Wheezing hen!

[casportpony]

Obesity and wheezing in people:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/513428-obesity-wheezing/

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Other possibilities are viral infection, bacterial infection, fungal infection or parasites and possible some sort of cardio/pulmonary disease.

Vet RX won't hurt, but it's probably not gonna help either.

Check her belly and see if it feels like it has fluid in it.

-Kathy

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Other possibilities are viral infection, bacterial infection, fungal infection or parasites and possible some sort of cardio/pulmonary disease.

Vet RX won't hurt, but it's probably not gonna help either.

Check her belly and see if it feels like it has fluid in it.

-Kathy

my thoughts as well, I would treat her with baytril but thats your depo kat .....

apple cider vinegar in the water at 1 tablespoon per quart/liter of drinking water. This can help reduce pathogenic bacterial loads in the oral cavity and appears to help with gastrointestinal health, as well as acting as a mild expectorant

Treating Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD)
CRD is a common problem that has some symptoms that make chickens seem to have a "cold." Birds that get well still become chronic carriers & may have symptoms re-appear during later times of stress. CRD is usually caused by Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG), Mycoplasma Synoviae (MS) and/or Infectious Coryza, though it may be possible for E. Coli, chronic Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT), and other conditions to be involved.
Baytril can be very useful in treating many cases of CRD / Air Sacculitis.

• In particular, in some cases of some strains of MG, Fluoroquinolone medicines, such as Baytril, have appeared to completely cure chickens, though there have been contradictingfindings.

Dosage

0.25 ml or cc of 10% liquid per day for average 5-lb. chicken.

• Can split dose in half & give twice a day for more constant treatment, or give continuously in drinking water (PP does not recommend in drinking water, since birds are very reluctant to drink it).

Treatment period

For salmonellosis or pasteurellosis: 5-10 days
For other conditions: 3-5 days (or up to 10, if necessary)
*One set of experiments has seemed to indicate that a 2-day treatment at 0.625 ml Baytril per day for 5-lb chicken may be possibly preferable for some conditions instead of the generally recommends 5 days at a 0.25 ml dose, but this has not been thoroughly researched.
Preventing disease transfer through eggs to chicks

If hens have MG, giving them Baytril during the time when hatching eggs are laid greatly reduces the transmission of MG to chicks.
Combinations to avoid

• Direct sunlight will inactivate Baytril. If giving in drinking water, place bowl in shade.
• Minerals such as calcium, magnesium & iron significantly reduce absorption of Baytril during digestion. Try to avoid giving these to a chicken for at least a couple hours before & after dosing with Baytril.
  High levels of these minerals may be found in dairy products, some nutritional supplements, calcite, formulated feeds, hard water, etc.
  • Some research seems to indicate that when treating with Baytril, it may actually be beneficial to also give calcium spaced a couple hours before Baytril dosing, but the optimal timing sequence has not been researched thoroughly & may require other treatment modifications to avoid problems.

Methods of administration

An optimal method

Medicine can be given orally down the throat via a human syringe, which you can buy at a pharmacy for people. A 1-cc size syringe is best for accurate, small measurements. If the syringe comes with a needle, be sure it is a kind that can be removed.

• This "force-feeding" or "gavage" method can also be used to feed soft food or supplemented liquids to a sick bird that is starving or weak from not eating enough.
  • You can also use a larger syringe & flexible fish aquarium tubing (Use a match to slightly melt the feeding end so it won't scrape the throat) to "tube-feed" larger quantities of food. See video at
    .

*Note: Baytril Injectible can be given by mouth instead of injection.

1. If the bottle has a removable lid:
   1. Remove the needle from the syringe & discard the needle.
   2. Place the medicine bottle in a stable, slightly larger container (such as an empty tin can) that will help keep it from tipping over & spilling.
   3. Open the medicine bottle & insert the (needle-less) syringe. Pull the plunger back to draw the appropriate amount of medicine into the syringe. Remove syringe from bottle.
2. Place the bird on your lap and restrain it in your arms.
3. [These suggestions on how to position your hands are approximate. Experiment with what works best for you.] Put your left hand to the side of the chicken's head, with the thumb behind its head/neck. Be careful that you don't press against the bird's eyes.
4. Take your right forefinger, and push it against the side of the bird's beak until it opens its mouth. If you're right-handed, when the bird opens its mouth, push the forefinger of your left hand in across the mouth from side to side inside the beak and keep it there so your finger acts as a wedge to keep the mouth open.
   • The bird will STRONGLY resist this. Patiently persist. Once you have your finger put in place, within a few seconds the bird will suddenly stop squirming & sit still.
   • Birds mostly try to open their mouths to get away from your finger. They rarely bite hard while you do this, and they can't bite as hard with their beak in this wide open position.
5. Tilt the bird's head back so the beak almost points skyward; then the throat passage will be straight & it will be easy to insert the syringe.
6. Hold the syringe in your right hand and gently slide it past the breathing hole (that is on the floor of the mouth on the back part of the tongue area) and on down the very back of the throat (which is the passage for swallowing). Slide the syringe far in (almost halfway down the throat) to be sure no medicine ends up going down the air hole. Be gentle so you don't scrape the sides of the throat.
   • This sounds intimidatingly risky, but it is actually VERY EASY to see and slide in the right area safely.
7. Depress the plunger on the syringe to dispense the medicine.
8. Withdraw the syringe from the bird's throat & take your finger out of the bird's beak.
9. Hold the bird so its side is close against your body so it can feel secure & burrow its head into your arm. With one hand, hold your fingers flat & pat the bird's outside wing/side in a gentle thumping way to reassure & comfort it.
   • You can tell the bird is feeling more relaxed when it closes its eyes, makes chewing motions, and then makes gentle exhaling noises each time it breathes out. (Note: This is different that the open-mouth breathing a bird may do when in pain, or panting it may do when overheated.)

Other methods

Mixed in water: Baytril Injectible and Baytril Soluble are both suitable for mixing into drinking water. Baytril is bitter and even thirsty birds will resist drinking it. To make it more sweet & tasty, mix in something sweet. Xylitol sweetener (available in health food section or baking sweeteners section at grocery store) is ideal since it doesn't foster the growth of internal fungi. Fruit juice and/or sugar can be used if that is all that is available.
If possible, minimize negative effects that minerals cause when combined with Baytril, by using distilled water or water that has gone through reverse osmosis.
By injection: Injections of Baytril Injectible can be given in the breast muscle, but it the muscle can have some soreness & damage, and bird may not feel as well.
By giving pill: A small Baytril pill or portion of a larger pill can be pushed down the throat. For general guidelines, see above Steps 4 thru 8 and 11.
Mixing with food may not be as effective. Many foods contain minerals that cause Baytril to not be absorbed as much during digestion.
Side effects

• Birds' systems may be particularly vulnerable to infections from bacteria that isn't vulnerable to Baytril, or yeast infections after being dosed with Baytril, particularly if Baytril is given for a longer time. To minimize the risk, try to maintain sanitary conditions & to give Baytril for the minimum time needed to be fully effective. You may need to follow up with antibiotic or anti-fungal medicine if problems develop afterward.
• Because it is very powerful, Baytril can kill off significant numbers of "good bacteria" that normally fight harmful organisms in birds' digestive tracts, although it is said to have less of this effect than many other of the powerful antibiotics. To minimize risk:
  • Try to maintain sanitary conditions.
  • Give Baytril for the minimum time needed for sufficient effectiveness.
  • Give birds' probiotics, such as unflavored yogurt, buttermilk, or a probiotic supplement to re-establish good bacteria. You could try feeding probiotics halfway between Baytril dosings to try to fight the growth of bad bacteria during treatment (though the probiotics will be killed off at the next Baytril dosing), &/or give probiotics after finishing all Baytril dosings.
  • You may need to follow up with a different antibiotic if new bacterial problems develop after Baytril treatments.
  • If a fungal condition develops, it may be necessary to give an antifungal such as Nystatin, or you might try Oxine if timed to not conflict too much with probiotics. Raw, unfiltered cider vinegar has anti-fungal properties & may help, as well (but do NOT combine it with Oxine as the acid might hazardously activate Oxine).
• Baytril may have some negative effects on the development of young birds.
• There are conflicting reports about whether Baytril has negative side effects on a chicken's kidneys, the liver or blood.

Dangers for Eggs & Meat

One study found that eggs and meat cleared of Baytril just 5 days after chickens stopped receiving the medicine, but other studies haven't always concurred, and no official withdrawal time is listed in the U.S.

There are other serious concerns that have caused Baytril to be banned in the US from use in poultry used for eggs or meat.

• When exposed to Baytril, Campylobacter bacteria may become resistant to Cipro, a primary medicine used for treating people infected with food poisoning or urinary tract infections (UTI's). If this bacteria is in a chicken and is not killed during cooking of eggs or meat from a chicken that EVER took Baytril, a person eating the food might not be able to be treated successfully with Cipro.
• Personal experience: One person reported that a UTI lab test did not show any Cipro resistance after she had treated her chickens twice with Baytril, and done frequent handling and coop cleaning for over a year. However, she had not eaten eggs or meat.

Where to buy Baytril

Poultry: Pet supply and vet medicine stores & online retailers sell Baytril. However, it is illegal in the US to sell Baytril for "egg or meat-producing birds", because of possible risks to people, & most online sellers would require a vet's prescription to be able to sell you Baytril labeled for use in poultry. Some vets will sell Baytril directly to you if they determine it would be advisable for your bird.

Other birds: Prescriptions are not required for small pet birds. A search online for "Baytril birds" will list some retailers of supplies for small pet birds, and these sellers may not need prescriptions.
More Resources

FDA information on Baytril

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Other possibilities are viral infection, bacterial infection, fungal infection or parasites and possible some sort of cardio/pulmonary disease.

Vet RX won't hurt, but it's probably not gonna help either.

Check her belly and see if it feels like it has fluid in it.

-Kathy

Her belly doesn't really feel fluid filled. I've dealt with that one before too :/ BUT she hasn't laid any eggs in a while either.

Obesity and wheezing in people:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/513428-obesity-wheezing/

-Kathy

She always been hefty and the only hen I have that is overweight. She free ranges, runs around, forages, everything all the others do. I'm not sure how I could get her to lose any weight. It's almost like she part broiler!

Thanks for your help and advice. You too @Sally Sunshine. I don't have any baytril right now but I do have tylan 50. Should I try giving her some of that? I'm still going to get some vet rx to use also.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: if its viral it will do nothing, I would do the acv and give a shot of the tylan if thats what you have. it will at least prevent pneumonia yes??

 

[Sally Sunshine]

keep clean and away from your babies and others. sorry your having issues with her.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Had to leave for a few hours for my daughter's dance class but before I left, I noticed one of my roosters had rattled breathing too. Nothing like Maple's but still. I grabbed him and separated him too. When I got home, Maple wasn't wheezing really anymore. I mixed up some oxine in water and put it in a spray bottle. I spayed a fine most ago through the coop and in front of my rooster and Maple door them to breathe in. I know they were kicking up the bedding in the coop yesterday when it was nice out because I had the big side door open. I have DE under the bedding. Is it possible that that is what is agitating their breathing? Nobody else in the coop is showing any signs, symtoms, or issues.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

UPDATE- Shhh! Hear anything? Me niether! Right now, there is absolutely no wheezing or rattling coming from Maple at all! I spayed around her face pretty good with that oxine mist about an hour and a half ago and then put a drop of vet rx on her beak and under each wing. She's just relaxing and falling asleep now but she was preening her feathers just a bit ago. I did NOT treat with tylan or any antibiotics. What does this mean to you guys? You are more experts than me. Would it be safe to put her back in the coop with everyone tomorrow if she's still breathing normally?

 

[BullChick]

My opinion is not yet. Be sure they go at least through tomorrow too. Even if you put them back in the coop before bed tomorrow, I'd wait at least through tomorrow.
The temps are getting down into the single digits the next night, so I would keep that in mind. Going from the warmth of the house to bitter cold will be a shock.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Thanks MC. I haven't checked on my rooster, only because he's in a crate out in the garage and I'm not going back out tonight. If he recovers, he'll be able to switch back outside no problem since the garage isn't heated. Maple is sitting in my bathroom lol. She may get a couple extra days in the house if it's too cold (wasn't thinking about the cold). It pays to be a favorite lol