# Hypothermia/Pnuemonia in Turkey



## scrambledmess (Aug 9, 2012)

I posted on BYC and got no response.  Since an emergency success is based on time, I am posting here too.

I found a turkey in the pool.  It is one of the domestic white breasted ones we got for 4H.  It was still alive when I found it, but barely.  It was very pale, almost blue with agonal breathing.   I think I may have gotten it past the hypothermia stage.  I dried him with towels and then used a blow dryer intermittently to warm him.   He is now wrapped in dry towels in the bath tub.  The lights are out in the room to help keep him calm.  He is not warm yet.  But he is no longer cold.  He has pinked up quite a bit and his breathing is not labored at this time.

I am, however, worried about pneumonia setting in. When I originally pulled him from the water, his breathing sounding very wet.  I have no idea about antibiotics for poultry.   Any tips, pointers, be there done thats?   No, I am not calling in a vet on this one.  One of my goats and the vet would have been here long before, but not on this turkey.


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## Pearce Pastures (Aug 9, 2012)

Wish I knew more and could help.  Pneumonia I would think would take a few days to develop and just being cold and wet doesn't cause it (that might lower an immune system's function enough to allow the bacteria/virus to get a foothold but the cold/damp thing alone is not the cause of it).

If water is in his lungs, it make work its way out and be absorbed in but I'd sure be keeping a close eye.  I would think it could have penicillin if an infection sets in but hopefully someone else will know better than I.


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## scrambledmess (Aug 9, 2012)

He livened up enough that he was making his way around in the bathtub, crapping all over.  So I moved him out with the chickens as the turkeys tried to kill him when I first pulled him from the water. I chased the roosters out for the night.  I don't need them messing with him either.  I penned them all (chickens sans roosters and one turkey) in so he would stay in and not go out into the rain.  He is still pretty pale in the legs and beak.  However, he is back to being warm and his head pinks up.  I will go see what I can find antibiotic wise, if anything, at TSC and Rural King in the morning.  I am more then positive he inhaled quite a bit of pool water.


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## Cricket (Aug 10, 2012)

Let us know how you make out--I don't have anything to offer other than the separating him is a good idea.  I ran over one of my turkey's feet moving a hoop house and dithered for 2 weeks  about whether or not to do him in, as he was rarely putting weight on that leg.  He's finally coming out of it and now am dithering about re-introducing him.  They killed a chicken they were hatched with when the same thing happened.  And the hen was outside the house--they reached thru the wire and got her head.  I am not gonna have trouble eating these guys!  Good luck!


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## scrambledmess (Aug 28, 2012)

Just an update, he is doing great!  We kept him in the chicken coop for about a week.  He is back with his flock and doing fine!


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## Bridgemoof (Aug 29, 2012)

That's great news, thanks for the update!


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