Treating with metranidazole, what is the correct dose?

[shelleyd2008]

I have 3 slate turkey poults that are 7-8 weeks old. I'm 99% sure they have blackhead, so I've called a local vet to get some metranidazole 250mg. I think the dose is 1/4 pill (62.5 mg) a day for 5 days for them, since they are only a couple pounds, but I want to make sure I have the correct dose. I'm not really worried about them getting too much, I'm more concerned with it not being enough and them still having this. They have bright orange-yellow stools, and have been outside about 3 weeks. What I've found on here says that the incubation period for blackhead is 15-21 days, which is about how long they've been outside. They are not on the ground, but we did put some dirt in their pen to cover the floor. Looking back I realize I should have bought some sand or pellet bedding, but it's too late for that now. I'll worry about that after I get them started on their medicine.

So 1/4 pill a day for 5 days to treat a 7-8 week old turkey poult?

 

[OmaBird]

A while back we asked if anyone ever had blackhead and everyone said no. Are you sure? How many chickens are with them?

 

[ivan3]

Sorry to hear you're having to deal with this: dosing and some more info:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=271291
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=233729

Maximum dose that should be administered is 50-65 mg/kg,q24h, in any species.

(from: Diseases of Poultry/Saif)

A microscopic fecal exam can be performed by most vets (to be sure you are dealing with Blackhead - definitive ID more often than not).​

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
They aren't 'with' any chickens, but the dirt we put in there was from the yard. I had a turkey die last year at about the same age, so I can only assume that's what happened then too.
There are bright orange-yellow droppings in the pen, just started yesterday. Today it looks like there is green mixed with the yellow, so I'm pretty sure this is what I'm dealing with.

I saw your post asking about blackhead, but it didn't have any responses. Was there another one?

 

[OmaBird]

So are you saying the dirt is from the chicken yard? When your turkey died, was there any other symptoms other than yellow droppings. From what I have read sulfer colored dropping was not a early sign but came later. Other than the poop, you said yours look normal. Is the vent stained in yellow?

There has been lots of talk on black head since I have been here. Everyone fears it and even has there own recipe to prevent it. But it seems regardless if they don't feed their turkeys 3 milk duds a day, has ever seen it. You would be the first. I hope your taking pictures. We can all learn from this. I have seen no pictures on line.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
The turkey that died last year was in the yard with some chicks it had been raised with, so I didn't notice anything about the droppings then. But it had the same physical characteristics that these have, listless, sleepy, droopy, etc., so I assume it had the same thing.
I haven't checked their vents to see if there is staining, and I too read that the yellow poop is a late-stage sign of the disease. They have been a little off, but I didn't recognize it before. Since I've been on here most all morning looking for what this could be, I"ve found other symptoms that they do have that I didn't notice.

The dirt is from the yard, but the chickens are all free ranged. Plus I don't know for sure what part of the yard my dad got the dirt from, probably in the woods.

They have the bright yellow droppings with green mixed in, the biggest one has a droopy wing, they are holding their heads low to their bodies, they are mostly laying around and sleeping today. The 2 smaller ones did eat when I fed them this morning, but I didn't notice the bigger one bothering with it.

I gave them some sulmet in their water, Steve said it 'might' be cocci, but he too thinks the problem is blackhead.

 

[OmaBird]

How hot is it?

Please take pictures of the droppings and the birds.

 

[ivan3]

I've been waiting for someone to post lab/necroscopy reports of turk(s) suffering/succumbing from this disease for going on six years. Chooks represent a usually asymptomatic reservoir, but are not required (last reported case in Missouri according to State Vet was at a commercial turkey operation down in Springfield in the late `90's).

Gallarium has been reported in Missouri Wild Easterns, but no recent info on meleagridis.

Useful shots of Chook disease processes (including good pic of the liver of a chook that had suffered from active `blackhead'): http://www.aviagen.com/ss/assets/Tech_Center/Broiler_Breeder_Tech_Articles/English/AviagenBrief_MaleHealth_June09.pdf

Pretty much a sporadic disease more common in SE U.S. and/or near areas where there has been outdoor commercial operations.

Blackhead, also known as Histomoniasis, increased to position #16 in 2008, from #22 in 2007. It is one disease with no efficacious drug approved for use in turkeys. There were 63 reported cases of blackhead (Table 2). Losses to blackhead have been severe and sporadic cases are occurring in North America. The disease can be devastating in the individual flocks affected. Dimetridazole was extremely efficacious and previously approved for use in turkeys for the prevention and treatment of blackhead; it was banned in 1987. The lack of any legal treatment for histomoniasis is of concern, especially in the case of valuable turkey breeder candidate flocks. Losses to blackhead have been severe in several areas of Europe, and sporadic cases are occurring in North America. It seems unconscionable that we are unable to prevent the suffering and death in flocks affected by histomoniasis when effective treatments exist, but were taken away from the poultry industry due to misuse in another industry.

http://www.usaha.org/committees/reports/2008/report-pad-2008.pdf (U.S. survey primarily examining commercial industry).

ed:sp​

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Right now it is overcast, temps are 88 degrees, humidity about 80%.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Got the metranidazole, so I'm out to treat them. Let's hope this works