Swollen Face With Bubbles - Please Help Me

[Amber902]

Hello… I really need some help. I got my first chickens around two months ago and they came to me sneezing. I made a vet appointment with the only one willing to take them in our area but it’s not until next week. No one else would take my girls sooner. Today, one of my girls face has become swollen with bubbles in her eyes. My other girls are basically all better except for some sneezing here and there. My vet will not move up the appointment. I can not get Tylan 50 in California. I do not want to cull them all even if they will be carriers for life. I just want them to be better

 

[Potatofluffycheeksforever]

@casportpony
@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock

 

[OwO]

Not 100% certain, but looks like Mycoplasma Gallisepticum. AFAIK antibiotics can help control it, so the sooner the vet can see her the better. Normally best to separate her from the others but since they all came sneezing idk if it will make much difference.

 

[Amber902]

Not 100% certain, but looks like Mycoplasma Gallisepticum. AFAIK antibiotics can help control it, so the sooner the vet can see her the better. Normally best to separate her from the others but since they all came sneezing idk if it will make much difference.

They all came to me sneezing but just today has she started looking like this. I’m pretty sure they’ve all been sick with the same thing

 

[Amber902]

Hello… I really need some help. I got my first chickens around two months ago and they came to me sneezing. I made a vet appointment with the only one willing to take them in our area but it’s not until next week. No one else would take my girls sooner. Today, one of my girls face has become swollen with bubbles in her eyes. My other girls are basically all better except for some sneezing here and there. My vet will not move up the appointment. I can not get Tylan 50 in California. I do not want to cull them all even if they will be carriers for life. I just want them to be better

I’m not sure if this adds anything but I bought them all from a slaughter house. They were not kept in good conditions. Most of my other girls are almost perfect now. They run around and beg for treats.

 

[Eggcessive]

Unfortunately if your chickens have a chronic respiratory disease such as mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG,) it will be with them and your whole flock for life. MG can prevent them from laying well, reproducing well, and they may have shortened lives. It can be passed through their hatching eggs. That is tough to start out with sick chickens. All of your future birds will get exposed eventually. Tylan 50 injectable and tylosin powder are common treatments for the symptoms, and there are a few other antibiotics as well, but they will still be carriers and may get sick again in the future when they become stressed. MG is common in some backyard flocks and in wild birds, but not a good way to start out with your first flock.

There are 8 or so common respiratory diseases, and the best way to get confirmation is through testing or with a necropsy by the state vet if you should lose one. @casportpony lives in CA, and she knows where to get antibiotics online. She might be of help. Your chicken might get better without antibiotics. You could use saline or eye wash to flush the eyes, and apply plain Neosporin ointment, Vetericyn eye gel, or Terramycin eye ointment if you can get that online. CA has more strict rules about antibiotics than most states. Sorry that you are dealing with this. This is a good article about MG to read:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2022-04/FS-1008 Recognizing and Preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

 

[Amber902]

Unfortunately if your chickens have a chronic respiratory disease such as mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG,) it will be with them and your whole flock for life. MG can prevent them from laying well, reproducing well, and they may have shortened lives. It can be passed through their hatching eggs. That is tough to start out with sick chickens. All of your future birds will get exposed eventually. Tylan 50 injectable and tylosin powder are common treatments for the symptoms, and there are a few other antibiotics as well, but they will still be carriers and may get sick again in the future when they become stressed. MG is common in some backyard flocks and in wild birds, but not a good way to start out with your first flock.

There are 8 or so common respiratory diseases, and the best way to get confirmation is through testing or with a necropsy by the state vet if you should lose one. @casportpony lives in CA, and she knows where to get antibiotics online. She might be of help. Your chicken might get better without antibiotics. You could use saline or eye wash to flush the eyes, and apply plain Neosporin ointment, Vetericyn eye gel, or Terramycin eye ointment if you can get that online. CA has more strict rules about antibiotics than most states. Sorry that you are dealing with this. This is a good article about MG to read:
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2022-04/FS-1008 Recognizing and Preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

Thank you! I get an egg from each of them once a day so I wasn’t even aware of the problems they could have with laying. Would it be considered cruel to just treat them and let them continue their lives since most seem happy? I more so just got my girls as pets so it hurts to hear their lifespans could be shortened but I am also a bit unaware of how old they already are.

 

[Amber902]

I just wanted to put an update and say that apparently it was fowl pox. I was told most likely it was spread through some mosquitos. My sick girls started scabbing up after. I’m still dealing with two that are affected by it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for the update. Do you have any pictures of the pox scabs? I didn’t see any evidence of fowl pox in the first pictures. Fowl pox does occur in late summer or fall. But those were symptoms of MG (mycoplasma gallisepticum.) When fowl pox strikes, if it gets near the eyes, MG can be a common secondary infection. Did you treat with anything? Fowl pox does not require treatment since it is a virus that has to run it’s course over about a month, and does not respond to antibiotics. Is the hen in the picture all cleared up with her eyes now?

 

[Amber902]

Thank you for the update. Do you have any pictures of the pox scabs? I didn’t see any evidence of fowl pox in the first pictures. Fowl pox does occur in late summer or fall. But those were symptoms of MG (mycoplasma gallisepticum.) When fowl pox strikes, if it gets near the eyes, MG can be a common secondary infection. Did you treat with anything? Fowl pox does not require treatment since it is a virus that has to run it’s course over about a month, and does not respond to antibiotics. Is the hen in the picture all cleared up with her eyes now?

My girl in the picture, Queen, was the first to start having little scabs and shes completely fine now. Nothing wrong with her eyes. I am new at all of this though and it was hard finding a vet willing to even take one of my chickens. Another girl got really scabbed up and it was right on one of her eyes. I was told to use an ointment called Terramycin to put on her and the others so nothing gets infected. I’m scared now they might have MG since you said it’s an easy secondary infection to get. Like maybe they have both but my vet literally never mentioned it. I managed to get some Tylan 50 which they were all treated with. I was having a lot of difficulty with finding it at first in Cali.

I know I made a mistake at buying adult hens. I won’t ever do that again for future flocks. I feel like my girls came with so many different troubles and I was very overwhelmed. I feel so guilty too I just want them to be happy and healthy