Chronic respiratory disease

[cate1124]

Greetings. Looking for possibilities regarding my 5-year-old speckled Sussex, Ev; she has chronic rales/crackles, is more sedentary and exhibits more labored breathing than her age peers. After a normal first 3 years, she did not return to lay last year. She also has a dark comb, indicating to me poor oxygenation.

I'm working with an excellent mobile livestock/poultry vet; we have tried Clavamox, dexamethasone (to soothe inflammation) and most lately doxycycline, all to no significant effect, on the theory that this is some sort of respiratory issue or residue of same that she contracted when young that is resurfacing as she ages. Vet's notes from a week ago:

"General Appearance: Alert and responsive. Eyes: No ocular discharge, corneas smooth/clear. Irises are regular in shape. Palpebral reflexes intact OU. Ears: No external discharge or masses noted. No mites seen. Oral Cavity: MM pink, moist. CRT<2s, obtained from waddles. No oral plaques and choanal papilla distinct and pink. Respiratory: crackles present bilateral, open mouth breathing. CV: Normal sinus rhythm and no murmurs appreciated. Integument: Normal feathering with no signs of ectoparasites. Coelomic Cavity: No appreciable organomegaly or masses. No fluid appreciated. U/G: No external lesions or discharge. No masses in the cloaca appreciated with digital palpation. M/S: Appropriate mobility and strength in both legs. Able to grasp finger with both feet. Nervous: Appropriate proprioception. CN’s all appeared intact.

Assessment: Ev exhibits signs of respiratory disease but it is unclear whether she has an active infection or inflammation from a prior infection. ...The possibility of mycoplasma as a source of infection has led to a trial treatment with doxycycline."

Ev is not having a bad life, just not a great one; she is not thriving. She goes at about half-speed, sits a lot more than the others, breathes harder. Any ideas are welcome!

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you checked her crop first thing in the morning before she has access to food or water? Sometimes if the crop is full and squishy, it can mean the crop is slow or going sour, and they can have food and liquid come back up into the throat and sound like crackles or rales. Does she have any enlargement of her lower belly under her vent? Swelling could indicate ascites (water belly) which might cause breathing problems and a dark comb.

 

[Penpal]

Parasites can live in the lungs. You could try garlic. Leaves or a tiny bit if garlic powder. Also give some turmeric powder. You can give it to all the chickens in their normal feed.

 

[cate1124]

Have you checked her crop first thing in the morning before she has access to food or water? Sometimes if the crop is full and squishy, it can mean the crop is slow or going sour, and they can have food and liquid come back up into the throat and sound like crackles or rales. Does she have any enlargement of her lower belly under her vent? Swelling could indicate ascites (water belly) which might cause breathing problems and a dark comb.

She is eating and drinking, crop emptying normally, no ascites. Thanks for responding, though. I'm going to try probiotics, which some research has indicated can help soothe lung inflammation in chickens infected with mycoplasma. This from poultry DVM: https://poultrydvm.com/condition/mycoplasma-gallisepticum I am not seeing an acute infection, which is likely why the antibiotics are having no effect, but they were worth a try. I think this is more likely old respiratory injury from an infection she had when young that is becoming apparent with age.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can seek some testing for MG from labs such as Zoologix. Your vet could have tested with a swab. A necropsy if you ever lose her could be the best way of testing for a chronic disease.

 

[triciayoung]

Greetings. Looking for possibilities regarding my 5-year-old speckled Sussex, Ev; she has chronic rales/crackles, is more sedentary and exhibits more labored breathing than her age peers. After a normal first 3 years, she did not return to lay last year. She also has a dark comb, indicating to me poor oxygenation.

I'm working with an excellent mobile livestock/poultry vet; we have tried Clavamox, dexamethasone (to soothe inflammation) and most lately doxycycline, all to no significant effect, on the theory that this is some sort of respiratory issue or residue of same that she contracted when young that is resurfacing as she ages. Vet's notes from a week ago:

"General Appearance: Alert and responsive. Eyes: No ocular discharge, corneas smooth/clear. Irises are regular in shape. Palpebral reflexes intact OU. Ears: No external discharge or masses noted. No mites seen. Oral Cavity: MM pink, moist. CRT<2s, obtained from waddles. No oral plaques and choanal papilla distinct and pink. Respiratory: crackles present bilateral, open mouth breathing. CV: Normal sinus rhythm and no murmurs appreciated. Integument: Normal feathering with no signs of ectoparasites. Coelomic Cavity: No appreciable organomegaly or masses. No fluid appreciated. U/G: No external lesions or discharge. No masses in the cloaca appreciated with digital palpation. M/S: Appropriate mobility and strength in both legs. Able to grasp finger with both feet. Nervous: Appropriate proprioception. CN’s all appeared intact.

Assessment: Ev exhibits signs of respiratory disease but it is unclear whether she has an active infection or inflammation from a prior infection. ...The possibility of mycoplasma as a source of infection has led to a trial treatment with doxycycline."

Ev is not having a bad life, just not a great one; she is not thriving. She goes at about half-speed, sits a lot more than the others, breathes harder. Any ideas are welcome!

While I am not a vet, I would not use clavamox for a respiratory infection. Doxy is more specific. Is she improving on Doxy?

You could do some homeopathy routes, antimonium crudum, a mixture of fresh lemon, garlic, honey and turmeric in water. And there is always rescue remedy.

I have IC in my flock, therefore I have become pretty familiar with respiratory diseases, working with my vet. I do have one chicken with chronic issues, but it looks like one of her nares is not open.

You should test with RAL labs in Allen Texas, to determine the source. I like RAL because they don't have a duty to report. https://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/chickenfowlsubmittalform.pdf

 

[cate1124]

While I am not a vet, I would not use clavamox for a respiratory infection. Doxy is more specific. Is she improving on Doxy?

You could do some homeopathy routes, antimonium crudum, a mixture of fresh lemon, garlic, honey and turmeric in water. And there is always rescue remedy.

I have IC in my flock, therefore I have become pretty familiar with respiratory diseases, working with my vet. I do have one chicken with chronic issues, but it looks like one of her nares is not open.

You should test with RAL labs in Allen Texas, to determine the source. I like RAL because they don't have a duty to report. https://www.vetdna.com/application/forms/chickenfowlsubmittalform.pdf

Thanks so much for the benefit of your experience and knowledge. I had Clavamox on hand, so tried that first, not being sure exactly what her issue was. Then, doxy for a week -- noting its specificity for mycoplasmas -- also with no significant response. She is not acutely ill, just going at about half the speed of her age-peers; this has been the case for about a year and she is slowing down more with time. I'm going to try pro/prebiotics for awhile, and see if that makes any difference; it shouldn't hurt and probably will be good for all of them. These are my last five hens and the others are fine, so I won't go to the trouble of testing, but it's cool you know about RAL Labs. And I will consider your natural remedies if the probiotics don't seem to do much.

 

[cate1124]

You can seek some testing for MG from labs such as Zoologix. Your vet could have tested with a swab. A necropsy if you ever lose her could be the best way of testing for a chronic disease.

Good ideas. These are my last five hens, and she is the only one infected, though, so I probably will not test, but just continue treating "as if." For her own edification, my vet may want to do a necropsy on her when the time comes. I'm curious, too, even if the knowledge will have no practical application for me.

I'll miss having hens after 20-some years -- but I'm getting old, too. Age makes every critter less resilient.

 

[cate1124]

Parasites can live in the lungs. You could try garlic. Leaves or a tiny bit if garlic powder. Also give some turmeric powder. You can give it to all the chickens in their normal feed.

Thanks for the ideas! I'm making a list of things to try after the probiotics.

 

[cate1124]

Parasites can live in the lungs. You could try garlic. Leaves or a tiny bit if garlic powder. Also give some turmeric powder. You can give it to all the chickens in their normal feed.

Have you checked her crop first thing in the morning before she has access to food or water? Sometimes if the crop is full and squishy, it can mean the crop is slow or going sour, and they can have food and liquid come back up into the throat and sound like crackles or rales. Does she have any enlargement of her lower belly under her vent? Swelling could indicate ascites (water belly) which might cause breathing problems and a dark comb.