She's continuing to improve and swelling is going down. She's no longer expanded and firm to the touch, but deflated and softer (though still a bit swollen). Also, great news: She's molting! Which buys me time to plan a prevention strategy. I'm giving her a day off before the last of her abx and...
Also she's doing great and is way more energetic. Her face is paler now which indicates she may have stopped laying and might be headed towards a molt :fl Her swelling is down though still there--not sure what to do about getting whatever it is out of her. I can't afford surgery when just an...
Thanks for the recommendation. I'm currently using up bene-bac small animal probiotic powder. I'll try the dogs naturally next--sounds like it might be more cost effective. My vet is actually recommending one more round of antibiotics for better or worse... Sadly they've been so delayed with...
That's what I'm hoping! She has a will to recover EXCEPT for when we are force-feeding her. :barnie Then she acts like she'd rather die trying not not to recover lol. She really fights! "What, are you trying to kill me with these life-saving meds? How DARE you try to give me nutrients, peasant."
Great ideas! She has gone broody once before so she has it in her. I will try anything and everything! I was also thinking of limiting sunlight to induce a molt or at least keep her from laying. That works for my EE, though the underpinning issues are different (overproductive layer v. internal...
My fear is the terminal nature of her issue (i.e. if we cure the infection, won't it recur again due to her reproductive issues, which I think include internal laying and/or salpingitis? My prayer is that she fully recovers AND molts/takes a break from laying so that I have time to figure out a...
She's not drinking reliably enough that we can be certain she gets her exact dosage--and it's a lot, at 3x a day. I wish we could , though! Right now we use food as a vehicle to ensure she gets meds AND calories in one fell swoop.
I'd say about the same. Hasn't gotten remarkably better nor palpably worse. If anything she's a bit stronger if the degree to which she fights force feeding is any gage. She's very tough. At 3x a day, it's become quite the herculean task. She still is not reliably eating enough on her own beyond...
As we speak she is stuffing her face with clover which she hasn't done in a while. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic--I know sometimes with animals and humans alike one can seem to get better right before a turn for the worse. In any case I am savoring these moments.
Great recommendations! I'm a huge fan of garlic (in my food and chicken's food lol... needless to say we don't get many vampires over here). I will try the others and see what I can pick up at the store today. I have echinachea te--do you recommend a tincture?
I didn't know about fermented...
@azygous @Weeg @Buffy Brahma Mama @Flash2021
Thank you all for your help getting through this! I thought I'd post an update on Cordy for posterity lol... and just to let you know I'm glad for your advice and I think it's helping.
I'm SO thankful I didn't take her to be euthanized yesterday...
While the same vet has recommended x-rays for previous chickens, he seemed dead set that it was a massive reproductive infection (EYP) based on her exam and ascites. My flock is actually mid-treatment for roundworms via Valbazen. Their second dose is due tomorrow, but I was worried about it...
Thank you for your kind and helpful words. I have been giving her nutri-drench, but mixed into her force feeding. Maybe I will try direct dose next. The probiotics I've added to her treatment has seemed to help her a bit--I'm sure like you said it's all taking a toll on her.
I may look into a...
I fall in the "stubborn and willing to try" camp--for better or worse. It's been tough because she goes from plateauing, to declining, to getting a bit better from one day to the next. And never quite appears to have given up. I'm glad for your message, and that I held off another day, because...
I think Cordy's starting to slip away, and that I may need to have her euthanized. I just don't know how to tell when she's ready--I don't want to give up on her but I also don't want to prolong her suffering. She's stopped being interested in even her favorite foods, no longer wants to free...
Thanks, I'll see what I can do. She's really not wanting any of her feed which has been tough. Will only eat white rice, watermelon, and live bugs. She gets bread as a vehicle for her meds. Are human probiotic capsules of any strength okay?
I had read that watermelon is a natural diuretic, so I...