Took bantam hen to vet. Turned out not to be a cold but much worse

[Featheryyards]

So recently I made a few posts. The first was saying how I thought Gwen (my mini hen) had seasonal allergies and thought it was odd cause she always gurgled during this time of year. Then I posted here asking if anyone thought it sounded worse. Well Saturday it got bad. I cried worrying if she would make it through the night. I got the money together to take her to the vet Monday. Yesterday we went. I was hoping it was just a bad respiratory infection. It wasn’t. It’s avian luekosis I’m devastated. I’ve been crying night. She is estimated to maven have a few months left to live. She has babies. They are all less than a year old. Apparently it’s contagious but none of my others are showing signs. But the vet believes they may also have it and just aren’t showing symptoms. I’ve been desperately trying to look up anything I can. I don’t want to give up on her or them. They mean everything to me. I managed to bring her back from death twice. She loves me and my mom. I don’t want to lose her this soon. I don’t know what else to do.

 

[Featheryyards]

if I never would have taken Gwen to the vet I never would have thought it was luekosis of all things. I didn’t even know it existed till earlier she still purrs when held. She clucks and runs around singing her egg song at my mom in the morning still. She eats like a healthy girl. She still drinks anything given to her. She just had breathing issues. Just a little gurgly and at night it would sound worse. But come morning she was ready to drive you up the wall again then cuddle up for nap time. Why did it have to be that disease. Why couldn’t it have just been a respiratory infection.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm so sorry. I think @azygous has LL in her flock. Hopefully, she replies and can give you some insight.

You might do a BYC search of "leukosis." It's a devastating diagnosis to be sure, but I don't know that it's the end of the world. I would def feel the same way you do right now.

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

So recently I made a few posts. The first was saying how I thought Gwen (my mini hen) had seasonal allergies and thought it was odd cause she always gurgled during this time of year. Then I posted here asking if anyone thought it sounded worse. Well Saturday it got bad. I cried worrying if she would make it through the night. I got the money together to take her to the vet Monday. Yesterday we went. I was hoping it was just a bad respiratory infection. It wasn’t. It’s avian luekosis I’m devastated. I’ve been crying night. She is estimated to maven have a few months left to live. She has babies. They are all less than a year old. Apparently it’s contagious but none of my others are showing signs. But the vet believes they may also have it and just aren’t showing symptoms. I’ve been desperately trying to look up anything I can. I don’t want to give up on her or them. They mean everything to me. I managed to bring her back from death twice. She loves me and my mom. I don’t want to lose her this soon. I don’t know what else to do.

I'm so sorry.

 

[Myrshine]

Sadly most respiratory diseases in chickens are unfortunately chronic and incurable, due to this, some people euthanize their entire flocks with it. You can also close your flock — meaning that you don’t bring in anymore new birds into your current flock and you don’t rehome any of your birds to anyone else.

 

[Featheryyards]

Sadly most respiratory diseases in chickens are unfortunately chronic and incurable, due to this, some people euthanize their entire flocks with it. You can also close your flock — meaning that you don’t bring in anymore new birds into your current flock and you don’t rehome any of your birds to anyone else.

I never intend to rehome or get anymore birds. I’m honestly just hoping there is any chance at all they survive this. Gwen especially. She has somehow survived infectious corioza (idk how to spell it) in the past and bounced back to hatch her babies that following December. And despite getting a respiratory infection here and there she always got better with a bit of help from natural things we gave her and making sure her area was clean. I know it’s probably pointless hope but I love these birds and I don’t want to see them go yet.

 

[Featheryyards]

I'm so sorry. I think @azygous has LL in her flock. Hopefully, she replies and can give you some insight.

You might do a BYC search of "leukosis." It's a devastating diagnosis to be sure, but I don't know that it's the end of the world. I would def feel the same way you do right now.

I just hope there is any chance at all that they survive this. I know they would be carriers but I don’t intend to get any more pets. Gwen and her partner are rescuers that I saved from death a little over a year ago. She has survived so much (a hurricane, infectious corioza, multiple respiratory infections, severe peck wounds) I don’t want to give up on her just yet. Even if she managed to live for one more year I want to at least give her a year of pure happiness and peace.

 

[Myrshine]

Well if she had Infectious Coryza in the past..then that’s what she’s dealing with now. infectious Coryza is a lifelong chronic disease. Symptoms will reappear whenever she’s stressed, causing a relapse of the illness. She has Infectious Coryza inside her body forever and will sadly always be a carrier of the disease.

 

[Featheryyards]

Well if she had Infectious Coryza in the past..then that’s what she’s dealing with now. infectious Coryza is a lifelong chronic disease. Symptoms will reappear whenever she’s stressed, causing a relapse of the illness. She has Infectious Coryza inside her body forever and will sadly always be a carrier of the disease.

I know she has that. The doctor confirmed that in a previous appointment. But when we got blood work done for her yesterday he said she has avian leukosis also now. I just want to be able to give her a happy life.

 

[azygous]

Let's slow way down here. How did your vet arrive at the diagnosis of avian leucosis? Did they take a blood sample from her and send it off to Texas for a DNA test, which would have required shipping and waiting for the lab to run the test and then for the lab to return the results? If the vet arrived at the diagnosis by just looking at the hen, then it's not a diagnosis.

Usually, the diagnosis of an avian virus is made from taking a dead chicken apart and carefully dissecting and examining each organ. The primary diagnosis of Marek's is arrived at by taking the thigh apart and examining under a microscope the sciatic nerve. The primary diagnosis of leucosis is arrived at by examining the liver. But all the organs tell the story. This is all impossible by just looking at a live chicken.

It does sound like your hen has a chronic respiratory disease, and all the chickens will carry it, but all the chickens will not become symptomatic. Stress and general health determines who will get sick. Your hen has every chance of recovering from this with the proper medication. What has your vet prescribed? What med is she being given?