UPDATED: Foul smell coming from 9 week old, no discharge from nose. Still need help please!

[Three4me]

ok she pooped. Does this look normal? I took it outside for better lighting and added the penny for size comparison. When I came back in the house I could smell the weird sour smell as soon as I walked into the kitchen where she is right now.

 

[casportpony]

If she were mine I would do the following:

• *Thorough* physical exam which includes checking for cuts, bruising lumps, smells, etc.
• Dust for mites/lice with poultry dust even if I cannot see any. DE does not work.
• Weigh on digital kitchen scale (see avatar), record weight and weigh daily. any weight loss is bad.
• Place bird in a warm, quiet place on towel with food and water that it can't drown in.
• Feed only crumbles and other easily digestable food.
• Inspect poop.

The only time I have ever smelled something off was in birds with the following infections:

• Canker - very obvious pus inside
• Yeast - not obvious, but necropsy revealed lesions in crop
• Upper respiratory - eye bubbles, sinus infection, etc.

 

[Three4me]

I looked in her mouth...by that wasn't easy and she didn't like that at all! I used a popsicle stick to hold her mouth open. I don't really know what I am looking for but didn't see any sores or anything. I did notice that the end of her tongue (probably 1/4 of the length of it) was white while the rest of her tongue is pink. Is that normal or is it weird?

 

[casportpony]

ok she pooped. Does this look normal? I took it outside for better lighting and added the penny for size comparison. When I came back in the house I could smell the weird sour smell as soon as I walked into the kitchen where she is right now.

That poop looks *almost* perfect. When I elarge it, it looks like there might be some blood in it, so if I saw that (blood) in mine, I would buy some Corid and treat all of them. She could have more than one thing going on... but Corid is a good place to start.

 

[casportpony]

Smear the poop around and see if you can find anything that looks like blood.

 

[casportpony]

I looked in her mouth...by that wasn't easy and she didn't like that at all! I used a popsicle stick to hold her mouth open. I don't really know what I am looking for but didn't see any sores or anything. I did notice that the end of her tongue (probably 1/4 of the length of it) was white while the rest of her tongue is pink. Is that normal or is it weird?

I am no expert, but that could be sign of a fungal infection. I have some that are the same age, I'll check their mouths. If you took a q-tip to it, do you think the white would come off?

 

[Three4me]

ok I smeared it around and no sign of blood at all. Just turned into grainy crumbles all pretty much the same greenish color.

 

[casportpony]

FWIW, yeast infections in poultry are often secondary to other infections.

 

[casportpony]

From the AAAP Avian Disease Manual - 6th Edition

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]CANDIDIASIS[/FONT][/FONT]
(Thrush; moniliasis, crop mycosis, sour crop, muguet, soor, levurosis)
DEFINITION
Candidiasis is a disease of the digestive tract caused by the yeast-like fungus

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]Candida albicans[/FONT][/FONT]. The
disease generally involves the upper digestive tract and usually occurs as a secondary infection.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]Candida albicans [/FONT][/FONT]


is a common yeast-like fungus that has been recognized as a commensal organism in
poultry and mammals for many years. Candidiasis has been reported from a variety of avian species, such as,
chickens, turkeys, pigeons, game birds, waterfowl, and geese. In poultry it seldom has been considered a
disease of major importance. Young birds tend to be more susceptible than adult birds although all ages can be
affected. When birds become debilitated or the normal digestive tract flora is altered, the ingestion of fungus in
the feed and water can result in mucosal invasion. The production of a soluble endotoxin may also contribute to
pathogenicity. Common predisposing causes include lack of good sanitation, prolonged treatment with
antibiotics, heavy parasitism, vitamin deficiency, high carbohydrate diets, and immune suppressing or
debilitating infectious diseases.
CLINICAL SIGNS
Signs are non-specific and include, listlessness, inappetence, retarded growth, and ruffled feathers. In
advanced cases or diarrhea. The signs may be masked by the clinical signs of a primary disease. In advanced
cases, the crop may not empty and may become fluid filled. The bird may regurgitate fluid with a sour,
fermentative odor, i.e. the name “sour crop”.
LESIONS
1. Lesions vary greatly in severity. They are more common in the crop, mouth, pharynx and esophagus, but
may involve the proventriculus and, less often, the intestine.
2. The affected mucosa is often diffusely or focally thickened [

Fig. 1; Candidiasis; UC Davis], raised,
corrugated and white, looking like terry cloth [

Fig. 2; Candidiasis; UC Davis]. Lesions may also appear as
proliferative white to gray pseudomembranous or diphtheritic patches and as shallow ulcers. Necrotic
epithelium may slough into the lumen as masses of soft cheesy material.
3. Lesions of a primary predisposing disease may also be present and should be investigated. In particular
one should search for evidence of coccidiosis, parasitism or malnutrition.
DIAGNOSIS
1. Characteristic gross lesions are generally adequate for diagnosis. Histopathologic examination of the
affected mucosa usually will confirm invasion of the tissue by the septate fungal hyphae.
2.

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]Candida albicans [/FONT][/FONT]grows readily on Sabouraud's dextrose agar. However, since [FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Italic]Candida [/FONT][/FONT]is commonly
present in normal birds, only the demonstration of massive numbers of colonies is of significance.
CONTROL
1. Practice a high standard of sanitation in the poultry operation. Phenolic disinfectants or iodine preparations
should be used to sanitize equipment.
2. Prevent other diseases or management practices that might debilitate the birds.​

127

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]CANDIDIASIS[/FONT][/FONT]
3. Avoid over treatment of birds with antibiotics, drugs, coccidiostats, growth stimulants and other agents that
might affect the bacterial flora of the digestive tract.
TREAMENT
1. Copper sulfate at a 1:2000 dilution in drinking water is commonly used both for prevention and treatment
but its value is controversial. Nystatin in feed or water has shown efficacy against candidiasis in turkeys.
2. Routine addition of antifungal drugs to rations probably is a waste of money since elimination of
contributing factors or other diseases usually will prevent candidiasis. However, if sanitation is at fault and​

cannot be improved, antifungal drugs may be advisable.

 

[casportpony]

ok I smeared it around and no sign of blood at all. Just turned into grainy crumbles all pretty much the same greenish color.

Okay, just keep an eye open and inspect all of the poop you can find.