Treatment advice adult turkey upper respiratory

[FunsizedChickie]

Good morning everybody! I have an adult broad breasted turkey tom I adopted 2 months ago. About a week ago he started getting bubbles in his left eye, so I started giving him VetRx as a go to before busting out the antibiotics. It relieved his symptoms but then he developed gurgling and congestion in his chest. No nasal discharge, poop was a little runny for a day and then went back to normal and has remained normal. I read on another thread that the dosage for Tylan 200 is 1cc and inject in the back of the neck 3" above shoulders, to avoid necrotizing his muscle tissue. I followed that dose for 3 days as recommended but he seems to actually be worsening. He is very big, maybe 40-50lbs. Perhaps he needs a larger dose for size? I know dosage for little birds and young turkeys but I have no idea for this fat boy. (I have always used Tylan 200 with amazing success on the rare occasion one of my chickens comes down with a respiratory infection.)

So, does anybody have other suggestions? I don't have a farm vet but I have a family friend who is a regular dog and cat vet who wants to help medicine wise. Should I up the Tylan dosage? Try something else incase it's not effective against this strain? We have been having CRAZY weather here in NC. 80 one week and in the twenties and thirties the next. I'm wondering if that has a part to do with it.Thanks in advance. I'm new to this site! I attached a photo of his eye.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. It sounds like you have mycoplasma (MG) in your flock. Tylan 200 has 200mg per ml, and the dosage should be at least 5mg-20mg (or 0.025-0.1ml) per pound given 2-3 times daily, according to Plumb's Veterinary Handbook. So I would weigh him if possible. You may want to hold him on your scales, and then subtract your weight to get an idea of his weight. You may want to double check my math.

 

[FunsizedChickie]

Okay excellent, it sounds like I'm not giving him enough of a dose. My chickens have had no symptoms for a long time so it makes sense that he got it from them. Does this mean potentially any new birds I acclimate into my flock will get this infection until they're immune? I do follow quarantine procedures but it's always the newbies that get sick and not my originals. I've only had two hens and a young hen turkey poult get the symptoms that I've used Tylan on. An introduced rooster never got it. I will weigh him when I get home tonight and adjust the dosage accordingly. My bottle doesn't give dosage for pounds in birds. So weigh him and multiple the pounds by .1ml/cc and I will give 2 times daily for three days (I work and can't do it 3x so it will have to be every 12 hours) should I wait before I start with the bigger dose so I don't accidentally make him resistant to Tylan?

Welcome to BYC. It sounds like you have mycoplasma (MG) in your flock. Tylan 200 has 200mg per ml, and the dosage should be at least 5mg-20mg (or 0.025-0.1ml) per pound given 2-3 times daily, according to Plumb's Veterinary Handbook. So I would weigh him if possible. You may want to hold him on your scales, and then subtract your weight to get an idea of his weight. You may want to double check my math.

 

[casportpony]

@FunsizedChickie, is this turkey a pet or food? Either way, talk to your dog/cat vet about how much Tylan to give him, and if he's a pet, ask them if they'll sell you some Baytril.

 

[FunsizedChickie]

@FunsizedChickie, is this turkey a pet or food? Either way, talk to your dog/cat vet about how much Tylan to give him, and if he's a pet, ask them if they'll sell you some Baytril.

He is a pet 100% I know he is a meat bird breed but I rescued him and would never eat him or any of my birds. Baytril may be more effective? They don't use Tylan so unsure of dosage

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Eggcessive is correct, in birds it's supposed to be given more than once a day, and the birds dose is more than the cattle dose, so you could try increasing the dose. I know the oral dose for turkeys is 60 mg per pound per day, but I'm not sure what the injectable is.

Quote:

CRD indications:

• Administer medicated drinking water for three days; however, medicated water may be administered for one to five days depending upon severity of infection. Treated chickens must consume enough medicated water to provide 50 mg per pound of body weight per day. Only medicated water should be available to the birds.

Turkeys:

• Administer medicated drinking water for three days; however, medicated water may be administered for two to five days depending upon severity of infection. Treated turkeys must consume enough medicated water to provide 60 mg per pound of body weight per day. Only medicated water should be available to the birds.

I mention Baytril because it will treat a large amount of the respiratory infections that birds get, but it is banned for use in poultry, so that's why I asked about him being a pet. Call your dog/cat vet and ask if they will sell you some.

Your vet probably has email, so email this:
http://avianmedicine.net/publication_cat/avian-medicine/

• http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/17.pdf
• http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/18.pdf

http://avianmedicine.net/publication_cat/clinical-avian-medicine/

• http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/09_therapeutic_agents.pdf

Those should help your vet pick a dose of either medication.

 

[Eggcessive]

Baytril is probably a better choice since it treats more bacteria, such as E.coli, which can be a secondary infection. It comes in tablets and 10% liquid. Tylan will treat mycoplasma (MG) symptoms, but it can be complicated by secondary infections. As far as the mycoplasma being infectious, once any bird is in the flock, all birds can be considered carriers. They may not get it or show symptoms, but they can carry it. It will be in the flock until all birds are gone. So it sounds like, it is just something that has affected a few birds. Here is a link where you can buy Baytril online: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959119/baytril-enrofloxacin-sources

From the Merck Vet. Manual:
Uncomplicated M gallisepticum infections in chickens result in relatively mild catarrhal sinusitis, tracheitis, and airsacculitis. E coli infections are often concurrent and result in severe air sac thickening and turbidity, with exudative accumulations, adhesive pericarditis, and fibrinous perihepatitis. Turkeys develop severe mucopurulent sinusitis and varying degrees of tracheitis and airsacculitis. Microscopically, involved mucous membranes are thickened, hyperplastic, necrotic, and infiltrated with inflammatory cells. The mucosal lamina propria contains focal areas of lymphoid hypoplasia and germinal center formations.

Another link for MG in turkeys:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...um-infection-mg-infectious-sinusitis-turkeys/

 

[FunsizedChickie]

Welcome to BYC. It sounds like you have mycoplasma (MG) in your flock. Tylan 200 has 200mg per ml, and the dosage should be at least 5mg-20mg (or 0.025-0.1ml) per pound given 2-3 times daily, according to Plumb's Veterinary Handbook. So I would weigh him if possible. You may want to hold him on your scales, and then subtract your weight to get an idea of his weight. You may want to double check my math.

This is for injection? How many days at this correct dosage?(I understand 2-3 times a day)I'm home now and I'm about to weigh him so I'm not guessing anymore on exact size. I am going to restart treatment tomorrow and just give VetRx tonight to relieve him.

 

[Eggcessive]

This is for injection? How many days at this correct dosage?(I understand 2-3 times a day)I'm home now and I'm about to weigh him so I'm not guessing anymore on exact size. I am going to restart treatment tomorrow and just give VetRx tonight to relieve him.

Many of us give Tylan injectable orally as well as by injection. Tylan can be given for 3 days and up to 5 days.

 

[FunsizedChickie]

Many of us give Tylan injectable orally as well as by injection. Tylan can be given for 3 days and up to 5 days.

Okay. He is 43lbs exactly. Now does the same dosage for injection apply for oral? Some of his caruncles have bruised from the subcutaneous inj on the back of the neck so I'd like to discontinue that way and administer orally. I really appreciate yours and everyone else's advice so far, this had been so helpful!