Tylan 50 for CRD making hen sicker?

[Nikki A]

I have two crested cream legbar hens that I bought from a local lady this summer. She told me they were about 14 months old at that time. I suspect they're a little older. One ("Noodle") has had an occasional cough or sneeze during the two months I've had her, the other ("Beaker") shows no symptoms. After researching and consulting with others, it was determined that Noodle has chronic respiratory disease. Last night I went out to hold her and she was wheezing and had raspy breathing. I'm new to this and no chicken expert, but it was clear she couldn't wait for me to try to get an appointment with the vet so I got some Tylan 50. There is a LOT of conflicting evidence regarding the dosage and administration route, so I read as many articles as possible, and decided on 35 mg/kg doses for 5 days injected 1/2 intramuscular in the breast and 1/2 subcutaneous between the shoulder blades. I injected her last night. When I went to get her this morning, she is very lethargic and even fell asleep while I was holding her (a first). She also had a diarrhea episode on my foot (again, a first). Her breathing was a *little* better but not what I had hoped. I administered the second dose and rubbed some Vet Rx on her feet and armpits, and put her back in her run. She immediately had another diarrhea episode and then is just sulking around all day, still with labored breathing. Prior to the Tylan, she acted totally normal other than the sound of the breathing. Now she's just lethargic and pitiful. I did get her some yogurt and probiotics to help with the diarrhea. I don't know what else to do. Please help this newbie! I don't want to lose a chicken after only 2 1/2 months - I love her!

PS - I have tried separating her from Beaker and they both freak out when they're separated, so Beaker is still in there too. I'm sure she's already been exposed so I don't see the need to separate them and add stress to the mix. Yay or nay?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Nikki A Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry to hear your hen is not doing well.

Injectable Tylan50 can be given orally or by injection in the breast muscle 1/4"deep alternating injection site for each dosage. For chickens the Plumbs Veterinary Handbook says 10-40mg per Kg 2-3 times a day. Generally recommendation is 1ml or cc per 5lbs of weight (.20ml per lb.) given orally 2X a day for 5days.

Coughing and sneezing can be associated with respiratory illness. There are quite a few with similar symptoms, so without testing, there is no which one. Infectious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma, Infectious Coryza and ILT are a few of the most common. Antibiotics can help with secondary infections (mucous/eye discharge, facial swelling, etc.).http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

If you have vet care, that is always best. Since you've only had her for a short period of time and from your description she arrived with the coughing/sneezing, she may have had lung damage from ammonia, molds/fungus, etc. Environment can contribute to respiratory issues as well. If you happen to lose her, sending her for testing so you can find out what the cause of her problems were would be a good idea. Most respiratory illnesses are contagious and make birds and those exposed carriers for life.

fwiw- I would not separate her from the other bird - it's been exposed.

Do your best to keep her hydrated. Offer poultry vitamins and extra protein.

 

[chickens really]

I have ILT here in my Flock...They got it as Chicks....I just lost a good Hen that was 14 months...Same thing, she began to get wheezy and lethargic...I chose to have my Son cull her....Best of luck....

 

[Nikki A]

Update: I found an avian veterinarian about 40 miles away that was able to see Noodle. She was doing far worse than when we started the Tylan 50 by the time she got to him. He double checked the dose, assured me I was doing everything right, and told me that if she didn't get better after a total of seven days on the Tylan he would call a human pediatric sulfer-based med into the pharmacy for her. Oh, and then charged me $62 - which was worth every penny. Naturally, she started looking better as soon as I took the time to take her to the vet. It was well over 48 hours for the Tylan to show any signs of working.

I took his advice for the most part. I was worried about kidney damage with her on the Tylan so long. I had originally decided on a 5 day treatment for Noodle. The vet recommended 7... so I met in the middle and kept her on it 6 days.

To help her when she wasn't eating, I did syringe feed her yogurt and high quality pate-style cat food. I found a fairy egg due to the stress, but other than that she's back to her lazy old self!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad you were able to have her seen and that she is doing better!
Thanks for the update

 

[Eggcessive]

Tylan shouldn't be hard on her kidneys, but sulfa antibiotics can be, if the vet starts those. But if she is suffering from infection that the Tylan won't affect, such as E.coli, then sulfa might help. There is a lot of flexibility in Tylan dosage, and in chickens, since Tylan can occasionally cause muscle damage, it might be best to give it orally.
Since mycoplasma (MG) or CRD is a chronic condition, it can come back whenever stressed. Molting time can cause it especially. Has she had her molt yet? One major secondary infection of CRD is possible air sacculitis where bacteria (such as E.coli) can spread throughout the body. Whenever one gets more serious symptoms, that should be suspected. It is very hard to treat when it occurs. It is fortunate that you have a vet who knows chickens willing to help you. I hope she makes it.