$50 vet charge for chicken diagnosis?

[aukuma]

I am stuck here! One of my girls (a red sexlink 7 months old) has suddenly started wobbling and is having a hard time walking. Her comb seems smaller and almost purple. I love this chicken, shes my best little gal.

She jumped out of my daughters hands the other day, and hit the ground hard, she may have been injured. OR she might have something viral/bacterial/etc. I don't know!!!


I made an appointment for her at the local vet (who does see chickens and farm animals). The initial visit is $50. Am I crazy for even considering taking her to the vet and paying this amount to be seen? Or am I justified because I love her?

I realize she's a $2 chicken, but I think people take cats and dogs they get for free to the vet and no one thinks different.

I have her in my house now, she's laying in the pack and play crib right now in my living room. She is still eating and drinking. She has runny poo on her bum, but I think she was drinking A LOT yesterday.

Please help me with this decision, since I'm torn!

 

[aukuma]

I forgot to mention, all of my girls except this one have been vaccinated against mereks.

 

[sonew123]

I do not think your crazy if you have the xtra $ to do so-If you are not buying groceries or paying bills to do it-yes thats a tad crazy. Then again I have never been in your shoes with a chicken *yet* knock on wood-but Id have to think long and hard before not paying a bill or food!

 

[cafarmgirl]

You will get a lot of differing opinion's on this but the only one that matter's is yours! In my opinion the initial cost of the animal is not the deciding factor of whether or not they receive vet care. If you consider this hen your pet and you want to keep her around as long as possible and finances are not a big issue, then take her to the vet. If she was simply livestock, an egg producing unit, then no, she would either make or not. I have taken a beloved $10.00 parakeet to a vet. People spend thousands of dollars on cats and dogs and other animals so if a chicken is a much cared for pet there's no difference.

 

[elmo]

If you think of your chickens as pets (as we do), then a trip to the vet is nothing remarkable. If you think of your chickens as agricultural animals and are keeping them primarily for the eggs (or meat), then a $50 vet bill doesn't really make economic sense.

Three of our chickens have already gotten veterinary care, including a rooster that we ended up not being able to keep (he was even hospitalized for two days with "wet" pox) and a chick we were afraid was spraddle legged (turned out to be a little cockerel, too, so we also had to rehome him). $50 for a visit is what our vet charges (plus whatever meds we end up with) and I'm very satisfied with our vet....he knows his chickens.

 

[redhen]

I've brought my rooster to the vets... and i've also just put them down myself...
It depends... its totally your choice if its worth it or not...
For us personally..it dosent matter if its a $2 chicken.. its all about if i want to save THAT particular bird or not...

 

[aukuma]

Thank you all! I guess I just need confirmation from fellow chicken owners that the expense is justified. I do have the money (although there are always other things we could spend money on) and this IS my favorite chicken. I think I will take her in.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Go for it--I have as WCb polish and I would drop $ for her in a second-I love "Judge Judy"

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
From what I've read it's not a good idea to mix vaccinated and unvaccinated birds. The Mareks vaccine uses a live virus and they can communicate it to birds that aren't vaccinated.

As for whether you should spend the money or not it comes down to whether she is livestock or a pet. If she's livestock then schedule an appointment with Dr. Hatchet. If she's a pet spend what ever you think is appropriate.

 

[aukuma]

A.T. Hagan :

Quote:
From what I've read it's not a good idea to mix vaccinated and unvaccinated birds. The Mareks vaccine uses a live virus and they can communicate it to birds that aren't vaccinated.

As for whether you should spend the money or not it comes down to whether she is livestock or a pet. If she's livestock then schedule an appointment with Dr. Hatchet. If she's a pet spend what ever you think is appropriate.

She is the only bird I have raised from a chick. The other 3 were from bantyshanty. She vaccinated her birds but they became my little flock months ago. I'm sure if she has that, she didn't pick it up from them (well pretty sure). She just had a huge watery diarrhea poo. I think she's sick rather than hurt.