Antibiotic Side Effects

Hi all - I have a 2 year old Buff Orpington who has been steadily losing weight. She was acting "off" a couple weeks ago so I brought her in the house and made her comfortable in the guest bathtub. I felt her crop and it was "squish" and she was off food - thinking it might be sour crop, I gave her a twice a day dosing of epsom salt to "flush" her out - it seemed to work and she was back to food and water and her poop regained a normal shape. Fast forward a week and I notice her hobbling around the coop so I bring her into the house again and she has a very mild case of bumblefoot. So I pack her up and we head to the vet. Vet says she's extremely sick - 3.2 lbs and 106 temperature. At this point she's eating like a small horse and I'm thinking she's still getting over whatever had her under the weather the week before. I start her on the antibiotics (Vetrimycin) and bring another chicken in to keep her company so she doesn't get depressed. Well here we are four days into the antibiotics and she's having liquid poo and not eating or drinking. I'm syringe feeding her water with priobiotics thinking her gut might be taking the hit for the antibiotics but I'm kindof lost in this vicious circle and didn't know if anyone had any suggestions of how to help her feel better? She won't touch squash or her favorite, corn which I mashed up for her and eats about 2-3 bites of chicken crumble at the most.

Does the Vet have any idea what could be going on? I just had my Svart Hona to the Vet twice for an upper respiratory infection(mycoplasma) and it took 2 antibiotics for her to shake it.

She didn't unfortunately. Her breathing sounded fine and other than the bumblefoot she had very little to impart. We discussed the likelihood of her "getting better" and she didn't seem terribly optimistic but said the antibiotics would give her a "fighting chance". On Thursday when we were there, her appetite was great and she was drinking so I feel like this recent "off food" thing is related to the antibiotics. I'm trying to "get right" with the fact this may be her time, but at the same time I don't want to give up on her.

Many vets don't realize that chickens' temperatures can be normal from 102 to 109, depending on when they have eaten last. Sour crop can be from a fungal infection or a bacterial one. Antibiotics can actually make a fungal infection worse, but they may help the bumblefoot. Can you get them to give you some fluconazole for her crop? Nystatin is another one they use for sour crop. Did they think she has sour crop? Sometimes chickens have a slow-emptying crop for other reasons. Did she every have signs of a respiratory disease? I like to give a tsp of plain yogurt for probiotics once a day, and you can mix it with egg and bread crumbs for a treat. Is she having issues with walking around? Was she vaccinated for Mareks Disease? Here is a link to read about temperatures:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/appendixes/reference-guides/normal-rectal-temperature-ranges

The vet didn't really address the sour crop as she was there to be seen for the bumblefoot and at the time was eating well, drinking well and from all outward appearances, feeling well. She told me to do the antibiotics for the bumblefoot and felt her crop and at that time (Thursday), it felt fine to her. There do not seem to be any signs of respiratory distress. She is walking fine, clucking at me, she gets a bath for her foot every night and we talk. She's bunched up (like she's cold) when she's postured.

I will try to get her to take some yogurt tonight. Right now, it's a couple bites of crumble and mealworms and really nothing else. She's also started losing her feathers at a rapid rate - I'm not sure if it's the stress of being in the house or a molt.

Welcome to BYC! Can you call the vet and ask about switching to a different antibiotic? I think Vetrimycin is oxytetracyline, and I think many bacteria are resistant to it.

If her crop feels empty by early morning, then there probably is no problem. Yes, I agree with Kathy that another antibiotic should be used. Maybe clavamox or similar? Can you take a picture of the bumble foot? Many do Epsom salts soaks daily for it. I usually just do the surgery on it if they are limping or if it looks bad. If not, I just watch it.