Want to give levamisole to a sick chicken...

[susanah]

Bottle says to mix in waterer, but chicken is not drinking or eating. This is a last straw kind of thing. Do you think I can give this med straight with a syringe, or is there a reason it needs to be mixed with the water. Also should we give divided doses since they don't get it all at once. Thanks.


Is this a stupid thing to do? Chicken has not eaten or drank hardly anything for past 2 days, and is just sitting down all day now. Actually thought she would be gone when we got up this AM. Don't want to worm her if I'm just going to finish her off. Any other ideas? This is all we could think of. No visible signs of worms.

 

[spikennipper]

I'm afraid it sounds like it is too little too late

she sounds too weak to put up with the wormer, how old is she? do you have a pic? any other symptoms? is she pale? straining? what are her poops like? was this sudden or was she looking poorly for a few days before the collapse? I would keep her separated in a box with additional warmth if you haven't already and try to get her to drink warm sugar/honey water if you can and then offering her some scrambled eggs or porridge, just something easy to eat and digest, she may not make it though if you can't get her to take fluids food but you can but try, without knowing what the cause is it would be difficult to treat, I def wouldn't give her any meds unless you are sure what you are treating.

 

[casportpony]

Bottle says to mix in waterer, but chicken is not drinking or eating. This is a last straw kind of thing. Do you think I can give this med straight with a syringe, or is there a reason it needs to be mixed with the water. Also should we give divided doses since they don't get it all at once. Thanks.


Is this a stupid thing to do? Chicken has not eaten or drank hardly anything for past 2 days, and is just sitting down all day now. Actually thought she would be gone when we got up this AM. Don't want to worm her if I'm just going to finish her off. Any other ideas? This is all we could think of. No visible signs of worms.

Tube feed Pedialyte or give subcutaneous fluids right away!

 

[casportpony]

Read these:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/722041/how-to-t-feed-a-sick-chicken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid
http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?t=7933

 

[Suzie]

x 2 - Do not give her an antibiotic until you definately know that she needs one. Keep her warm too.. she is going to need her strength to fight off what is wrong with her... can you respond to the questions asked by Spikenipper... it will help for anyone here to understand what the initial problem was that made you think of using Levamisole.

Suzie

 

[susanah]

No idea what is wrong with her. Day before yesterday, noticed her comb was very light and she was listless. Then yesterday, she wasn't even walking around. Won't get up on perch. Slept in a nesting box covered by a blanket last night. Don't see anything visibly wrong with her. She is a 3 1/2 year old Easter Egger. Has always been a poor layer. I just assumed she was dying at the rate she was going downhill and expected her to be gone this morning. But she is still alive, though only sitting in a nesting box. We gave her poly vi sol yesterday, and a little water by syringe and a tiny bit of food. She almost looks a little better today. Maybe. But I hate to see her suffer. I don't want to prolong the inevitable, but I don't want to do nothing if she could get better. I'm thinking the wormer is a bad idea after reading the posts. everyone else in flock is fine. No new chickens or anything. I will get some pedialyte.

 

[Suzie]

Have you recently treated your flock for lice/mites? A pale comb can sometimes be an indicator of a parasite infestation and bear in mind that not all of the flock will necessarily show the same symptoms.

I do feel for you in your dilemma and hope that all will be well for her... do you by any chance add ACV to their water supply... if not, it may be advisable to do so.

Suzie

 

[casportpony]

• Is she still outside? If so, she needs to come inside, now. Give her a nice warm place and see if she perks up.
• Once she's warm enough, dust her for mites/lice, even if you cannot see them. Pale comb probably means anemia, which could be due to many things... mites, internal bleeding or not eating.
• She needs fluids or she will die. You could try to give fluids with a syringe, but it will take forever to give her enough.
• How much does she weigh?

 

[susanah]

Thanks for the help. I guess it was just her time though. She was sitting in my husbands lap as my daughter fed her warm honey water through a syringe. She wanted it
and took a decent amount. Then jumped off his lap to go back to the coop. So hubby put her in the nesting box while daughter came in to see about covering her back up. (We are in FL though, not too bad today.) When she went back out she seemed to be having something that looked like a seizure, and now she's gone. Do they always do that when they die, or is that a
symptom of what was wrong? Just in case another one starts showing symptoms I'd like to figure out what happened if possible.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the help. I guess it was just her time though. She was sitting in my husbands lap as my daughter fed her warm honey water through a syringe. She wanted it
and took a decent amount. Then jumped off his lap to go back to the coop. So hubby put her in the nesting box while daughter came in to see about covering her back up. (We are in FL though, not too bad today.) When she went back out she seemed to be having something that looked like a seizure, and now she's gone. Do they always do that when they die, or is that a
symptom of what was wrong? Just in case another one starts showing symptoms I'd like to figure out what happened if possible.

Sorry for your loss... The seizure is just part of the dying process. They'll also sometimes flap wings, cry, vomit, breathe through mouth and poop.