Viral infection-how to treat

[happymorrows]

So...if my chickens have a viral infection, using antibiotics won't help. Is there anything to do to treat them, or just take good care of them and let their immune system do the rest? Is there any benefit to giving antibiotics to a chicken with a viral infection? I have a few with runny noses/coughing/sneezing and wet eyes.

 

[jadeybaby70]

Antibiotics will not work on a virus. They work on bacteria in areas where bacterial cells are different from us. An example is, all the "cillins" (penicillin, amoxicillin etc.) work on the specific chemical composition of the bacterial wall, which eukaryotic cells (plants and animals) do not have. Since viruses are very simple in composition (often just DNA with a protein coating) there is not much antibiotics or other treatments can do without harming our/chicken DNA or proteins. Sometimes there are things that can be done to boost the immune system and give the animal strength while the immune system does it's job but there is no quick fix for a viral infection like there is for many bacterial infections. I believe my chickens have been dying from a viral infection as well. I have had three pass in the last month and have sent them to the lab at UC Davis for answers. It is very frustrating. I have the same questions as you. Will my girls always be carriers?

I just hope that I don't lose any more. My girls are family pets...

 

[chickenzoo]

Often you just manage the virus, but treat the secondary infections that go hand and hand with many of them. Their are some vaccines for some ....

 

[rcentner]

If you are talking about CRD (chronic respiratory disease) or mycoplasmosis (same thing) then there is something you can do. Some people prefer to cull and start over and then there are the crazy people like me who will medicate and try to eliminate the disease from the flock. I find it unacceptable to watch my pets die and suffer...like I said pets, they are like my dogs/cats and I feel it is my duty to keep them healthy. anyhow....

Denagard is a product that is out for the mycoplasma, it is a product made for swine, but works great in poultry. You add it to the water. There is a schedule for this medication that you can follow and if done right then supposedly you can eliminate it from the flock completely. I have started the meds just his past month and I went from having a flock full of sneezing, wheezing, nasal discharge and eye bubbling birds to a healthy flock that has increased thier laying. And that was only the 1st treatment! the best thing about this med is that there is no egg throw away period.
Baytril actually works against this too, but is hard for most people to get and is expensive and cannot be put in the water due to it's terrible taste.

the denagard cost me almost $50 after shipping costs but I calculated that it gives me over 40 doses which will be plenty to treat for a whole year (with some left over). I plan to test my flock next summer to see if I actually eradicated the disease from my flock

2 links for you:

the denagard...

http://denagard.com/pig-poultry-public/en/index.shtml

a good topic on CRD:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=113931&p=3

page #3 on this post, especially listen to what "star2525" has to say about the disease and the denagard

 

[happymorrows]

Do you first test to find out if you actually have one of those diseases first, or do you just assume and treat? Just want to know what others do.

 

[rcentner]

ideally you should test 1st, but I was having trouble getting answers from cornell about testing and wanted to treat them before I had some birds die. My birds all fit the description of mycoplasma infections and did not appear to have secondary infections (yet). I had a few that looked real bad and was too worried to wait any longer. they were starting to open beak breathe and I thought for sure I would have some dead birds in the next week if I didn't do something.
Also, I figured...if they had infectious bronchitis (my primary rule out) they would not get better with the denagard and I would switch my plan for them. same for my secondary rule out...newcastle (but that was a far stretch cause they didn't have a lot of those symptoms)

 

[happymorrows]

I think my ladies have a viral infection. The vet at the NC State poultry science center says usually it is a virus. About half of the flock has signs and symptoms. I am treating the sickest with Tylan 50 to stave off any secondary bacterial infections, but other than that I figure it just has to run its course. Does that sound way off to anyone as a plan? I am going to try to have them tested, as I said, and if it comes back as one of the big nasties I will definitely treat for them. Thanks for all of your help and advice so far!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey happymorrows, I'm right over the mtn. from you in Burnsville, I hope your girls get well I haven't had to deal with this so I can't be of help,just wanted to send support

 

[happymorrows]

Thanks for the support! I just hope my girls can pull through. This is my first flock and I am so worried about them.