Ameliaandfriends
Hatching
- Feb 10, 2026
- 2
- 0
- 2
What do you do with a bird who potentially has AL? Does the whole flock already have the virus? What's the best course of giving her the best quality of life with the time she has left? And has anyone had a potential AL case that ended up being something else that was treatable?
Age: 29 week old hen
Onset of symptoms: 2 days
Symptoms:
1. Listless
2.Tail down
3. Isolating herself
4. Liver enlarged
5. Crop mushy but does not smell
6. Lymphocytes (type of white blood cell) elevated but all other blood work normal
7. Not eating or drinking normally
8. Weak grip
9. Responds to vitamins then declines
10. Poop white and green, watery
Symptoms not present:
1. Itching
2. Respitory
3. Nasal or eye discharge
4. Straining to lay egg or upright penguin position
5. Eyes are same size
6. Legs and toes are not splayed or curled
More background:
My easter-egger silkie mix born June 2, 2025, became listless and stopped eating/drinking over the weekend. She isolated herself and stood in a corner. Her tail was down and she was puffed up a bit and looked sad. I took her to the vet and her X-rays showed an enlarged liver and an inability to see the heart due to potential inflammation. Her blood work came back normal except for a low white blood cell count for specifically lymphatic white blood cells and slight dehydration. The vet thinks it may be avian leukosis as her eyes are the same size and she's not presenting respiratory symptoms. She was prescribed antibiotics to take just in case since there wasn't any harm giving them to her if it was AL, as that's untreatable.
She livens up after getting vitamins, especially after a b vitamin shot at the vet. She eats a little and drinks a little here and there, but then tends to decline again. Her poops are white and green, liquidy. She now holds her tail up and her legs seem stronger but she's still not eating and has not laid any eggs.
She can walk around, but seems tired.
Age: 29 week old hen
Onset of symptoms: 2 days
Symptoms:
1. Listless
2.Tail down
3. Isolating herself
4. Liver enlarged
5. Crop mushy but does not smell
6. Lymphocytes (type of white blood cell) elevated but all other blood work normal
7. Not eating or drinking normally
8. Weak grip
9. Responds to vitamins then declines
10. Poop white and green, watery
Symptoms not present:
1. Itching
2. Respitory
3. Nasal or eye discharge
4. Straining to lay egg or upright penguin position
5. Eyes are same size
6. Legs and toes are not splayed or curled
More background:
My easter-egger silkie mix born June 2, 2025, became listless and stopped eating/drinking over the weekend. She isolated herself and stood in a corner. Her tail was down and she was puffed up a bit and looked sad. I took her to the vet and her X-rays showed an enlarged liver and an inability to see the heart due to potential inflammation. Her blood work came back normal except for a low white blood cell count for specifically lymphatic white blood cells and slight dehydration. The vet thinks it may be avian leukosis as her eyes are the same size and she's not presenting respiratory symptoms. She was prescribed antibiotics to take just in case since there wasn't any harm giving them to her if it was AL, as that's untreatable.
She livens up after getting vitamins, especially after a b vitamin shot at the vet. She eats a little and drinks a little here and there, but then tends to decline again. Her poops are white and green, liquidy. She now holds her tail up and her legs seem stronger but she's still not eating and has not laid any eggs.
She can walk around, but seems tired.
Last edited:
