Gasping for air with no other symptoms

[Vicki B.]

8 month old hen suddenly struggling to breathe she does not show any other symptoms such as sneezing or coughing and I do not see any discharge. I had a rooster die a few months ago with what I believed was wet pox and a pullet died about the same time as the rooster that started like this hen and was dead in 3 days after the first signs of struggling to breathe she also showed no other symptoms but the gasping.I didn't necropsy either of them and I have not had any other sick chickens since then out of about 60 birds.I have been reading the symptoms of the common diseases that cause these symptoms but she doesn't exhibit some of the other symptoms of MG or wet pox, etc.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Sorry but I have no idea. Watching to see if others can provide insight.

Is she eating and drinking?

 

[Vicki B.]

No she walked up to the food and I could tell she wanted to eat but she didn't this started very suddenly.The other chicken a few months ago started just like this and got progressively worse in just 3 days until the last night she was gasping I should've put her out of her misery she died in the night. I will necropsy this hen if she dies my husband refuses to let me spend possible hundreds at the vet.It is unfortunate that the necropsy will only be $20 I will have to rely on that for a diagnosis.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I'm very sorry to hear that. I wish I could help. Hopefully someone else will soon.

Understandable not wanting to incur large vet bills! But if 59 otherwise healthy birds are at risk of something possibly contagious, SOME vet expenses seems reasonable.

We had good luck helping birds who can't/don't eat get SOME nutrient intake with a "juice" made with mixture of "Rooster Booster" and poultry Nutri-Drench in drinking water - a stopgap to hopefully help them recover enough to where they will eat in short order. Cooled scrambled eggs and canned corn have also worked as emergency "soft" food as well. But in our (admittedly limited experience) a bird who doesn't eat won't make it.

Anyone else have thoughts?

 

[esme13]

does there feel like there is blockage in her trachea? have you checked for internal parasites? how is her stool looking?

 

[Vicki B.]

The video was from this morning this evening she is already worse she has a wheezing sound and breath is more labored. I caged her and put in a heat lamp she is not interested in food or water but that is understandable because she can't breathe. I happen to be located very near to UC Davis Vet teaching hospital here in CA I will call them tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[Vicki B.]

Would parasites cause the respiratory symptoms? I did not feel anything in the trachea ,now that she is separated I will get a better look at her stool.

 

[esme13]

gapeworm comes to mind

 

[Vicki B.]

She died a few hours after I took that video clip.It was very strange that she died that quickly. I dropped her of at the lab today I hope they can determine what happened.

 

[rebrascora]

I am so sorry that you lost her , but pleased that you are getting a necropsy done.
Were all 3 birds you lost, young ie. under a year old? I'm thinking this might be Marek's Disease. Her eye looks discoloured in the video and pupil quite large.

Would you be so kind as to post the results of the necropsy, so that we can hopefully all learn a little from her untimely death.