My 7-month-old Buff Orpington is very sick...please advise

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larahannon

larahannon

Hatching
Nov 14, 2015
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Rudy has had diarrhea for about 2 weeks now. Her comb and wattles are pale, shrunken and cracking. She also now has two little whitish growths on the upper/outer part of each eye. I took her to the vet a week ago and he thought it was Coccidiosis (though I think he just didn't know - her wattles were not as pale or dry at that point). Anyway, we treated her for 5 days with Corvis (antibiotic), but she still has diarrhea...plus the other stuff I mentioned. She is still eating and drinking water (which I have been adding vitamins and probiotics to), but it goes right through her. She has never laid an egg (she has likely been sick for quite some time, but just started really showing symptoms 10 days or so ago).

Please advise...I am very worried and very sad.

Thank you.
Lara
 
If she had cocci and had it for a while, she has lesions all through her GI system that are going to take time to heal. The cocci overgrowth may have been corrected, but the damage it did while present is going to need a chance to heal before you see an improvement. This is why it is so important to catch cocci as early as possible because the damaged areas in the GI system will not start absorbing nutrients until they have returned to an intact state.

Keep her warm, dry, well fed and well-hydrated. Hopefully she will be able to bounce back. Remember, chickens are tough as nails. Reduce her body's consumption needs and she should heal.
 
Did the vet test a fecal sample and see an overgrowth of the coccidia protozoa? They always have some but you would be checking for an overload. If not, that would have been wise as well as to check for other parasites. If that has not been done I'd get it done, it's very simple and can tell you a lot. Sometimes they can also get enteritis as a result of having coccidiosis, if she had it. Has she ever been dewormed?
 
Thank you for the information. I am doing my best to keep her hydrated, fed, and comfortable. She was extremely lethargic this morning. I found her on her side awake but not moving. But I picked her up and she got to her feet and immediately drank a bunch of water. She's now moving around eating and has visited her water many times. I hope she can turn the corner.

Per the questions about the vet and fecal samples and testing: no tests were done. I live in Boise and I took her to the only vet I could find that would see her (they sometimes see birds but that is not their specialty). He based his diagnosis on the fact she had diarrhea and was not "thrifty". As far as I know, there are no vets in the area that treat chickens. I have been scouring the Internet and BYC for ideas and answers.

I will see if I can upload a picture of her to get ideas about the growths around her eyes.
 

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