- May 29, 2009
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My BO of unknown age (got her as an adult, she got broody this spring and hasn't laid since. I've had her 2 years) has some kind of problem. I first noticed it because she wasn't breathing well. I saw she had a lot of mucous in her beak, and when I looked, I found this:
It's swollen to the point that she can't close her beak all the way:
There's also a dark growth on her beak. It's kinda lumpy. I thought it was dried mucous, but I've tried wetting it to soften it up, hoping it would wipe off, but it seems pretty hard. I no longer think it's dried mucous. Don't know what it is, but it's almost covering her left nostril.
She acts pretty normal - alert and active, but breathing is labored. When she exhales, the tissue in front of her eyes bulge out and her neck gets puffy, then something gives and the breath comes out.
She seems hungry, but has trouble eating, so I've been helping out (see below). I think she must be drinking OK, because she has been pumping out a lot of mucous for at least a week now. Still, I've been trying to get water in her with an eyedropper. She is not very cooperative.
Treatment so far:
Looking at the respiratory problem and mucous secretions, I found a post by threehorses recommending VetRx and vitamin supplements, so I made a mixture of mash, yogurt, egg and vitamins and putting pellets of that in her beak. She swallows it right down. Then I put the VetRx (diluted) on her nostrils, by her eyes and on the lump in her beak. I've also been spreading it on her chest and shoulders. Doesn't seem to be having much of an effect.
Any ideas? I'd hate to lose her, she's a sweetheart, but I don't have a lot of hope at this point.
It's swollen to the point that she can't close her beak all the way:
There's also a dark growth on her beak. It's kinda lumpy. I thought it was dried mucous, but I've tried wetting it to soften it up, hoping it would wipe off, but it seems pretty hard. I no longer think it's dried mucous. Don't know what it is, but it's almost covering her left nostril.
She acts pretty normal - alert and active, but breathing is labored. When she exhales, the tissue in front of her eyes bulge out and her neck gets puffy, then something gives and the breath comes out.
She seems hungry, but has trouble eating, so I've been helping out (see below). I think she must be drinking OK, because she has been pumping out a lot of mucous for at least a week now. Still, I've been trying to get water in her with an eyedropper. She is not very cooperative.
Treatment so far:
Looking at the respiratory problem and mucous secretions, I found a post by threehorses recommending VetRx and vitamin supplements, so I made a mixture of mash, yogurt, egg and vitamins and putting pellets of that in her beak. She swallows it right down. Then I put the VetRx (diluted) on her nostrils, by her eyes and on the lump in her beak. I've also been spreading it on her chest and shoulders. Doesn't seem to be having much of an effect.
Any ideas? I'd hate to lose her, she's a sweetheart, but I don't have a lot of hope at this point.
