[jinty1911]

After I saw Gracie shaking her head this morning I phoned my vet (thinking ear mites) to see about getting Frontline for her.  Now this is the Vet I spoke to before I got the girls and he assured me that he had treated chickens before.  He asked why I would want cat/kitten Frontline to treat a chicken? Then said it was prescription only so I would have to take her in.  I have bought Frontline 3 times a year for 6 years for my wee pom from him and never had to take the dog in. AND surely if a chick was already ill it would only distress her more to get put in a box and taken into a surgery full of cats and dogs and sit for hours?     

[joyfull]

yes the vet will need to see the bird before they can prescibe the correct treatment.

[jinty1911]

So will I have to tell him the correct treatment as he didn't seem to know a thing? Will be taking Gracie in tomorrow and just hope he has Baytril or similar available? Oh dear I don't have much faith in him anymore and think I will need to look for a proper chooky vet. 

[joyfull]

I used to go armed with printouts of possible problems and treatments but now we have several good poultry vets at our practice so don't need to (although I usually still go in with my thoughts on what any problem is)

[jinty1911]

Great idea Joyful.  Will get the printer going before I go.  Just hope she's ok in the morning.  Do you think I should give them a double dose of Flubenvet tomorrow just incase it's Gapeworm? 

[joyfull]

no you should  wait to see what the vet says.

[Kym503]

You can now get frontline from Pets at Home and I think Lloyds chemists.  You just have to give your name and address and I never say it's for chickens when I buy it.  Like you - my vet expects me to take teh animals in before perscribing frontline...nice little earner for them!

[AL Hathaway]

you can buy frontline on line with out having  a prescription or to see the vet and a awesome little sticky that tells you the dosage for your birds 

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=5250.0

http://www.hyperdrug.co.uk/prodinfo.asp?number=FRONTC%20%20%20%206PACK&Variation=

[Helenaj]

I now always buy Frontline online (usually Amazon) after paying £35.00 for a 6 pipette pack (Small dog) from my vets. The Frontline 6 pack I bought online this week cost me £17.95 and that included postage. If you get the 3 pack it's still half the price of the vets. I've also seen the puppy/kitten spray on there for for as little as £6.00 as I was eying that up for my cockerels.

[Rhiannon]

I buy frontline and all my worming preperations on line, i remember years ago i had to take a tortoise to the vet and he literaly got out a book and looked under T whether Tortose or Testudo i dont know as i bet he didnt ....Some time later i had to instruct him how much oxytocin to give a female to clear her out  and what to do ...

As has been said tho if you ask advice and ask for supply of drugs the vet by law has to see the animal, it used to be a lot looser , id often go in my vet and ask for a course of Synulox as i had a bitch to m8 , no prob, it used to be a year between visits for prednisolone now its 6 months .

Not everyone is sensible over animals and drugs so the vet has to protect himself and the animals he treats , tho it can be a pain in the behind on occasion .

[Kelloggs]

 Although my local vets who I take my dogs etc. to won't prescibe anything for my birds without seeing them ( not that I ever do now as they have to run upstairs and look the  symptoms up in book  to TRY and see whats wrong , my poultry vet I just call and tell him what I need and because hes seen my birds he will prescribe what I want and then I just pick up

although when the time comes, I always have my birds put to sleep by the vets as I cannot cull

[Rhiannon]

how on earth do they do it to a chicken?  My Garry was taught to cull very early on  in life and he does our chickens ,i would never attempt it as i would never forgive myself if i got it wrong .

[joyfull]

Unless you are absolutely sure that it is a worm problem then the chicken should be taken to a professional to see what the problem is - you could be treating the bird for one problem when all the time it turns out to be something else and the bird is continuing to suffer.
I am lucky my vets will prescribe frontline for my birds (I use the spray) and I can just call in but I always make sure I sign a document that acknowledges that this treatment isn't licenced for poultry should something go wrong. I wouldn't advocate getting a product that isn't licensed for poultry by any other means.
By the way if you suspect gape worm you can have a look inside the birds beak and look down their throat - an old fashioned method of removing them was to hook them out with a feather).
The best advice I can give anybody is to look around and find a poultry friendly vet and to learn to cull your own birds (or at least find somebody local who can do this for you).

[compostqueen]

Can you tell me why Frontline is put on hens, for what pest?

[jinty1911]

I have found a chicken friendly vet and have an appointment at 3.40 this afternoon.  It's not going to be an easy manouvre as I will have 2 young Granddaughters with me.

Gracie is still breathing heavily but eyes and nostrils are clear and she has been eating/drinking.  Checked down her throat last night and couldn't see anything untoward and she didn't seem hotter then the other girls.  So don't have a clue what is wrong with her.