrient loss. There are several forms. If you're not treating with a -mycin or -cycline drug, you can use yogurt (plain unflavored). If you are, then opt for acidophilis capsules (empty them into a quickly eaten treat - buy at Walmart's vitamin section) or Probios brand dispersible powder from the feed store.

VetRx: You dilute several drops of VetRx with a little bit of very hot water. Stir to cool it and mix the oil and water. Use a new q-tip for each bird, and a different end of the q-tip for each spot. Swab the nares to clean them, swab the roof of the mouth to fume the sinuses, swab under the eyes to help fume the eye sinuses. This facilitates air flow and quite possibly helps reduce a little inflammation. If a bird can't breathe, he won't eat. Help him breathe. This is NOT a medication - it's like Vicks.

Organic (because of the bacteria in it) apple cider vinegar at 1 teaspoon per gallon of water can help reduce mucus making the bird feel better. It also corrects the pH of the gut - after the bacteria and drainage mess it up - so that once again it's friendly for GOOD bacteria and unfriently for pathogenic organisms. The good bacteria compliment the probiotics and nutritional support.

Eating and drinking: dampening th emash might tempt them to eat more. Adding some boiled and mashed eggs also might. That's a good way of masking the yogurt if you use Tylan and yogurt, or to mix in the powders if you use acidophilis or Probios. You'll have to make sure they all eat and drink - as you're doing.

Good job on that.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions on the Tylan if you go that way, or about any of this. I'll be glad to help.