- Sep 13, 2009
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I've written in the past of my sick hen Stella. Well, she's still hanging in. Today is day 5 since the vet visit, and a little over a week since she began to act
sick.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=257590
As I wrote in a prior post, we tested for worms (negative but I had wormed her a little and vet said worms could still be there in egg stage), given her teramycin for two days before vet visit and the vet put her on a course of panacur treatment for five days (ended yesterday) along with an antiobiotic Metromizadole (sp?).
Two days ago she felt very bloated (wondered if it was that or eggbound) so I gave her a bath and massaged her abdomen and crop, just to hit all bases. Afterwards she didn't do well, couldn't sit up straight, thought she would die, but she didn't.
Then she sat like a penguin for 10 hours and then she was fine and better than I've seen her in days. When she was in crisis mode after the bath, all I could think of doing was wrapping her a towel to keep her upright and sitting her next to a baseboard heater. I checked her a lot to make sure I didn't cook her next to the baseboard heater.
Thinking she hadn't eaten much and since I thought her water intake wasn't good enough I started shooting childrens liquid pedialyte down her throat. Four syringes full. Figured I'd either cure her or kill her!
Within hours she had perked up greatly and then much to my surprise began to eat.
She had been eating farina and then now another type of cream of wheat/oatmeal thing. Am trying to feed her as much as possible so she can gain her strength and because she is skeleton thin.
Little by little there's improvement. Today she got up out of her crate and walked to the water and drank, then ate most of the chldren cream of wheat/oatmeal I put out. I added layer pellets to it which she also ate. Then oyster shells. Then I gave her scratch and she went at that too.
My happiness is guarded........ I almost feel like I'm being lulled into a false sense of security. But dare I think she might be getting better?
Which leaves me to my next thought: If she had been eggbound (vet said possible but didn't think so) could that or internal laying or sterile peritonitis be caused by malnutrition? Could being thin or having worms cause the heart problem which then led to poorly formed eggs?She did expel an egg shaped something a week ago, about an inch and a half long and colored like raw chicken meat (vet thought it was a yoke). But I didn't find anything else expelled since she sat like a penguin.
Her poo is mostly liquid, some green at first but lately the green to white ration has been increasing. The last poo was 1/3 clear/very pale yellow 1/3 whitish and 1/3 green.
Am I rambling? Probably....... but I just want to find out what the heck was wrong with my chicken!
I'd also like to keep her alive. I've grown fond of her and her spirit.
I have to say from reading this site the vet was impressed with the actions I took. Thank you guys for this wonderful wealth of free imformation!!
sick.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=257590
As I wrote in a prior post, we tested for worms (negative but I had wormed her a little and vet said worms could still be there in egg stage), given her teramycin for two days before vet visit and the vet put her on a course of panacur treatment for five days (ended yesterday) along with an antiobiotic Metromizadole (sp?).
Two days ago she felt very bloated (wondered if it was that or eggbound) so I gave her a bath and massaged her abdomen and crop, just to hit all bases. Afterwards she didn't do well, couldn't sit up straight, thought she would die, but she didn't.
Then she sat like a penguin for 10 hours and then she was fine and better than I've seen her in days. When she was in crisis mode after the bath, all I could think of doing was wrapping her a towel to keep her upright and sitting her next to a baseboard heater. I checked her a lot to make sure I didn't cook her next to the baseboard heater.
Thinking she hadn't eaten much and since I thought her water intake wasn't good enough I started shooting childrens liquid pedialyte down her throat. Four syringes full. Figured I'd either cure her or kill her!
Within hours she had perked up greatly and then much to my surprise began to eat.
She had been eating farina and then now another type of cream of wheat/oatmeal thing. Am trying to feed her as much as possible so she can gain her strength and because she is skeleton thin.
Little by little there's improvement. Today she got up out of her crate and walked to the water and drank, then ate most of the chldren cream of wheat/oatmeal I put out. I added layer pellets to it which she also ate. Then oyster shells. Then I gave her scratch and she went at that too.
My happiness is guarded........ I almost feel like I'm being lulled into a false sense of security. But dare I think she might be getting better?
Which leaves me to my next thought: If she had been eggbound (vet said possible but didn't think so) could that or internal laying or sterile peritonitis be caused by malnutrition? Could being thin or having worms cause the heart problem which then led to poorly formed eggs?She did expel an egg shaped something a week ago, about an inch and a half long and colored like raw chicken meat (vet thought it was a yoke). But I didn't find anything else expelled since she sat like a penguin.
Her poo is mostly liquid, some green at first but lately the green to white ration has been increasing. The last poo was 1/3 clear/very pale yellow 1/3 whitish and 1/3 green.
Am I rambling? Probably....... but I just want to find out what the heck was wrong with my chicken!
I'd also like to keep her alive. I've grown fond of her and her spirit.
I have to say from reading this site the vet was impressed with the actions I took. Thank you guys for this wonderful wealth of free imformation!!
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