URI help please

[supernova]

I have a baby chick that is sick with some sort of URI. Symptoms began with watery eyes and discharge from her nostrils. She also would open and close her mouth as if she had trouble breathing. I started her on tetracycline in her water 4 days ago. At first, she seemed to improve with eyes seemingly watering less and less discharge from her nostrils. She has continued to eat and drink and be active. This morning I came in to feed her and she had raspy sounds when she breathed. It sounds like mucous is in there and it sounds kind of gurgle-y. It almost sounds like she is sneezing from time to time but I'm not sure what a chicken sneeze is supposed to sound like. Should I start her on Tylan instead? I'm so new to chickens and am unsure of what steps to take. I have also been rubbing VetRx on her beak each night before bed.

 

[casportpony]

I have a baby chick that is sick with some sort of URI. Symptoms began with watery eyes and discharge from her nostrils. She also would open and close her mouth as if she had trouble breathing. I started her on tetracycline in her water 4 days ago. At first, she seemed to improve with eyes seemingly watering less and less discharge from her nostrils. She has continued to eat and drink and be active. This morning I came in to feed her and she had raspy sounds when she breathed. It sounds like mucous is in there and it sounds kind of gurgle-y. It almost sounds like she is sneezing from time to time but I'm not sure what a chicken sneeze is supposed to sound like. Should I start her on Tylan instead? I'm so new to chickens and am unsure of what steps to take. I have also been rubbing VetRx on her beak each night before bed.

You could try Tylan, and if that doesn't work, try some Baytril. Baytril is banned for use in poultry, so read up on that first.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959119/baytril-enrofloxacin-sources

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

With either drug you will need to weigh her as both are supposed to be given by weight, so go get yourself a digital kitchen scale from Walmart or Target.

-Kathy

 

[supernova]

Thank you for the info. I will probably try the Tylan but now I'm not sure what to do at all. Will this illness subside on its own? Let me explain..... I got in touch with a chicken ranch in my area. They have been hatching and raising chickens for 25 years. I thought it would be good to call them since they were nearby and maybe they could help guide me. I got some pretty rotten news though. I described the symptoms my chick was having and the guy on the phone told me it was best to just euthanize her. I told him I didn't plan on getting any other birds bc the chick I have now I got by a series of events by chance so she is just a pet to me. They said it sounds like a chronic respiratory illness so it will always be there and can come out if the bird is under stress (which I read about on here and understood to an extent). They said it will come and go and not to waste money on antibiotics but to try and keep her comfortable but that someday she will eventually die. I asked how long she might have and they said she could live many years even though she has this illness. They also said not to eat the eggs ever. They said when she is showing symptoms she will basically be like a germ machine spewing stuff everywhere. So what do I do now? Are you supposed to treat this type of thing with antibiotics or does it resolve on its own as a chronic respiratory problem? I'm so confused now.

 

[casportpony]

If it is CRD, he's correct, but it might not be CRD. Tylan will treat CRD, but it won't treat something like E. coli. Here is one with a URI that I treated and it hasn't been sick since then:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/945918/my-first-sinus-infection

Was it CRD? I doubt it... 'cause it was the only one of several to get sick.

-Kathy

 

[supernova]

The photos were helpful to see. My chick has never had the foamy eye part though. Her eyes got noticeably watery and looked like a water bubble until it dripped down her face or I wiped it away. Also, all discharge has remained clear too. Does that symptom mean anything specific or help you know which respiratory illness it might be? And if you don't treat with Tylan like the guy on the phone suggested, do they just die from the sickness or recover on their own like their own bodies fight it? What happens?

 

[casportpony]

The photos were helpful to see. My chick has never had the foamy eye part though. Her eyes got noticeably watery and looked like a water bubble until it dripped down her face or I wiped it away. Also, all discharge has remained clear too. Does that symptom mean anything specific or help you know which respiratory illness it might be? And if you don't treat with Tylan like the guy on the phone suggested, do they just die from the sickness or recover on their own like their own bodies fight it? What happens?

If you don't treat it it could turn into pneumonia, and that will most likely kill your chick.

-Kathy

 

[supernova]

Ok. I will go and get some Tylan for her then. Its so frustrating because she seemed to improve at first with the Duramycin. Her breathing wasn't gurgle-y like it has become and now I think she is also coughing or sneezing from time to time. She doesn't gurgle all the time but you can hear sounds from time to time like she's got some mucous in there.

 

[casportpony]

Ok. I will go and get some Tylan for her then. Its so frustrating because she seemed to improve at first with the Duramycin. Her breathing wasn't gurgle-y like it has become and now I think she is also coughing or sneezing from time to time. She doesn't gurgle all the time but you can hear sounds from time to time like she's got some mucous in there.

You might also want to order some Baytril, 'cause if the Tylan doesn't work, that's what you should try next.

-Kathy

 

[supernova]

That sounds like a good plan. I am familiar with Baytril at least. I've had my vet prescribe that for a couple of my other pets before.