URGENT! 2 week old chick coughing and breathing heavily. Worse at night?

[bbybread]

I have three chicks who are all around 2 weeks old. Five days ago they started sneezing very slightly and wiping their heads on the bedding. I gave them antibiotic (Amoxicillin+Tylosin) in their water but that didn’t work so I consulted with a vet online who advised me to give them Doxycycline+Tiamulin powder with their water. The past few days the chicks have been the same or a little better, no lethargy or change in appetite, normal poop, just sneezing and shaking their heads and occasionally wiping it on the bedding. Mostly no nasal discharge but once there was a little bit of clear fluid from one.

Up until a few hours ago, one of the chicks named Nugget started sneezing a LOT. She’s also coughing and breathing really heavily with her mouth open now. I wouldn’t say she’s lethargic because she still runs around with the others but she gets tired faster than the rest. She’s coughing so often now too that she won’t or can’t eat or drink. There are no vets in the area where I can take her.

is there anything I can do to help her get some relief? Mostly the labored breathing and I think clogged nose. Will continue the antibiotics in their water which I will hand feed to her. Would appreciate any suggestions as to what I can feed her if she still can’t eat by tomorrow.

thanks in advance!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How is she doing?

Can you tell if her nostrils are clogged? If they are, then clean them out and see if that helps.
How are you housing them and what is the temperature? Photos may be helpful.

Have you noticed any mold in the feed?
Any obstruction inside her beak?

 

[bbybread]

Hello! She seemed to be better when I checked on her this morning- no more heavy breathing. Throughout the day she got better and better, although she was still sneezing often it didn’t look like she had a hard time breathing and her cough was gone by noon. It’s evening here now and her symptoms are becoming frequent again just like last night, breathing through her mouth. The other two are sneezing more often tonight too compared to earlier in the day.

no obstructions in her beak or nose. The three chicks are in a cage with wood shavings and a heat lamp on one side that they don’t go near to anymore, but I keep it on 24/7 in case they want a little extra warmth. I live in a tropical country and temperatures here are reaching 36-38C during the day, a little cooler at night but temp still in the 30s. They’re only let out at 20-30 min intervals when I can keep an eye on them and check on their poop. Even when they mostly stay in the cage during the day there are less symptoms so I dont think it has to do with the bedding. Still continuing the antibiotics in their water, should be around day 3 now.

She had a good appetite for food and water during the day and she’s still able to drink right now, but her sneezing gets in the way of eating so she only gets a bit.

would appreciate any input especially as to why the symptoms get much worse at night.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It’s evening here now and her symptoms are becoming frequent again just like last night, breathing through her mouth. The other two are sneezing more often tonight too compared to earlier in the day.

The three chicks are in a cage with wood shavings and a heat lamp on one side that they don’t go near to anymore, but I keep it on 24/7 in case they want a little extra warmth. I live in a tropical country and temperatures here are reaching 36-38C during the day, a little cooler at night but temp still in the 30s.

Still continuing the antibiotics in their water, should be around day 3 now.

She had a good appetite for food and water during the day and she’s still able to drink right now, but her sneezing gets in the way of eating so she only gets a bit.

Symptoms worsening at night might be viral respiratory illness like Infectious Bronchitis, but it would be hard to know. If it's a virus, then the antibiotics could help with secondary infection, so I would finish the course of treatment. A virus like IB will generally run it's course in 6-8 weeks unless there's complications.

If she's drinking o.k. but struggling with dry feed due to the sneezing, then try offering a wet mash instead. Just mix a little chick starter with warm water and let it soak for 20 minutes or so. You may need to play with the consistency - some birds like it fairly mushy.

If they are completely avoiding the heat lamp now, then it's too warm. Try raising the lamp higher. With your warm climate they likely won't need heat much longer, but it's a good idea to provide some supplemental heat especially at night since you are dealing with illness. Make sure they have plenty of ventilation though.

Hopefully they all improve in time. It sounds like you are doing everything you can.