Anything else can I do to up Iseult's chances of survival? Long post, sorry!

[HollyWoozle]

We got home from the vets a little while ago. He wasn’t really sure and said “the prognosis is very poor” but agreed to give it a go and treat for a bacterial infection. She had an injection of antibiotics and he prescribed encocare oral from tomorrow which I think is Baytril essentially? She was looking for her critical care formula drink when we got home and has had another round of that and should be fairly well hydrated.

I have never dared to tube feed or syringe feed so far and do feel that I’m probably doing the flock an injustice by not finding the confidence. However I will have to find it tomorrow to syringe these antibiotics!

 

[HollyWoozle]

Also, is there a limit to the amount of fluid I should let her have? She will keep drinking quite a lot if I hold it up in front of her (she just has a small sip every minute or two but can do that for ages) but assume there is a point which is too much in one go?

ETA: she will have water in her crate overnight of course but not sure she will go for it in her current state as she needs someone to hold it in front of her.

 

[ackie]

I would assume she can not overwater herself. As you are offering it, not forcing it, I think you are good. Have you tried elevating the bowl to a similar height where it's at when you offer her the bowl? That said, I don't know if she can overdo whatevers in the water.

I personal wouldnt go straight for tube feeding. I havent even done that and I'm pretty confident at animals. If she's willing to eat, you can open her mouth a little bit and smear mash in it, and she'll do the swallowing on her own.

 

[Sally PB]

Just to be sure... Syringe goes into the BIRD's right side of the mouth, correct? I am filing this away for possible future reference, and want to make certain I know.

 

[ackie]

Just to be sure... Syringe goes into the BIRD's right side of the mouth, correct? I am filing this away for possible future reference, and want to make certain I know.

I read this as birds mouth vs like.. your mouth hahahha.

Yes, birds right, as it's on the left in the picture where the camera is facing the bird.

 

[Painted Calls]

Before tubing ANY formula or food, she needs to be HYDRATED.

@casportpony

 

[HollyWoozle]

I would assume she can not overwater herself. As you are offering it, not forcing it, I think you are good. Have you tried elevating the bowl to a similar height where it's at when you offer her the bowl? That said, I don't know if she can overdo whatevers in the water.

I personal wouldnt go straight for tube feeding. I havent even done that and I'm pretty confident at animals. If she's willing to eat, you can open her mouth a little bit and smear mash in it, and she'll do the swallowing on her own.

Thank you. I have tried putting her water bowl at a good height but she only really drinks if I hold it an angle for her. Her crop is very full of water/CCF now (third round of it today) so I think I’ll just let her rest now and go home. It’s about 9pm and I will be back in 10 hours or so with my parents checking on her in between, so will just have to see how she gets on. She looks about as comfy as she can be for now.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Before tubing ANY formula or food, she needs to be HYDRATED.

@casportpony

Thank you. Just to confirm, I do not have plans to tube feed this chicken, only to syringe 0.6ml of antibiotics as advised by vet. Although I would like to learn to tube feed at some stage to help chickens like this in the future.

 

[Noellereagan]

She desperately needs an oral antibiotic. Intestinal lining in great amounts can signal either/both a bacterial infection and coccidiosis. Amprolium will only treat the presence of coccidia, not the presence of bacteria. Any chicken that is not responding to amprolium by improving, very likely also has a bacterial infection.

I understand how difficult it is to locate and obtain an antibiotic in a lot of places. People here in the US in some states face exactly the restrictions you are, and my heart aches for them and you. Finding a vet to treat our chickens is extremely difficult so it limits even more our ability to help our sick chickens.

What I recommend you do is to practice being assertive and convincing and phone up some vets and plead your case for an antibiotic. Tell them how you are treating this chicken and that she isn't responding to the amprolium and it's more than reasonable to suspect necrotic enteritis. A sulfa antibiotic is what this bacteria responds to best.

Be calm and firm and let the vet know you are not willing to take no for an answer to your plea. My motto is "everything is negotiable."

I second every word of this!

 

[ackie]

Is it possible to rig the waterer to be at the angle she likes?