Last Call for help with Sick Chicken, Home Euthanasia May Be Necessary

[YankeeMinstrel]

I already had made a post about this, and things are going downhill, and there were no new replies.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1010596/sick-sad-droopy-chicken-illness-unknown

If you can tell me how to help the poor bird based on an assessment of the symptoms in the link, it would be much appreciated. She probably will not last the month and seems like she may be suffering, so if you happen to know a humane way to put her out of her misery with what is available at home, that would also be appreciated.

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm sorry to hear that. The first thing to do is get her on vitamins, especially those with riboflavin. Get her hydrated, force-feed her if you have to. Get liquids and vitamins and electrolytes into her. Worm her if you can, though weak chickens can be over medicated if care isn't taken. Keep her warm and rested. What do he droppings look like? It sounds like some sort of virus, but it could be something physical like water belly. Is her abdomen swollen at all?

I hope I can help.

 

[YankeeMinstrel]

I don't believe I have any vitamins in the household, and the closest thing I have to electrolytes is Gatorade, sadly. She is eating only a little and I have seen her drink. I also lack access to avian worm medicine.

No part of her seems swollen. I can feel the bones in her body when I pet her, and she almost weighs less than the feathers on her back.

A virus would make sense, as the antibiotics I gave her had no effect.

 

[Emma Miriam]

I'm sorry about your bird. Since she's old, she could have some internal problem that's hard to treat. Has she still been laying eggs at all?

I definitely agree you need to get electrolytes into her. That could perk her up. Do you have a TSC or any similar store near you? They sell vitamin and electrolyte packets, and also a product called NutriDrench which I've heard is excellent. If you can't get your hands on any of that, here's a homemade electrolyte recipe:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-heat-stress-dehydration-and.html

Do you see any evidence of mites or lice? Check her over carefully. Also, how is her crop? Perhaps she has something partially stuck which is making her eat less?

Watch her carefully to make sure she is eating and drinking. The mash is a good idea. Feed her some scrambled eggs if she'll eat that better than her feed (sprinkle some grit/small stones on it to make sure she can digest it). And as GitaBooks said, if she's not drinking on her own, use a syringe and get some water with electrolytes into her.

Hopefully some of this will help. If you can get her to eat and drink, consider taking her outside in a small pen away from the rest of the flock...maybe some fresh air, dirt to scratch in, and bugs to chase will entice her. But first order of business is to make sure she eats and drinks.

Good luck, and keep us updated.

 

[GitaBooks]

Gatorade can work for a short time. You can also make home-made electrolytes with recipes on line. You can find vitamins like save-a-chick at your local feed store. Some wormers are safe for poultry but not licensed for them because it cost money to do so.

I hope this helps: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/721096/worming-chickens

 

[zinkie]

When my chick was under the weather, I gave her some water with honey in it. Figured it would not hurt... it seemed to give her a bit of a boost and she started eating again and made a full recovery.

 

[dawg53]

Give her 1/2cc valbazen orally undiluted, repeat again in 10 days. After dosing her with the valbazen, wait 3 hours and give her buttermilk mixed with scrambled egg to eat.
You can order valbazen:
http://www.wholesalekennel.com/index.php?main_page=product_reviews&products_id=29

 

[YankeeMinstrel]

Her crop seems to be mostly empty, as she isn't eating as much as she needs to. I do believe there is a Tractor Supply store in the area, so maybe I can get my mother to bring me. The vitamin packets may come in handy for other sick chickens in the future, or the other chicken I have who is recovering from fly strike.

 

[YankeeMinstrel]

I believe that any Gatorade was left in the bed of my mother's truck. But, I did put the bird in a shady pen with plenty of grass and gave her some small pieces of torn-up bread, which she seems to appreciate. She also has a bowl of water for her. She seems to be perking up a little, but is still obviously sick.

I do believe that she has some degree of a lice problem, which may be because she rarely would dust bathe.

 

[YankeeMinstrel]

On this webpage, http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-heat-stress-dehydration-and.html , an electrolyte solution was recommended. Should I mix some up?