Coccidiosis saga - advice please!

[Avfields]

Those droppings look bad. I would consider asking the vet about possible enteritis being a problem. It can follow coccidiosis. Tylan is one antibiotic that can treat it. They may have a better suggestion, such as the sulfa antibiotic. It may be time for another fecal test to see what the vet see.

Thanks Eggcessive. They've already had one round of Tylan, and I'm not sure it is a good idea to double-down with a second round of the same antibiotics - but maybe the sulfa antibiotics are an option. I'll have to hope the baycox holds the cocci at bay until Monday!

 

[Eggcessive]

I wasn’t suggesting more Tylan, but Tylan is one that can treat enteritis. Are they eating and drinking? When treating with Tylan or other medications, it depends on how well they are drinking, to insure they get the correct dosage for their weight. I hope they get better soon.

 

[Avfields]

I wasn’t suggesting more Tylan, but Tylan is one that can treat enteritis. Are they eating and drinking? When treating with Tylan or other medications, it depends on how well they are drinking, to insure they get the correct dosage for their weight. I hope they get better soon.

Yeah, very good point - she did seem to be drinking plenty whilst on the Tylan...side effect of the diarrhoea I guess! Thanks for your help

 

[Avfields]

Have these girls been getting the Corid drench along with the drinking water Corid? You may also need to tube feed the weak one.

A sulfa antibiotic might also be in order to combat any intestinal bacteria from the coccidiosis inflammation.

I've not tried tube-feeding before - can't find a soft tube the right sort of size at home, but have ordered some off Amazon - should arrive tomorrow. In the meantime we've just given her some blended up egg and water carefully using a syringe...which she decided to peck up the drips from by herself she seems to be drinking again as well.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If anyone else is looking for sick-chicken food, this is what has gone down best with Minnie (roughly in order):
-yoghurt
-bread (not with amprolium)
-grapes
-blackberries
-millet seed
-chick feed or pellet mash
-oats (sometimes - she's not always keen)
-mealworms
-small chopped peanuts or sunflower seeds


She's also keen on any human food she shouldn't really have - lamb moussaka even got a squeak and an attempt to bite my finger off! Sometimes a little bit of sauce on top of her mash gets her going and then she keeps eating - same works with yoghurt.

Perhaps cut out all the human food and treats. Focus on them eating chick starter.
I agree, the droppings look bad - time to see the vet.

Those droppings look bad. I would consider asking the vet about possible enteritis being a problem. It can follow coccidiosis. Tylan is one antibiotic that can treat it. They may have a better suggestion, such as the sulfa antibiotic. It may be time for another fecal test to see what the vet see.

 

[Avfields]

Hi all - status update. We have a camera in the coop, and it was a warm night last night - so I thought Minnie might be more comfortable in the coop with the others. She hopped up onto her perch no problem, but about 5am my partner spotted she was down on the poop tray. I expected to find her to weak to perch, but she seemed able to hold onto my hand ok. I brought her in and she had a good drink of water - we fed her another 5mL or so of the egg mixture, but she was fighting hard against us!

Popped her back in the cage - she drank some more water, did a huge (sloppy, green) poop, and then ate a generous handful of chick mash, without any coaxing

I haven't seen her eat more since then (I went back to bed) but her crop is still quite full. She's had another drink of water and gone back to snoozing.

Sybil was up with the others this morning, no more wobbles, but she wasn't keen on pellets until I mashed them up with with some water, then she had a good feed. Poop still green, but like a wet green version of normal poop, not like paint. She's out with the others now, active and rummaging in the garden.

 

[Avfields]

The roller-coaster continues - Sybil went back to the paint-like poop, and dozed most of the day. Suddenly perked up and had a good feed late in the day. She has also started pecking at her poop, then realising it is gross, and flicking her head - so the bathroom (where our cage is) now has little green poop-splats on the walls. She's back out in the coop for the night tonight.

Minnie's crop doesn't really seem to have cleared since her big feed this morning - liquids seem to be going down OK, so we've kept dosing her with the egg mixture. She perked up around when Sybil did, but it was one peck and then back to sleep again. Still squawking and struggling when we try to feed her though, and she looks pink and seems to be aware of her surroundings. The tube-feeding stuff has arrived, but I'm a bit nervous of trying it when her crop is already full.

I'm also struggling with whether to try the Tylan anyway (bearing in mind they already had one course) or wait until I can (hopefully) reach the vet tomorrow morning :/

Any thoughts folks?

 

[Eggcessive]

If they ate in early morning, I wouldn’t tube feed, but make sure they are drinking. I would hold off on the Tylan until you see the vet. You should take in some fresh droppings, and maybe they can do a gram stain for enteritis, along with a fecal float. You could offer probiotics today though.

 

[Avfields]

If they ate in early morning, I wouldn’t tube feed, but make sure they are drinking. I would hold off on the Tylan until you see the vet. You should take in some fresh droppings, and maybe they can do a gram stain for enteritis, along with a fecal float. You could offer probiotics today though.

Thanks eggcessive, will do!

 

[Avfields]

Vet update - 'it wouldn't be wrong' to euthanise Minnie, she is so weak her odds aren't great, but there's a chance she'll improve with good supportive care (so we're going to try). Sybil looks much better, and just needs a bit of help. So we've come home with lamb feeding tubes for both of them (turns out the ones I got were a bit small), Harrisons recovery formula, Denagard, and instructions to give them more Baycox and some Flubenvet (which we have at home) as well. The vet was great (expensive, but great) - he showed us how to do the feeding, was really patient with our questions.
@Eggcessive - took a fecal sample with, that will be sent off for full set of lab checks, gram stain, worms etc. Thanks for the tip.

Will keep you all posted, fingers crossed in the meantime!