Roo with possible Gapeworm?

[Jewels1935]

Good evening everyone,

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Copper Maran, less than 1 yr old. He does feel lighter
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Head shaking, gurgling noise, not eating as much
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? just a few days
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. na
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. feed, free range
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. normal
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? nothing yet
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Treat myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use pine needles, dirt, grass

Hi everyone..I think my Roo might have Gapeworm. Not certain so I need some help! When I brought him home, he started shaking his head a lot. Some coughing too. For the past few days, he's been making a gurgling noise when picked up and while breathing. He's also slightly holding his mouth open. And wont crow now. When he does crow, you can barely hear it. His eyes and nose are clear, no discharge. He's acting normal otherwise. I have noticed his breastbone is more prominent due to not eating as much. I think he has gapeworm. I did look into his throat, but didn't see any red worms. I noticed he will cough and move his beak as if he's swallowing it back down.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

Gapeworm is very rare. Search here on BYC... "testing for gapeworm"... the Q-tip test.

Have some or get some, borrow some plain, old, regular, people "Q-tips"... have someone help you.. since they roost at night and are easy to get.. go get the rooster.. get him into good light.. have someone help you. Hold him, hold his head up.. lift his head gently upwards (to lengthen his neck a bit)... open his beak.. (if you pull down on the wattles, and up on the comb (gently) he will open his mouth)... or you can pry it open with your fingers.. hold his open mouth upwards.. hold onto that q-tip very well, do not let go.. reach into his beak.. swab (to the back - avoid the small airway hole)... swab his throat as far down as you can... this will not be very far.. q-tips aren't very long and fingers get in the way... so.. just reach as far down and swab around.. pull the Q-tip out.... if you see worms.. he has gapeworm.. if you don't.. he doesn't.

Look for posts on "Gapeworm" by dawg53.... look for the "Q-tip test for gapeworm)...

Less than one year old... so... more than 7 or 8 months? Does he Free range at all? Have you wormed him or the flock for worms before? When, with what? Repeated?
Search "worming with Valbazen".. Valbazen kills all types of worms (not mites)... must be given orally and individually.. Search "giving oral medications".. Search "how much Valbazen".. look for posts by dawg53 on all parasite or worms subjects as well as the treatments.

What kind of feed does he eat? Do you feed Scratch or do you have laying hens and feed a laying food... How does his crop feel? Is he eating at all? Drinking?
I suggest isolate him and give him food and water in the "cage"..... massage his crop and see if his "breath" smells sour. Search "impacted crop"... and "sour crop" also for more info on those.

If he has worms.. if you have a flock.. if they all free range.. you should worm everyone. (Not babies). I would worm him right away... also check for mites on his vent and under his wings ("armpits" skin). Sevin Dust for mites. (Treatments for everyone and worming and dusting will have to be repeated in ten days... withholding eggs for worming.. no eating the eggs or the chickens until the 15th day after the final treatment with Valbazen.... if treated twice.. that's the 25th day the eggs will be safe to eat.)

Good luck.

 

[Jewels1935]

Quote:
Thankyou for the quick response! I believe he's under 6 months or around 7/8 months of age. He free ranges and eats the layer feed with the hens. Currently he's eating starter/grower with the new chicks. He gets fruits and veggies too. I will do the q-tip test tonight. I haven't wormed the flock yet. New to chicken keeping, and just got everyone a few months back. His crop doesn't feel full, I don't think he's eating as much now. He tears the food apart for the girls and watches them eat. His crowing has stopped. He's acts normal otherwise. If the q-tip test is neg. should I start an antibiotic incase he has "chicken cold" There's no fluid coming from his noise though. But he's very raspy sounding.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

I am no expert.... but, if he is more than six months.. if the flock is older than six months... if they free range.. I would worm. Worms can cause so many symptoms and many, many times people think their chicken is sick with something else and give antibiotics.. then, a week later, after the antibiotics they are sick again... and again.. because the antibiotics give them a temporary boost, but they really had worms all along.

Good to check for mites.. good to check a couple more chickens for gapeworm and for mites... to see if anyone else has a problem there. And, please do use the Search here on BYC for worming... and all the other topics like giving oral meds, Valbazen, etc... note dawg53 posts on worming.

And, if the Gapeworm test is negative.. as it was for me... but, mine had worms.. just not gapeworm.. and after worming, everyone felt better, got frisky, laid more eggs, etc.. (of course, you have to throw away the eggs for a while.. and, by the way... save them up in a box for trash day.. they smell horrible when they rot in the trash can!)

I would test first, then worm... then, go from there...
If the gapeworm test is positive, contact PM dawg53... if it's negative worm anyway... and watch the poop of the chickens for tapeworm segments.. tapeworms take more treatments than two.

Good luck.

 

[Jewels1935]

Thanks! Can I buy the Valbazen from Tractor Supply? I brought him in just now. He's eating some bread pieces and chillin in a large box. He sounds congested. It's all coming from his throat. He is breathing with his beak slightly open. Re checked his nose and eyes, all good.

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

Not sure about TSC... Tractor Supply.. Valbazen is a bit pricey.. I get it at my local feed store.. the Feed Store has it, at least mine does.

I have heard some say that TSC does not?? I would check, call them in the AM. And, Valbazen comes in a large bottle.. I know you can order it, if you want to wait a few days, from Jefferslivestock.com -- You will need a syringe (no needle) or a child's medicine dropper with CC / ML marks on it.. Standard chickens get 1/2 cc/ml.. orally.. (avoid the windpipe).. and, Bantams get 1/4 CC/ML.. small chickens or bantams.. If you happened to have a "giant".. You could, would give more than the standard dose. Repeat on Day 10 -- second dose ten days after the first.

Oh.. at my feed store.. the owner has a very large bottle of Valbazen that he keeps open... and sells "ounces" or CCs from it.. he makes money and "we" don't have to buy a bottle that will expire before we can use it up for almost $50.

Remember, it is not a chicken wormer.. and you have to withhold eggs.. Do that search.. it is good for you to read all that dawg53 has replied and posted about "worming with Valbazen" and the dosages of it.. etc.

(I printed out all the info on worming when I was researching it and getting ready to worm mine.. I was so scared to give oral medication, give too much, or not enough... it all worked out.. I am more comfortable now giving meds and worming.)

If you can get the Valbazen right away in the morning.. if he is eating and drinking on his own.. it should be fine.. if he stops eating and drinking or you can't get the Valbazen quickly.. you can get some water soluable antibiotics.. and still search "giving oral medications" or "giving water orally" "by mouth".. "avoiding the windpipe".. antibiotics will only help perk him up a bit until he gets wormed.. if he is sick, he has probably had worms a while.

By the way.. though it takes more treatments.. much more.. Valbazen will treat both tapeworms and gapeworms as well as others. Good first wormer.

Dawg53 also gives his chickens some buttermilk mixed with their food a few days after worming... to "probiotic" -- get their systems back to healthy after the worming.

Take care.. good luck.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Keep us updated. Also, gapeworm is one of the MOST common worm infestations in poultry and can be tricky to keep up with. The soil remains contaminated for around 5 years as the eggs live in earthworms and other under ground dwellers.

 

[Jewels1935]

Quote:
I will keep everyone posted..my gut feelings tells me he's got Gapeworm..idk the symptoms are all there. The shaking of the head, now the snoring noise, and some stretching of the neck. My husband wont be home until midnight, I'll do the q-tip test then, and report back.

Thanks everyone

 

[Jewels1935]

Okay..I just smelled my roos face and his left nostril has an odor coming from it. No discharge though. The other nostril doesn't smell. he does't like me touching his face..doing the whole q-tip swab will be fun, I'm excited

 

[nurse_turtle]

How is his crop? Is it full? Could he have sour crop?