13 Week EE Injured (17 wks now) ~Vet Update Not Good~ *Graphic Pics *

[threehorses]

Agreed on Terramycin opthalmic ointment or drops. A lot of feedstores carry the terramycin, but you have to ask them for it - it's behind the counter. It's about $14 for a tube but it does last for forever.

oh i forgot - vitamin A! Can you get wheat germ capsules and squeeze one on her food daily? Vitamin A is great for eyes and respiratory. It's very useful any any respiratory or sinus or eye illness. She might be deficient. Or beta carotene is also great. But wheat germ has A, D, and E - E being great for healing. Just don't use any vitamin A capsules on their own - too easy to overdose.

 

[threehorses]

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So might a cat tho.. and cats keep the rats at bay. But I'm definitely going to remember that recipe just in case...

Thanks for the note about my horse. The disease is called EPM and it paralyzed him completely 2 days after exposure to it. Drugs and a heck of a good vet got him through it. He's my miracle pony! He might even be ridable again - tho never as a cutting horse unfortunately. But I don't care - he's a Pocket Pony, walks around with his head laid gently against my back behind me, and licks my leg.

If you know any horse people, tell them to get RID of all possoms - even if humanely relocating. I'll tell Jo you sent him good wishes.

Thank you, hon.

 

[purpletree23]

I would rather take an animal for a long ride in a have a heart trap but sometimes it doesn't work. The recipe is a last resort. If you want to take care of rats use 1 part peanut butter 1 part plaster of paris and mix with oil (NOT WATER) until a thick past forms. I roll the mixture into balls and throw them under the coop. This way I'm pretty sure I'm only targeting those slimy rats. Possom are very dangerous and bold. My dog wouldn't go into his house one night when it was pouring rain. I went out to see what was wrong and stupid me I was trying to coax him into his house. He wouldn't budge. Dumb me I bent over and looked into his house and there was a HUGE possom hissing and spitting at me. And what big teeth he had! Reggie came into the house with me and after a warm bath he slept inside. I'll never forget that ugly thing. I know that they are God's creatures but I draw the line at ticks and possoms.

 

[California Ducken]

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YES.....YES.......YES

That's a great antibiotic.
I know in responding to my earlier post you stated that you were still just going to treat her with Pen. because you had a lot left.
You need to start getting specific with the infection. I wish you were closer. I would just drive some over to you along with the probiotic.
Baytril has been so very useful over the years. That's why I had spoke about it in my earlier post.
I am glad that threehorses agrees!!! Now that's 2 of us for the use of Baytril.
Go get it tomorrow and give it to her when you get it home.
PLEASE you guys have been suffering too long.

threehorses YOU ARE AWESOME for looking up all that info.
THANKS!!

 

[threehorses]

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/blush goodness!

I'm a bit selfish actually, as this is how I learn, too.

Honestly I thought the Penicillin would get it - it does most wounds, but those sinuses - there's the trick. Usually Pen-G aqueous is great for stuff like this because it has such an absolutely high safety margin. But it just didn't cut it with this. I guess we'll all know now that if we ever see anything near the eyes/nares/sinuses to get on the Baytril - like you suggested.

I would be over there - lord help the poor girl, we'd probably all be over there by now wouldn't we - helping her.

But this is quicker than a drive.

Maybe this will get it.

 

[California Ducken]

You are too funny threehorses !
It would be nice if we were all neighbors...... Man that would be a long street. "Chickatopia"
I am always happy when I see your postings. I get great information from them. I may need to PM you someday.

Lolliegee come on, we are rooting for you two!!!

 

[Lolliegee]

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Thank you Justine for your very generous offer. I actually have had one other offer to pay for a vet visit as well, however at the time I didn't think it would be necessary since she was doing so much better. It also seemed that there wouldn't be much more a vet could do than what I was already doing. I actually got confirmation of that Saturday when a fellow BYCer had a vet friend read this whole thread.

That being said, I am beginning to think that a vet trip may be a good idea. But first, I want to see what happens with the new antibiotic that has been recommended to me. If I don't see improvement after a few days on that, then I may just take you or the other person up on your amazing offer. Thank you again!

Also, I like your plaster of paris idea, unfortunately though, I have a cat and there are also many neighborhood cats who would gladly eat a plateful of sardines. Would the peanut butter idea work for opossums? I'm not sure if a cat would eat peanut butter, although I know a dog would. Dogs are really a concern where the coop is though.

So....on to the update for the day.

I wasn't feeling well today, so was only able to take care of her once. Unfortunately, no one else if my family is really able/willing to do it. They're all too grossed out. I think I really need to thank my mom for giving me the ability to do what it takes to help an animal. When I was a kid, we didn't really have a farm, but we did have just about every farm animal there is at one time or another. My mom would not take no for an answer when there was a problem with an animal. She even made PVC splints for two kids that had had to be forcibly birthed by the vet and he had said they needed to be put down because they'd never walk right. Well, I think it was less than a week before they were able to walk just fine without the splints. Anyhow, I digress.

Both eyes were glued shut again, the side that's worse right now, would get glued shut in just a matter of minutes while I was working on her. I kept going back to it and reopening it and getting the goo out. Did get a couple of good sized chunks out, but I'm still not to optimistic about the eye itself.

I never did find the wound on the bad side again. I think I found where it might have been, but nothing I did would reopen it and I couldn't really see any evidence of it.

The wound I've been keeping open was nearly closed tonight. It took a lot to get it open again. Nathalie, the opening is only about as big as the thicker part of a toothpick and that's after I stretched it a bit. I don't know if I'll be able to do it again tomorrow or not.

As for flushing the wound, I've been using both saline and the betadine flush. I figured the more I could flush it, the better it would be and they both have different helpful properties.

I definitely think you and California Ducken are right that I should try the Baytril. She does seem to have plateaued and I agree that a change might help get her back on track. Do you know if I can get this locally? Is it something a feed store might carry? I'd like to get it as soon as possible, so I'd prefer to leave online ordering as a last resort.

Oh, I did try and do the sinus flush. It didn't seem to help a whole lot, was kind of hard to do by myself. I couldn't hold her beak in place and keep it low and still see what I was doing. I'll have to have someone help me try again tomorrow.

Ironically, I had more luck with the sinus flush through the open wound. When I was flushing the wound, it started coming out the nose. Too bad though, it only came out the one side, not the side that's worse right now.

Her balance is not seeming to get any better. In fact, after I finished cleaning her tonight and put her back on her roost, she seemed to gain her balance and I went to clean all the stuff I use on her. When I came back she had kind of slid off and was slowly leaning over until she was laying on her side. She just went to sleep like that. Tomorrow I'll bring in a piece of scrap 2 x 4. I hadn't done it because she had seemed to be better with the 2 x 2 I have in there.

She also seemed to be trying to get her balance a lot today. She was using her wings the same we would use our hands to steady ourselves. She also seemed to be having a hard time standing. Not sure if that's just the balance or if it's something else. I hope it's just the balance.

I shouldn't have any trouble getting the wheat germ. I'll try to do that tomorrow and get her started on it.

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It probably would last forever if my little guy hadn't got a hold of it, trying to be helpful, of course, and managed to squirt over half the tube out. One of my older kids was supposed to be watching him to keep him out of the way. This is why I now try to do all her care session when he's asleep. He's just too little and doesn't understand why he can't help too.

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Wow, that must have been so scary to have your horse paralyzed. It's great that you've got such a good vet!

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Chickatopia! I love it, what a wonderful place that would be. Everyone would understand why someone would go to all this work for just a dumb chicken.

And as always, I so appreciate the rooting us on. This site has really helped me when I'm feeling discouraged about her progress. And, I know that even if after all this, she doesn't make it, I can count on you all to sympathize and understand.

Okay, so I went way beyond a novel tonight, I think I wrote an epic instead.

I'll talk to you all tomorrow!

 

[dlhunicorn]

...Baytril is a very strong drug. You'll definitely need to give probiotics while you give it. ...

Giving probiotics DURING antibiotic treatment is useless.. the antibiotic effects everything (even the good gutflora) > give it AFTER.
I suggest you get some OXINE to mist (if you cannot properly nebulize) > I believe K. Theodore has a great article on that.
Sinusitus/infections in the sinus / upper respiratory can often best be dealt with/"reached" with nebulization of the med (tylan is often used for this).​

 

[Stamper]

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Giving probiotics DURING antibiotic treatment is useless.. the antibiotic effects everything (even the good gutflora) > give it AFTER.
I suggest you get some OXINE to mist (if you cannot properly nebulize) > I believe K. Theodore has a great article on that.
Sinusitus/infections in the sinus / upper respiratory can often best be dealt with/"reached" with nebulization of the med (tylan is often used for this).

Just give the antibiotics and then probiotics several hours later. Not right at the same time.

It's not my understanding that probiotics are useless during antibiotic treatment, just that the probiotics will be killed when the antiobiotics are given. That's why you have to space them out and continue to give them after every antibiotic treatment.

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

I don't really know how chickens work, but the balance problem could be from fluid or infection in her ears. I assume everything is tied together. Can you give a chicken benedryl? That would dry up any fluid in her ears and reduce swelling. I'm sure someone else on the site can confirm. I am just throwing out ideas.