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Barnyard Buddies:  Fowlpox...what a headache  |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1152 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1152 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 08:07:02 AM
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about a month ago, I lost a rooster to unknown causes. Well, the other day, I was looking at the chickens and noticed that several had little black lesions on their combs and around their eyes. Fowlpox!
Ugh. I am assuming they got it from wild birds or it was carried in by some mosquitos. Well now 3 of them have the 'wet' form, which makes these terrible, cheesy lesions in the mouth and throat. Man, it is nasty. No treatment for fowlpox, but you have to prevent secondary infection, so the ones with the mouth lesions are on an antibiotic.
The recommended topical treatment is Lugol's solution (a mixture of iodine and potassium) but it became regulated by the DEA in 2007, thanks to the meth-heads. They use in in the manufacture of meth. Well, I finally tracked down something similar after calling all of the pharmacies in our area. It is an iodine/povidone/potassium solution at the feed store, but not Betadine.
Now all I can do is wait. Poor chickens.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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sherrye
True Blue Farmgirl
3775 Posts
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts |
Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 08:16:31 AM
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oh my amanda, you are a very smart farmgirl for figuring this out. i know your chickens are glad. let us know how it all goes. i have no exp. with this sort of thing. we can all learn from your doing. thanks for posting. can you post pics of your chickens with the pox. then we could learn from that also. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 08:34:26 AM
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Amanda, that's awful. Is this fatal? And contageous? I have never seen it. I am so sorry for your poor chickens.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1152 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1152 Posts |
Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 10:52:20 AM
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Thank you, Sherry. I think tonight I will get you all some good pics and post to my blog soon.
Kristin, it does carry a low mortality rate. It is quite contagious, but slow acting. I believe that 3/4 of the flock is now in the final stretch of it. I would say that 1/4 of the flock got it up front and are mostly healed now. It is actually pretty common. There is a vaccine, which I will have to use from now on for any new birds.
The 'wet' form (also called diphtheritic form) is more deadly than the 'dry' form. The wet form causes lesions in the mouth, esophagus and throat. I have 3 isolated right now with this. It's really nasty and STINKS to high heaven. I made a curette-like tool out of an old, tiny paintbrush handle, a small piece of smooth wire, and duct tape. This way I can scrape out the pus. Pus in birds (and reptiles) is a solid rather than a liquid. Yes....gross. But that is the case, so I am removing these so that they can still breathe. Last night I removed a LOT from a little hen's mouth. I really don't know how she was breathing with all of that junk. Anyway, today I am going to go get the iodine solution and paint everyone's lesions. I have one roo that I am not sure if he will pull through. It is very painful for them to eat, if not nearly impossible, so I took their pellets and mixed it with water to make a mush they could swallow more easily. Like a watery paste.
More updates as they happen.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
Edited by - msdoolittle on Jan 04 2011 10:54:27 AM |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 7:54:20 PM
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Wow, Amanda. You are a vet tech. Did you ever think you would be doing this? But we have to do things like this. Good for you for being able to. Your birds are lucky to have you. Most wouldn't have made it this far. We really do need to have a crash course in animal husbandry for small farms. But I think we all learn as we go sometime or another. I have had my share of sick and wounded critters too. Not something I want to do but it has to be done. Hopefully they will all pull through this soon.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Cari Lynn
Farmgirl in Training
26 Posts
Cari
Rixeyville
Virginia
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2011 : 05:25:36 AM
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Fingers crossed that your hens and roo get better! They are very lucky to have someone like you to take such good care of them. When I first got my little flock, they all got sick a few times so it was antibiotics in the water but now, they are fluffy, healthy and hopefully, happy!
" Promise me you'll always remember: Your braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." By Christopher Robins to Pooh
www.goinggreyfarm.com |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1152 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1152 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2011 : 06:30:53 AM
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Hi Kristin,
I actually was a veterinary assistant for about 4.5 years. I was enrolled in a veterinary technician program, too. I quit when I became pregnant with my second child. :0)
I finally found an iodine solution that is pretty much like the Lugol's solution which is what is called for to treat the lesions...it's called Triodine. We applied that last night, so I need to get out and check and see how they're feeling today.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2011 : 08:30:24 AM
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Amanda, how are your chickens? Any better yet?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1152 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1152 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2011 : 08:56:21 AM
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Yes, Kris,
Thank you for asking! I got some pictures but have not uploaded them yet. we have been swabbing the mouths and any new lesions with the Triodine. While it won't kill the virus, it will at least prevent secondary infection. I will be glad when this is all done...it could still be several more weeks. There are still about 1/4 of the birds showing no symptoms. It is also possible that these birds have had it before as they are the oldest birds that I rescued a couple of years ago. Keeping fingers crossed!
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2011 : 3:07:50 PM
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Well that's good news, Amanda. I bet you are worn out. I hope all this works and they will be ok.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
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Barnyard Buddies: Fowlpox...what a headache |
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Fowlpox...what a headache
