Canker

[Bodger]

Canker, not cancer in chickens.
This is a smelly cheesy like growth or lesion that manifests itself in the mouth or throat in chickens. Its a fungal infection that can sometimes get a hold by infecting a small cut and tends to be spread by the birds drinking dirty water.

For some reason, its very prevalent in pigeons and is quite contagious.

It quite often occurs after birds have been fighting through wire netting.

There are treatments for it, but they are fairly expensive when only a single bird is infected. Treatment is via tablet. Harkers sell something called Aspirix but at seveteen pound something for 50 tablets, as I say its not very economical.

I currently have one extremely good cockerel that has this infection, I've been treating it with iodine for some weeks but without much success. I've been making some enquiries and have come up with a cheaper but slightly embarressing result. The chicken treatment that I mentioned, has exactly the same ingredients and works in the same way as the prescription medication for Thrush. I thinks its called Ciadosis or something similar. This is well worth knowing, you simply need to give the chicken a small fraction of one tablet to effect a cure.

In the light of this information, I will be sending for some of the Harkers Canker medication, after all, how can I ask any lady if they've got any left over Thrush tablets that they don't want ? :oops:  :oops:  :oops:

[raeburg]

No need for such embarassment  - just go to your doctor and tell him you've got persistent and recurrent nappy rash.  Same cause and treatment
If you want to try daktarin oral gel it's an over the counter product for trating oral thrush, which is probably similar to canker in chickens.

[Bodger]

The ones that you cn buy over the counter don't use the same ingredients or methodology as those that are prescribed. I enquired this morning. Its also got to be a systemic treatment. :thumright:

[happy chick]

Well, Bodger, how about one of the ladies on the forum goes to the doctor to ask for prescription thrush tablets.  That lady might then post some tablets to you ahead of when she's visiting(if anyone asks :wink: ) and then who knows how some of them found their way into your cockerel's mouth???

[Bodger]

I asked the chemist about the various treatments and when I told him that it was for a chicken, I thought he was going to have a seizure. He was muttering something about being struck off.      

[happy chick]

Miserable person, what about your the females in your family, Bodger??

[Bodger]

The plonker of a vet, told me himself that antibiotics would be no good for fungal infections and that he'd leave me a tablet that they use for ringworm at the counter. Ringworm is a fungal infection.

I've picked them up this evening and just done this check on the computer on this medication. Can you understand why I don't have much faith when it comes to vets treating chickens. Unless I'm very much mistaken, he's just prescribed antibiotics. :twisted:  :twisted:  :twisted:

Metronidazoie

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119121023/abstract

Can anyone sciencey or doctorish please check this out for me before I take it back ? Not the tablets but the writing.

[mumsy]

I'll ask my son in law, he knows so much about medicines (charge nurse/ward manager), they will be here later.

[Faithmead]

Metronidazole is definately an Antibiotic. :wink:

[mumsy]

metronidazole is anti microbial used to treat infections which are originated in the gut.

As per the the link you sent if only 16 people made the sample then the study lacks any validity & rigour. Therefore any results are inconclusive at best.

[nnbreeder]

Read this link here. You can also use fish-zole for treating ick in fish.
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/catalog/1309.html
here is a little more info although it is geared towards Pigeons.
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/catalog/canker.html

[Foxy]

Bodger I think you do need the metronidazole for your cockerel -prbably recommended as canker is a trichomonas which the "azoles" group of antibiotics are  proven effective these protozoas.
This is also used in humans for diff infections if your interested -nasty "anearobic" (sp) ie gut and erm vagina..... :shock:
Hope this helps hope your boy does improve soon
Combined with the antibiotic you might want to give some live yogurt which might help as well.

[Foxy]

ps -a good systemic anti fungal you can use for poultry would be Nystatin :wink:

[Aunt Sally]

Try and lowewr the pH of the upper gut too Bodger,  Vinegar in the water and bio yogurt to help to replace the candida with good bugs.

Nystatin as Foxy says is what you need.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Metronidazole is an antibiotic but it has good activity against Tricamonas which appears to be what causes canker after a quick google search.  Tricamosas is a protzoan parasite, different members of the same family also affect humans. Metronidazole is in the same family of drugs as the carnidazole that is in the Harkers preparation you mentioned at the begining.
Nystatin is a good antifungal agent and comes as a suspension which would make it easy to administer to your cockerel, unfortunately doesn't have much activity against Tricamonas.
Would give him the metronidazole.

Dr Kate.