3 Week Old Chick With LEAKY vent & SWOLLEN Knee :(

[PrincessPollo]

Hello, I have had issues for the last 2 weeks with a 3ish week old sapphire gem. I brought her (?) home from the local farm store & discovered a bald, SMELLY, dirty, crusted rear end. She seems to be leaking clear-ish fluid that dries white. A few days ago, I noticed that one of her knees was beginning to swell. She still walks on it & did not witness an ninjury happen. I clean her up 3x daily & the discharge just continues. This is not pasty butt! It looks like vent gleet but 7 days of monistat orally & IN the vent has not helped.

I've had a hard time finding anything online & this is my last resort. I need to figure out what's going on, because I can't clean a full grown hen 3x daily. What's she going through CAN'T be comfortable.

Her & 7 other thriving chicks are in a fenced in kiddie pool in my spare bedroom with a red brooder light. Feeding kalmbach 18% chick starter. Offering chick grit, plain water & ACV water. Pine shavings for bedding.

She eats & drinks & does chicken things. She does spend a little more time under the light than the others, but she's been half bald underneath (but feathers are growing back!) Poop looks normal. Although sometimes she strains to poo & squeaks while doing so. Her growth rate may be a little stunted, but I don't have another gem of the same age to compare her to.

What I've done to treat:
Kept vent clean
Monistat treatment (no help)
Probiotics
Electrolytes
Prep H for vent swelling
ACV in water
Zyfend backyard chicken 2 days (per the farm store lady)
Blukote

I'm not sure what else I can try. My local vets either don't treat birds or have no available appointments.

Sorry for the long post & thanks in advance!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive

I'm so sorry your little chick is having problems. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will be able to help. Do you have a thermometer under the light to tell how warm the warmed side is? I know that some people, including myself, adjust the temp/raise the lamp according to how the chicks are acting and change it as needed. Sounds like you're taking very good care of her. I wish you and your chicks the best

 

[HeatherKellyB]

By any chance, have you tried treating her possible constipation? Is that what the probiotics were for? Did it help at all with that?

 

[PrincessPollo]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive

I'm so sorry your little chick is having problems. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will be able to help. Do you have a thermometer under the light to tell how warm the warmed side is? I know that some people, including myself, adjust the temp/raise the lamp according to how the chicks are acting and change it as needed. Sounds like you're taking very good care of her. I wish you and your chicks the best

Its around 86 degrees. They seem comfortable & fly around & sleep wherever. No one else is in distress.

 

[PrincessPollo]

By any chance, have you tried treating her possible constipation? Is that what the probiotics were for? Did it help at all with that?

Nothing has really helped. How do I treat for constipation? She doesn't strain everytime, only sometimes. Here's some poop in my sink lol

 

[azygous]

@HeatherKellyB said what I was thinking. Sometimes liquid coming continually from the vent may mean an obstruction. The chick's crying when it tries to poop is another clue she could be constipated.

Treatment is simple and easy. Use coconut oil, preferably unrefined virgin so it tastes sweet. Divide a teaspoon of the oil into bite size pieces and chill until hard. Give directly into her beak one by one until all the oil is in the chick.

Coconut oil has antifungal and antibiotic properties, as well, so if she has any fungus in her, this may help.

 

[azygous]

I'm not sure about the cause of the swollen joint, but it could be toxins building up due to the obstruction. It may resolve when the constipation does.

 

[PrincessPollo]

@HeatherKellyB said what I was thinking. Sometimes liquid coming continually from the vent may mean an obstruction. The chick's crying when it tries to poop is another clue she could be constipated.

Treatment is simple and easy. Use coconut oil, preferably unrefined virgin so it tastes sweet. Divide a teaspoon of the oil into bite size pieces and chill until hard. Give directly into her beak one by one until all the oil is in the chick.

Coconut oil has antifungal and antibiotic properties, as well, so if she has any fungus in her, this may help.

Ok! Coconut oil...I'll try anything at this point. About how long would it take to see results? Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Results could happen in less than an hour or up to 24 hours. Gently massage the crop after each bite of oil. See if you can feel the contents of the crop go down.

Give the chick access to chick grit following the oil treatment.

 

[PrincessPollo]

Results could happen in less than an hour or up to 24 hours. Gently massage the crop after each bite of oil. See if you can feel the contents of the crop go down.

Give the chick access to chick grit following the oil treatment.

Ok...I have virgin coconut oil & I'm going to give it a shot. Fingers crossed! Thanks you all! I'll update later