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[Budgies]

Anyone heard of Tiamvet?

 

It's an antibiotic. I have a hen with an infection in her digestive tract which despite 9 days on this medication has now spread to her oviduct.

 

She was taken in at the vets on Saturday morning breathing like Darth Vader - turned out the inflammation had vastly reduced the room in which her air sacs could inflate, though luckily an xray revealed no secondary infection, myco etc.

 

We fully expected to have to have her put to sleep yesterday morning but instead the vet said her breathing was a little better and we could bring her home for a "do or die" attempt.

 

Problem is that she's very easily stressed and I think we might be confusing that with an adverse reaction to the meds. I asked the vet to change to a different antibiotic but she felt it was more risky than carrying on with something that has had a cumulative effect.

 

After administering it (few drops at a time in the side of her beak and she does swallow it - it just takes 15 minutes to administer 0.7mls - when we tried syringing it all in she panicked and even the vet couldn't get it in without a crop tube) she definitely seems to go downhill and feels very sorry for herself, tail down, eyes shutting etc. Most of the rest of the time her behaviour is entirely normal, eating, scratching, dust bathing and preening, even fly chasing!

 

Does anyone know if it is possible she's allergic or intolerant to the med?

[Chucky Mama]

As with most medications it is not licensed for chickens and so there wont really be any documented evidence of potential side effects. I would be far more inclined to think that she is getting stressed. Sick animals can cope with illness as best they can but the added stress of trips to vets and the trauma of handling and treating can put so much extra pressure on their energy reserves. I would agree with your vet that unless there is a more easily equally good antibiotic that you can give (which is doubtful) there is little point in changing drugs. Can you put the drugs in food that she will eat perhaps (best to check with vet first). If you do make sure that you put it with a small amount that you know she will eat. Keep her as quiet and stress free as you can is the key I think. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Budgies]

Thanks so much for your response, Rachel.

 

I wasn't aware Tiamvet wasn't licensed for birds - my vet told me I was safe to eat the eggs (although I thought I'd pass on that!!)

 

My vet is particularly reluctant to change as apparently this antibiotic is known to be effective at treating secondary infection, which bearing in mind how long she's been ill and that the swelling is compromising her respiratory system, is probably sensible.

 

I'm a bit of a worrier and like to be sure I'm not dropping any balls with these situations!

 

Thanks for the putting it in food tip. The vet did suggest it. Unfortunately, we've tried lots of her favourite treats and snacks but the moment the meds are in there (and to be fair, they stink and are very bitter - I inadvertantly got a little spot on my lip when she shook her head! ) she shuns the food, so this is the best way, despite the stress. She's definitely finding it less scary being medicated than she was initially.

 

Many thanks for the advice, I guess it's just time to sit back and let her do what she can. Fingers crossed!

[Chucky Mama]

Don't worry about things 'not being licensed' for chickens. Very few drug companies will go through the enormous expense to get the necessary testing and documentation together to add chickens to their drugs. The target species for Tiamvet is pigs and it it given in drinking water (8.8mg per kg). If something is not licensed I would not eat the eggs for a while and definately not while they are on antibiotics. You are not allowed to eat the meat from pigs treated for 2 days so perhaps apply that to not eating eggs for 2 days after the last treatment to be on the safe side. It does recommend care when dosing re getting it on skin and in eyes.

[Budgies]

That's interesting!

 

Thanks for the reassurance - I know that there are very few products which ARE licensed for chookies - many people on this forum mention Baytril and I don't believe that's licensed for birds (or at least, it wasn't last time I logged on here!).

 

Bearing in mind I try to feed the girls organic food and I grow my own veggies organically too then inadvertantly taking antibiotics on board isn't something I particularly want to do, so I have been ditching her eggs, I'm just surprised the vet said it was safe to eat them.

 

I keep forgetting to say, about 2 hours after her dose this morning she was flicking her head a lot whilst sitting hunched and blinking a lot. I can see the mopey behaviour being stress related but it was the head flicking that bothered me most. Any ideas?

[Chucky Mama]

Maybe she is bothered by the taste of the medication?

[Budgies]

Yes, possibly that. She did go to her food immediately after I'd dosed her and I saw her eating, but it is exceedingly bitter from the tiny amount I got on me so I doubt her pellets would take away the taste much!

[Egluntyne]

My vet suggested mixing Baytril, which I believe is also unpleasant tasting, with Ribena, to help it down.

 

Seemed to work.

[Budgies]

Ha, that's a new one on me Eglutyne!! Made me giggle anyway!

 

Unfortunately she's on strict non-sugary rations - I'm not allowed to give her a grape even because her infection is in her digestive tract.

 

But it's a great suggestion and I will certainly bear it in mind for the future - the lengths we'll go to for our little hens eh?!