Help! Paralyzed Hen!!

[jnikoletaylor13]

Okay I need your guys help here, I've come to a dead end... I have a cochin bantam hen who is probably around a year and a half or two years old, who has recently took a turn for the worst. She was bitten by a dog around three months ago and had hurt her left back/leg area (we weren't sure) and couldn't walk for about 2 weeks while we nursed her back to health, but finally one day she got up and was fine.. until now. About 2 weeks ago I noticed her being slower than usual and having a slight limp (she usually tries to run away from me when I try to catch her). Then the next day I noticed she was just laying down under a tree and would't move unless startled, and when she did move she limped very badly. I took her and put her in a dog kennel and tried to help nurse her back to health again (assuming she had a reoccurring injury from the dog bite), but she eventually stopped limping and now she won't move or walk, and I have to put food and water in front of her for her to get to it. She does move around some, but just to change positions. She usually just lays all out now and lets her legs dangle wherever they end up. She's been fine just as alert and normal as ever, but the past couple of days her eyes seem to look tired and she sleeps all the time. I don't know if this is from boredom or what, but this is really starting to scare me. Her feces have been green and white, and one day after a bath it was very stringy, mucousy, and slimy green like there were no solids at all. She eats normal and drinks whenever I can get her to her water. She uses a deep wood chip bedding in a dog crate. None of my other birds have symptoms and she was with them 24/7. I've tried epsom salt soaks, smart water for electrolytes, and oyster shells for calcium.. I also work her legs around so they don't feel so stiff to her. I just do not know what to do I know Marek's disease is usually what people say it is, but I also know there are more options. I need some more advice before I spend a ton of money for the vet to look at her. Please help this is awful for me to see her just laying around not being able to do what a normal chicken should.. Anything will be helpful!.. Pictures will be posted of her.

 

[nchls school]

Okay I need your guys help here, I've come to a dead end... I have a cochin bantam hen who is probably around a year and a half or two years old, who has recently took a turn for the worst. She was bitten by a dog around three months ago and had hurt her left back/leg area (we weren't sure) and couldn't walk for about 2 weeks while we nursed her back to health, but finally one day she got up and was fine.. until now. About 2 weeks ago I noticed her being slower than usual and having a slight limp (she usually tries to run away from me when I try to catch her). Then the next day I noticed she was just laying down under a tree and would't move unless startled, and when she did move she limped very badly. I took her and put her in a dog kennel and tried to help nurse her back to health again (assuming she had a reoccurring injury from the dog bite), but she eventually stopped limping and now she won't move or walk, and I have to put food and water in front of her for her to get to it. She does move around some, but just to change positions. She usually just lays all out now and lets her legs dangle wherever they end up. She's been fine just as alert and normal as ever, but the past couple of days her eyes seem to look tired and she sleeps all the time. I don't know if this is from boredom or what, but this is really starting to scare me. Her feces have been green and white, and one day after a bath it was very stringy, mucousy, and slimy green like there were no solids at all. She eats normal and drinks whenever I can get her to her water. She uses a deep wood chip bedding in a dog crate. None of my other birds have symptoms and she was with them 24/7. I've tried epsom salt soaks, smart water for electrolytes, and oyster shells for calcium.. I also work her legs around so they don't feel so stiff to her. I just do not know what to do I know Marek's disease is usually what people say it is, but I also know there are more options. I need some more advice before I spend a ton of money for the vet to look at her. Please help this is awful for me to see her just laying around not being able to do what a normal chicken should.. Anything will be helpful!.. Pictures will be posted of her.

All we can do is give possibilities. Dog bites become infections and this sounds to me like an infection that gets better-gets worse. Only a vet will be able to tell you for sure what is wrong or treat infection properly that is caused by an animal bite. However, you're right that this will cost money and only you can decide if this can be afforded. Good luck.

 

[jnikoletaylor13]

 

[toynutz]

She's very pretty... is she laying eggs regularly / normally?

 

[jnikoletaylor13]

Well what's weird is she never really layed eggs when I bought her but her two sisters do all the time. I forgot to add that thank you!

 

[jnikoletaylor13]

She's very pretty... is she laying eggs regularly / normally?

Well what's weird is she never really layed eggs when I bought her but her two sisters do all the time. I forgot to add that thank you!

 

[toynutz]

Maybe she's older than you think? Or she could have an internal laying problem... they can have problems with walking and lethargy. Maybe her toenails are too long? Scaly leg mites can cause difficulty in walking too.

 

[jnikoletaylor13]

Maybe she's older than you think? Or she could have an internal laying problem... they can have problems with walking and lethargy. Maybe her toenails are too long? Scaly leg mites can cause difficulty in walking too.

Thank you I haven't thought of that i'm just terrified someone is going to say Marek's and that's mostly what i've been researching.

 

[nchls school]

Possible internal injuries from being bitten. Is her breathing normal? Does she appear to be straining with her tail going up and down?

 

[jnikoletaylor13]

Possible internal injuries from being bitten. Is her breathing normal? Does she appear to be straining with her tail going up and down?

Her breathing is normal, and she sometimes fails all the way forward with her head flat on the ground but because she loses balance, but that's about it.