Go team "Tube Feeding!" - Updated 12/29/2019

[ml44427]

Thank you

 

[chicken vet girl]

From: http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/07_emergency_and_critical_care.pdf
FLUID THERAPY
Oral Administration
Oral administration is the ideal method of giving fluids. This method is more commonly used in mildly dehydrated birds or in conjunction with subcutaneous (SC) or intravenous (IV) therapy. Oral rehydration (30 ml/kg PO q 6-8 h) also may be used in larger birds (eg, waterfowl) that are difficult to restrain for parenteral fluid therapy.

Subcutaneous Administration
Subcutaneous fluid therapy is probably the most common method of administration, although administration in very critical patients must be done judiciously. With experience, warm fluids can be given over the dorsum in very depressed birds without restraint or altering of the bird’s position within its incubator. Studies have shown that adding hyaluronidase to fluids (150 IU/L fluids) greatly facilitates the absorption of these fluids. Subcutaneous fluids are most commonly given in the intrascapular area, the flank, and the area over the pectoral muscles or the axilla. Maintaining fluids on a heating pad or in an incubator, so they are available at the correct temperature for emergencies, is important. Warm fluids are both an adjuvant treatment for hypothermia and less painful on administration. However, as in mammals, a severely debilitated or dehydrated bird will not absorb SC fluids.

The link also says this in bold "A sick or debilitated bird should always have its hydration corrected prior to attempting to initiate oral gavage-feeding."


This link also has good info on fluid therapy, everyone reading this thread should read it:
http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/15.pdf

Tube feeding baby bird food to a dehydrated or hypothermic bird can kill it! Same applies to mammals.

Is it safe to tube feed my chicken who might have hypoglycemia?

 

[casportpony]

Is it safe to tube feed my chicken who might have hypoglycemia?

It is not safe to tube food to her if she is hypothermic or dehydrated. Those issues must be addressed first.

 

[chicken vet girl]

I have been giving her warmed lactated ringers. She has been on a heating pad and I gave her 1 ml dextrose (orally) this morning. The thermometer next to her reads around 85 F. This has been going on for 2 days. Her temperature is 101.4. What else should I be doing?

 

[casportpony]

I have been giving her warmed lactated ringers. She has been on a heating pad and I gave her 1 ml dextrose (orally) this morning. The thermometer next to her reads around 85 F. This has been going on for 2 days. Her temperature is 101.4. What else should I be doing?

In your other thread you said you've been giving her 24 ml a day and I gotta be honest and say that I don't think that's enough. How much did you say she weighed?

 

[chicken vet girl]

Tuesday she weighed 1 lb. 6.5 oz. I am increasing the amount of lactated ringers, giving her a total of 36 ml today. Shouldn't her body temperature have stabilized soon after the 1st time I gave her dextrose?

 

[casportpony]

What is her weight today?

 

[chicken vet girl]

1 lb. 4.3 oz

 

[casportpony]

So 575 grams. I would try to get 40 ml of warmed subcutaneous fluids in her ASAP. Can you post a picture of her and of her poop?

 

[chicken vet girl]

I'm not sure that she is hypothermic or dehydrated. Maybe hypoglycemic. What do you think?