# Is Fowl Pox Contagious?



## Rogersfarm (Jan 24, 2010)

I was just wandering we found a couple of spots on our chickens and think it is Fowl Pox.Is this contagious to goats and dogs?


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## K-Ro (Oct 14, 2007)

Fowl Pox, now known as Avian Pox is species oriented, so no, your goats, dogs, etc cannot get it. Only fowl.


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## Rogersfarm (Jan 24, 2010)

Ok, well we are new to chickens .I didn't know that it was the same as Avian Pox so thanks sorry to sound really dumb


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## K-Ro (Oct 14, 2007)

Not dumb at all, I re-learned last year when my turkeys got it. It had been so long since I raised them I forgot there was actually a vaccination for it, felt totally stupid when one of the guys that buys my goats told me all about it, as he raises different turkeys, and reminded me about the vaccine.


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## Rogersfarm (Jan 24, 2010)

So there is a vaccine that you should give them before they get it to prevent it? And what did you do to your turkeys, if anything, to get them through it?


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## CrossCreekTX (Aug 10, 2009)

Fowl Pox is spread by mosquitoes and is indigenous to the wild bird population. As long as you only have dry pox, that is, the lesions on the wattles and comb, it is not a problem. If it progresses to wet pox it then can be spread from one bird to another and can kill your birds. You will see yellow plagues in the mouth or under the eyelid or may hear wheezing. The treatment is Metronidazole, aka Flagyl or FishZole, 250mg in one gallon of water for 2-3 days, given to all your flock as the sole source of water.

It is not contagious to anything except birds and rarely bothers waterfowl.

I just keep the Fishzole in the freezer cause when you need it there isn't much time to wait for a vaccine or for the med to be shipped. The vaccine is fine, but once you open a bottle you have to use it and it is no good to try to save it for the next batch of birds. I hatch too many over a long period to buy that many bottles, but too few to use one up. So I just treat when I see sick birds.


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## cyanne (Jan 7, 2009)

I had this run through my flock a couple years back when we first got started with our chickens. Most just had the dry pox, but we had a few that developed wet pox in their mouths, eyes, etc. Thankfully I was able to nurse them all through it and did not lose any. The trick is to keep an eye out for any birds exhibiting the wet pox symptoms and immediately separate them to an area where they can be kept warm and make sure they are getting water and food in their stomachs. The oral lesions can make it difficult for them to eat or drink and they feel bad already so it is easy for them to stop eating and go downhill quickly.

With mine, I used tweezers to peel out that nasty yellow gunk that builds up in their mouth and then dabbed it with a little iodine a couple times a day to help it dry up. If they were not eating, I used a syringe to feed them the Kaytee Exact Hand-Feeding Formula for baby birds. Just make sure to fill their crop with it a couple times a day until they are eating on their own.

The nice thing is that it is like chicken pox in that they don't tend to get it more than once. There is also a vaccine to prevent in the ones that have not been exposed, though I can say from experience that it is awful giving it to them because it is not an injection...instead there is this big, barbed needle that you dip in the vaccine liquid and then shove all the way through their wing membrane, then rub the vaccine into the hole. It is tough to push through and it obviously hurts, so I felt awful doing it to them, especially the little bantams. But, it was better than watching them suffer with the wet pox.


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## CrossCreekTX (Aug 10, 2009)

If you buy the FishZole, you don't have to go thru all that work and will have a much better recovery rate.


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## cyanne (Jan 7, 2009)

I will have to look for that in case we ever get hit again, thanks!


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## Rogersfarm (Jan 24, 2010)

Is it true that once they get fowl pox they cant get it again?Or it's highly unlikely rather.


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## CrossCreekTX (Aug 10, 2009)

Once the bird has the pox it won't get it again. However, it doesn't seem to confer immunity to its offspring.


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