Tylan 50 for respiratory problems

[casportpony]

Get yourself a scale and start weighing them daily or every few days.

-Kathy

 

[MrsBachbach]

I would take Kathy's advice. You don't want to worm an already sick bird. They may have lost weight because of the illness, not worms. If they are eating well and much better, but still losing weight, then yes, worm them.

 

[izziebean]

Yes! The scale. I forgot that the vet mentioned to do that. I will get one tomorrow. Thank you for the reminders!!

 

[izziebean]

So, the flock has been steadily increasing with stamina and strength every day. Oliver took the illness a bit harder than most but even he was crowing his heart out today. Eggs are everywhere! I guess the hens are healing nicely. I'm not eating them because of the antibiotics. I'm still not sure what to do with the flock. I never intended to keep as many as I have. I'm thinking about starting a new coop tomorrow.. maybe a tractor one so that they can go in or out. Snow covers the ground and they are still recovering. I can't put them outside yet and then I'll have to acclimate them to the cold temperatures. I can't sell any of them for months. So we're just hanging out.. still waiting on the final necropsy report. I'm still using the VetRX on a couple of them that seem to struggle breathing. They hate the smell at first, but then they look like breathing is so much easier.

The wonderful world of chickens. I do love spending time with them. I look forward to warm weather, sunshine, gardening, and chickens running around the yard again.

 

[izziebean]

Just an update. Still no word on the necropsy. I really thought it would be back by now. I'll email the vet on Monday to see if I can get a copy of the final report.

Everyone was looking better until today. One of the polish frizzle bantams has been looking at me all day with that half opened eye. It's not crusty or anything. She was just standing there.. almost lethargic. I thought maybe she hadn't gotten the IBV yet. So.. I got out the water and syringe and electrolytes. I was going to make sure she was drinking enough. I went down to get her and I watched her eat food on her own and take a few big drinks of water. She's now standing in the corner again looking at me with a half-closed eye. I do live in Colorado. Maybe she is just smoking the funny green stuff?!? I'm supposed to weigh them, but she only weighs a pound... actually just a bit less than one pound. It's hard to know if there really is a difference.

The others.. the ones that the disease hit hard.. they still struggle to breathe. I am putting VetRX on them from time to time when I see that it's getting bad. Some days I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle. I do understand now why some prefer to cull when the whole flock gets sick. It's time consuming.. overwhelming.. and scary. My neighbor came over with a Christmas gift and she has chickens. I warned her about the IBV. She didn't seemed concerned but I feel like we are all contagious. **stands outside handing out masks to everyone driving by**

With Bridget, I don't know if I should panic or maybe I'm just the freak now. You go through all of this when the virus hits so hard, so fast.. now every single symptom seems monumental and maybe I just need to let the chickens be.... chickens?

 

[MrsBachbach]

Just an update. Still no word on the necropsy. I really thought it would be back by now. I'll email the vet on Monday to see if I can get a copy of the final report.

Everyone was looking better until today. One of the polish frizzle bantams has been looking at me all day with that half opened eye. It's not crusty or anything. She was just standing there.. almost lethargic. I thought maybe she hadn't gotten the IBV yet. So.. I got out the water and syringe and electrolytes. I was going to make sure she was drinking enough. I went down to get her and I watched her eat food on her own and take a few big drinks of water. She's now standing in the corner again looking at me with a half-closed eye. I do live in Colorado. Maybe she is just smoking the funny green stuff?!? I'm supposed to weigh them, but she only weighs a pound... actually just a bit less than one pound. It's hard to know if there really is a difference.

The others.. the ones that the disease hit hard.. they still struggle to breathe. I am putting VetRX on them from time to time when I see that it's getting bad. Some days I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle. I do understand now why some prefer to cull when the whole flock gets sick. It's time consuming.. overwhelming.. and scary. My neighbor came over with a Christmas gift and she has chickens. I warned her about the IBV. She didn't seemed concerned but I feel like we are all contagious. **stands outside handing out masks to everyone driving by**

With Bridget, I don't know if I should panic or maybe I'm just the freak now. You go through all of this when the virus hits so hard, so fast.. now every single symptom seems monumental and maybe I just need to let the chickens be.... chickens?

I think the best thing you can do is just continue with good food, vitamin water and vetrx when needed. Maybe some extra D & C vitamins? Like we take when trying to fight off illness or boost our immune system. It's just about impossible to keep your chickens from contracting anything without airtight housing, strict quarantine, etc. Who wants their chickens to live like jail birds? The old saying "Only the strong survive" would likely apply in cases such as this.

 

[izziebean]

Final report for necropsy came in today: Infectious Bronchitis... which was the same as the preliminary report. Bridget was holding steady until yesterday when I weighed her. She had lost .15 pounds in 2 days. Might not seem like a lot but to go from .65 to .50 in 2 days.. yea she's pretty sick now. Same symptoms as before. I talked with the vet. He again suggested antibiotics for a few days in case of a secondary infection. I'm giving fluids every hour. When she falls asleep, her beak goes into the food bowl that is filled with treats and she'll eat one and fall back asleep. I hate hate hate seeing them like this, but love the bird so I'm trying to save her.

He did say that since she was brought in shortly before the flock got sick, that she is likely the carrier that brought it in and the heat lamp going out in the middle of the night may have caused the disease to go active in her. Since they can shed the disease for up to 5 months, I'm guessing that this will reset that clock?

Anyways.. I'll keep you updated on Bridget. She's so sweet and little, but I only give her about a 40% chance of surviving the next 48 hours.

 

[daxigait]

Did she make it? My turn for problems swollen around eyes conjested tilting head back to gargly breath.

 

[izziebean]

She is, at the moment, still alive. She got better after I typed this, then took a bad turn yesterday. I am pushing liquids through a syringe and she made a bit of a gurgling noise at one point and all the breath came out of her. I thought I had killed her. After that she refused to eat. When I gave her fluids, she would tilt her head back. Throughout the night, I gave her fluids. I also scattered food all around the temporary cage in the bathroom. I put the friend she flew to Colorado with in the bathroom with her.... as well as as couple of silkies. She shivers a lot and seems to want to snuggle. The silkies have almost seemed immune to this strain of IB. Every hour or two I give her fluids. I limit it to just 5-7 swallows since I'm scared of overdoing it again. I didn't have any luck at all getting her to eat in front of me, but her crop feels like it has 'some' food in there.

A few hours ago, I swapped out two of the silkies. I added in a more gentle one that likes to snuggle. When I did, I added a bunch of food around Bridget as well as some treats. Tang, the new gal in the pen, started eating them like crazy which woke up Bridget. For the first time in 24 hours, I saw Bridget start eating almost in a frenzy state. I checked on her a bit ago and she had fallen asleep again. Her eyes are not crusted over like yours.. Bridget's eyes are more just watery. She can't hold them open. When giving her fluids, she swallows and is asleep within 30 seconds.

This morning, when I was surprised to see her alive, I gave her liquids and after the first drink she fell over onto her side. Granted I did wake her up, but she does seem to be quite dazed throughout this whole ordeal. The doctor reminded me that most deaths occur from kidney failure with Infectious Bronchitis.. which is why I keep going with the fluids. I think of myself as her personal IV machine.

I also had been noticing more and more that she was not only the bottom of the pecking order, but had become ousted from the two main groups in the girl pen. She was often standing alone or pushed against the fencing for the roosters (who are not allowed to touch the hens). Since I did not raise her from birth, I have had a hard time getting to know her. I was told in advance that she was not raised as a pet so I knew this would be a challenge. The past few days though, I've talked and held her a lot. She loves being held now and loves for me to talk about the garden where we will play if she survives. Those are the times when she will perk up and seem a bit lucid.

I did give her a shot of tylan early this morning because I was convinced she would not make it until the afternoon. I have a box ready in case she dies. Every time I open the door to the bathroom, my heart sinks because I'm convinced that she won't be alive. So far I've been wrong.

I didn't know that chicken keeping was like this. I thought the deaths would be suddenly during the night or to unexpected prey. The long slow death and watching them suffer is unbearable. Perhaps I'm too invested? Perhaps.. I am not the kind of person who should keep chickens. I was talking to my mom today and I told her that this is painful.. the limbo.. the medicines.. all of it. Overwhelming. She suggested getting out of the chicken world. I explained to her that with the IB, I couldn't sell the birds or even give them away. My only choice would be to put them all to sleep. They are my friends.. my pets. How does one do that?

Let me know how things go with your sick little one. The Tylan does seem to really make a difference. It saved the rest of my flock after Paris died. I rub VetRX on their noses to help clear out their nasal passages. I highly suggest all chicken owners keep Tylan 50 on hand in shot form just in case.

 

[daxigait]

I am glad to hear she is alive. I know about feeling overwhelmed and I only have two sick. He was still alive and got Tylan tonight, but I found one oh my 10 week old pullets down and her left leg is not working. She has been sneezing for a week and sounds a bit congested. I have no idea what to do for her.