Thrush, wet pox, canker, or... ??

kmccain14

Chirping
6 Years
Aug 13, 2013
6
3
61
Shoreline, WA
I have often scoured this group for some of my questions, but haven't posted before. I have had chickens for 7 years, but this is the first illness we’ve experienced like this. It’s inside her mouth so getting a picture will be difficult, but the pics I've seen online are consistent with the possibilities I've listed.

Easter Egger - 4-5 years old - typically a very healthy girl - no weight loss (yet).

Originally found some issues inside her mouth after looking for worms as she was doing this weird open mouth thing and stretching her neck out. I saw white/yellow spots in various spots inside her mouth and a couple down in her throat. She’s not eating much, but is pecking around her isolation area and overall acting fairly normal. I'm thinking she may be in pain though as she doesn't even seem to be drinking well. I hand fed her some water before bed last night. I've tried mash food, and yogurt with blueberries chopped up to entice her to take some, but not taking much if any.

After lots of research I’m thinking it’s either wet pox, canker or thrush. Anyone with experience with either?
- thrush: I’ve read that anti-fungal creams work, but is that really putting an external cream inside their mouth?? I happen to have Nystatin ointment so will try that if so.
- No ideas for treatment for the other two

I think I’ve ruled out sour crop...she had a very strong smell coming from her mouth (yeasty/sour) and a pasty butt (washed her up), but she doesn’t have the common signs of crop issues, and it seems isolated to her mouth.

Any ideas?? Thanks!! A vet is a week out and I can't imagine her lasting that long if she continues to not eat. I may try half a baby aspirin later to see if that helps her to eat and drink a bit. I'm nervous to try too much syringe fluids as she struggles and I don't want to get it into her lungs.

TIA!!
 
Originally found some issues inside her mouth after looking for worms as she was doing this weird open mouth thing and stretching her neck out. I saw white/yellow spots in various spots inside her mouth and a couple down in her throat. She’s not eating much
thrush: I’ve read that anti-fungal creams work, but is that really putting an external cream inside their mouth?? I happen to have Nystatin ointment so will try that if so.
I think I’ve ruled out sour crop...she had a very strong smell coming from her mouth (yeasty/sour) and a pasty butt (washed her up), but she doesn’t have the common signs of crop issues, and it seems isolated to her mouth.
If possible get some photos, but if you detect a strong odor, then likely you are dealing with Canker. The chart in the link below gives a comparison of Canker vs. Thrush you may want to check that out.

For Thrush, yes you could use an anti-fungal/vaginal cream as treatment. I've used vaginal yeast cream for treatment of Sour Crop and it worked well. If you have Nystatin and have determined she has Thrush instead of Canker, then use that.

For Canker, order some Metronidazole to treat that. IF you determine it's Canker then I would also get some Acidified Copper Sulfate and add it to the flock's water for 3 days. Canker is contagious and you don't want it to spread

Of course consulting your vet is always best.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/canker
 
Thank you Wyorp Rock! Yes, I found the poultry dvm site helpful, and that's actually how I found canker as it listed that as a possible alternative to thrush. I'm worried that it's canker! I did get a strong smell and that's why I thought it was thrush as it was very yeasty and she had some pasty butt.

Ugh....and a little surprised as we don't have a mosquito problem in our area...unless this disease was the one from pigeons (so confused by reading about them all) which we also haven't seen around. Who knows!

I've also just found some worms in someone's poop. We've had a bad run of luck with our chickens the last 6 months!😩
 
Well, none of those things showed up on culture, so might be cancerous since it's otherwise unexplainable. Bummer, but glad it's not contagious! That was the goal of going to the vet. Confirmed ringworm so treating all for that.

Got some pain meds to hopefully help her eat more, but may need to cull if she doesn't start eating on her own. Sweet girl.

Oh, and she let me know that Metronidazole is illegal in chickens now...at least in WA so she couldn't have prescribed it even if it was canker.

Thanks for the advice!
 
I've also just found some worms in someone's poop
none of those things showed up on culture, so might be cancerous since it's otherwise unexplainable. Bummer, but glad it's not contagious!
Confirmed ringworm so treating all for that
Glad you were able to see the vet. So nothing came back for canker, yeast, etc.?

You saw worms in the poop, was the vet able to i.d. the type and give you an anthelmintic to treat your flock? Curious what was prescribed.

Everyone has Favus? What course of treatment was prescribed for that?
 
Fenbendazole for ringworm. No sign of canker, and she said “not much yeast”...need to follow up on what that means (maybe a little is normal?)

Favus? Did a quick search but not seeing any of the white external stuff if mentioned. Just the internal worms so far. Hope that’s it!!
 
Fenbendazole for ringworm. No sign of canker, and she said “not much yeast”...need to follow up on what that means (maybe a little is normal?)

Favus? Did a quick search but not seeing any of the white external stuff if mentioned. Just the internal worms so far. Hope that’s it!!
Oh, you must mean Roundworm!

Ringworm in chickens is Favus.
 

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