Treatment protocol for sudden heavy breathing + swollen eyes (avian metapneumovirus)

[User635240]

I'm seeing a lot of posts about fowl suddenly getting heavy labored breathing. I believe this is avian metapneumovirus. My flock (chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys) all had it last month. We are in Ohio. According to UPenn Extension, the virus is carried by wild birds and is spreading out from Pennsylvania. It appears to pass through feces of infected birds or rats, and sharing water with infected birds; not airborne. Symptoms included: heavy, laborered breathing, swollen eyes with conjunctivitis, and nosebleeds. Here's what I found worked:
- Heavy breathing: VetRx drops in throat (just a few, be careful no to suffocate her), 2x daily. Does not require prescription.
- Tylosin powder in water (dip her beak if she's not drinking independently). Be careful not to syringe or drop liquids down the throat as this could block their compromised airways.
- If eyes get swollen or infected, I found that terramycin ointment doesn't really help. Tobramycin or gentamicin drops in the eyes 2x daily help greatly. (I used the sterile livestock injectable version; drops straight into eye.) Any of the aminoglycosides class of antibiotics should work. Also clean the gunk out of the eyes without scratching the eye.
- Lastly the most important is to move the bird outdoors into fresh air (e.g. in a cage on the porch) until the illness has passed. This will improve her breathing and reduce spread to the rest of the flock.

If you don't have access to a veterinarian, just moving the bird outdoors, the VetRx drops, and cleaning the eye with saline solution should give the chicken enough support to recover independently.


Certain breeds seemed more susceptible than others, namely, French black and black copper Marans chickens, and Embden geese.

Here is a scholarly article on avian metapneumovirus:
https://extension.psu.edu/avian-metapneumovirus

 

[User635240]

@Wyorp Rock @casportpony @Debbie292d @Eggcessive can you please bring this info to the forum's attention? I am seeing a ton of posts asking for help for swollen eyes and labored breathing. My flock just went through this and these are my learnings. I'd like to share this info with everyone else.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm seeing a lot of posts about fowl suddenly getting heavy labored breathing. I believe this is avian metapneumovirus. My flock (chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys) all had it last month. We are in Ohio. According to UPenn Extension, the virus is carried by wild birds and is spreading out from Pennsylvania. It appears to pass through feces of infected birds or rats, and sharing water with infected birds; not airborne. Symptoms included: heavy, laborered breathing, swollen eyes with conjunctivitis, and nosebleeds. Here's what I found worked:
- Heavy breathing: VetRx drops in throat (just a few, be careful no to suffocate her), 2x daily. Does not require prescription.
- Tylosin powder in water (dip her beak if she's not drinking independently). Be careful not to syringe or drop liquids down the throat as this could block their compromised airways.
- If eyes get swollen or infected, I found that terramycin ointment doesn't really help. Tobramycin or gentamicin drops in the eyes 2x daily help greatly. (I used the sterile livestock injectable version; drops straight into eye.) Any of the aminoglycosides class of antibiotics should work. Also clean the gunk out of the eyes without scratching the eye.
- Lastly the most important is to move the bird outdoors into fresh air (e.g. in a cage on the porch) until the illness has passed. This will improve her breathing and reduce spread to the rest of the flock.

If you don't have access to a veterinarian, just moving the bird outdoors, the VetRx drops, and cleaning the eye with saline solution should give the chicken enough support to recover independently.


Certain breeds seemed more susceptible than others, namely, French black and black copper Marans chickens, and Embden geese.

Here is a scholarly article on avian metapneumovirus:
https://extension.psu.edu/avian-metapneumovirus

@Wyorp Rock @casportpony @Debbie292d @Eggcessive can you please bring this info to the forum's attention? I am seeing a ton of posts asking for help for swollen eyes and labored breathing. My flock just went through this and these are my learnings. I'd like to share this info with everyone else.

Thank you for sharing the information.

I'm glad that your flock is doing better.

 

[Krist10]

Thank you for this! I treated my whole flock about two weeks ago for respitory issues (7 days of Tylosin in their only water source) Everyone was doing great by the end of the 7 days. Then a few days later I notice my cream legbar's eye was a little swolllen nothing crazy. two days later it was huge and compleyly swollen shut. I should have treated her immediately...lesson learned. I brought her in and we've been flushing with saline and treating with terramycin ointment twice a day, and while its not worse its not that much better after 5 days. I have her in a crate in the lundry room with a heat lamp and the a/c vent closed.

I just noticed yesterday my FBCM had a very slightly swollen eye. we immediatly started the flush and ointment protocol 2X a day. Im going to look for the Tobramycin or gentamicin drops. I'm really hoping we'll see significant improvement if I can get my hands on some!

first picture is day 1, second picture is day 2, third picture is day 3 and last picture is today (day 6) after we fkushed and applied ointment.

Last two pictures are of my FBCM.