Lethargic chicken not eating

[bhawk-23]

I really hope it’s a down before going back up again. What mix should I purchase for tube feeding if it’s needed? She is drinking very little and not eating at all today. She is losing weight quick. No starvation poops yet.
I soaked her in warm Epsom salt water to clean her up some. And then I syringe fed a probiotics, nutridrench, egg yolk and water mix, about 2 ml. She is in her crate with a heating pad along the side and covered. She is just standing puffed up.

 

[azygous]

When a chicken isn't eating and is becoming weak, I tube raw egg and yogurt plus Nutri-drench into her, about half a cup for a standard chicken.

She's obviously not feeling well.

 

[bhawk-23]

When a chicken isn't eating and is becoming weak, I tube raw egg and yogurt plus Nutri-drench into her, about half a cup for a standard chicken.

She's obviously not feeling well.

She is about 1-1.25 lbs
I’ll add yogurt and the egg white
would hourly be too much? I’ll keep it to a small amount, I’m not very confident on my skills and I’m alone so I’m more comfortable with my 1 ml or 3 ml syringes.

 

[azygous]

Yes, you're doing it right. I wasn't sure of her size. Is she perking up any from this morning?

 

[bhawk-23]

Yes, you're doing it right. I wasn't sure of her size. Is she perking up any from this morning?

Yes, a bit. She’s drinking on her own some and she pecks at food items but doesn’t eat them yet.

I have a euthanasia appointment for tomorrow at 5:45 pm in case she keeps losing weight. But it’s the very last appointment for the day in hopes I will cancel it.

Do I need to get up during the night? Otherwise it would be about 9 hrs or so between my syringe meals.

Edit to add a picture. After all she has been through all I am currently doing she still takes refuge on me Can you ask for a better girl?

 

[azygous]

No, don't get up in the middle of the night to feed her at this point. If she's in the process of declining toward death, a midnight feeding isn't going to change that.

Since you've set a boundary to treatment, which is something that I feel is supremely practical and good for you, you need to be able to see if she's able to make real progress on her own. By morning, you should have a realistic idea whether she will be able to survive or not. Then you will not have so much emotional anguish when the time comes for her appointment. You will know it's what must happen.

 

[bhawk-23]

No, don't get up in the middle of the night to feed her at this point. If she's in the process of declining toward death, a midnight feeding isn't going to change that.

Since you've set a boundary to treatment, which is something that I feel is supremely practical and good for you, you need to be able to see if she's able to make real progress on her own. By morning, you should have a realistic idea whether she will be able to survive or not. Then you will not have so much emotional anguish when the time comes for her appointment. You will know it's what must happen.

The very first chicken to get sick was our favorite hen. I spent two weeks trying everything only to end up with a shell of the girl we knew. I swore I’d never do that to another pet again. But Fluffy is just like Pink, we absolutely adore her! So I refuse to make her suffer the same fate as Pink even though it will be extremely painful to make the call.
BUT, she is grooming now.

I do worry this will cause a riff in my friendship. She is my best friend. She knows how sick my flock is. She knows how bad stress is for my girls. And she knows how devastated I would be to lose Fluffy. I feel betrayed that she brought her boys because fluffy is nice and they could pick her up. I know she said she didn’t let them chase my chickens but being loud and picking her up repeatedly is just as stressful. I just don’t understand why people treat animal’s differently than they would want to be treated. It really irks me. Idk, this one will take a minute for me to process.

 

[bhawk-23]

@azygous

Decision day. She is up more. She ate Tostito chips, meal worms, crumble and mash (smallish amounts of each) on her own last night after the 4th syringe feeding. I’ll attach pics of her first poos this morning outside her crate.
She is social but moving slower, pecked at some broken eggs (I dropped by accident), meal worms and a few pieces of scratch but not really eating much yet. I’ve syringed her 3X. Her poop went back to the yellow/light green/tan with raw egg white looking stuff after the first few brown poops.

Please give your opinion on if she is trending up or just appeasing her mom.

And pics of her poop after 4 syringe feedings before eating and then her eating last night.

 

[azygous]

Her behavior is more important than the poop, although the poop indicates she's got "something" going on. If she continues to show any improvement at all over the day, I would cancel her termination.

 

[bhawk-23]

Her behavior is more important than the poop, although the poop indicates she's got "something" going on. If she continues to show any improvement at all over the day, I would cancel her termination.

I’m trying to be as objective about it as I can because I cannot bear to let her go.

She has lost 134 grams since late last week. I’m guessing since Monday though because I had weighed her out of curiosity, not because she was sick.

I am still having to syringe nutrients though she has at times shown slight interest in food.

She is drinking on her own.

She is preening and her bum feathers are fluffy and clean again.

She wants my company.

She is much less vocal, if at all, and slow in her movements. She will jump up onto the seat of my chair and off her roost.

Still closes her eyes while sitting still.

Has been on Baytril for 48 hrs.

I want so bad to believe. But I need someone objective to keep me grounded.

Thank you