widespread gapeworm infestation- recommendations on treating heavy congestion that follows

[Serenity Sav]

Have confirmed a widespread infestation of gapeworm; I’ve been treating everyone but have noticed that immediately after the worms begin dying, all birds come down with a heavy and severe wet congestion, accompanied with gurgling and gasping for air.


I’m not sure if this actually is considered a secondary respiratory infection; I’ve tried using various antibiotics but it has very minimal impact on the congestion.

Are there any good products or home remedies for helping “dry out” the very wet, drippy congestion that always follows? VetRx hasn’t helped in that regard, surprisingly.

 

[LlamaGirl4]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous @casportpony

 

[casportpony]

How was the gapeworm confirmed?

 

[ChickNanny13]

 

[Serenity Sav]

Vet, and after treating a few dozen I can spot it in less than a minute when examining the mouth.

Red “Y” shape, I’ve posted bunches of photos of what is in their nasal cavaties and throats and pheasant keepers all agreed it’s gape as well.
So had vet do fecal test to confirm.

 

[casportpony]

Did the vet suggest treating them with something like Baytril?

 

[casportpony]

Are you working with the vets in Monterey, the one in Soquel, or someone else?

 

[Serenity Sav]

I don’t live in California any more.
The one I had spoken to before has been on vacation unfortunately. I have bactrim pills; primarily my biggest concern is the subsequent tracheitis that follows, especially if it’s a bird that had a heavy infestation.

Are there any short-term methods to help decrease the “wetness” of the congestion while waiting for the tracheitis to subside with its treatments?

My concern is asphyxiation from the post-gapeworm tracheitis that onsets within a day or so of worming a heavy infestation.

 

[Eggcessive]

Gapeworm is fairly rare and I have never seen it, but from what I have read that you have to be careful in treating a heavy load. Since the trachea can be obstructed with dying off gapeworms, this one link suggests that only 1/2 of the dose of wormer be used at first if there has been a heavy load diagnosed with a stool sample. Then a few days later a larger dose may be given when the chicken is in better condition. It sounds quite frightening, and I would try to remove as much of the host organisms from around the coop to prevent further exposure. The first link has the info about using a reduced dose of wormer at first:

https://wagwalking.com/bird/condition/gapeworms

https://poultrykeeper.com/respiratory-problems/gapeworm/

 

[Serenity Sav]

Yes I’m familiar with that info, but thank you for sharing it.
I split up treatments for the ones with a heavier infestation; however it does not have much of an impact on the severity of the tracheitis that follows once they die.

Worms bunching up in the throat after treatment hasn’t been an issue thus far, I’m fairly cautious of that possibility.
Due to how they burrow into the mucus membranes of the throat and nasal cavity, once they die and go away it leaves those membranes “exposed” where they normally would not be, and the result is immense mucus production, which can kill a bird quickly from drowning in it essentially.