Any Hope for this ex-battery ? Bad vent gleet GRAPHIC

[PirateGirl]

Thank you for helping her. I think right now the baths and supportive care with vitamins and electrolytes is a good start. Hopefully she will decide she wants to eat and drink today.

 

[MandS]

Hi

As you're in Ireland, get some Canestan. We have had vent gleet with our rescue hens too - pretty bad but yours looks worse. You need to keep bathing her in warm water to let the stuff come off her feathers (suggetion of pliers is a good one - I've used similar), then when dry (we dry with a towel rather than letting it dry in the air) put Canestan all over the area that was covered with poo and also on her vent itself, with a little bit on the opening to the hole (we have never pushed it deep inside but made sure the vent was well covered around the opening).

You need to do this for about 3 - 5 days. Ours recovered each time and we haven't lost one to vent gleet yet. They are very miserable when they get it badly, so you should see her pick up quite quickly as it improves.

Obviously, I cannot promise anything but it has worked for us and as Canestan is for fungal infections, it has (for us at least) proved very effective in eliminating it.

Oddly nearly all our rescue hens had it when we got them. I don't know if it is something they had in their production coop or if it was the holding rescue centre. We had some of the non rescue hens have it too - one only a month ago. She's fully recovered with no further bouts.

Good luck - I hope she pulls through.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Hi

As you're in Ireland, get some Canestan. We have had vent gleet with our rescue hens too - pretty bad but yours looks worse. You need to keep bathing her in warm water to let the stuff come off her feathers (suggetion of pliers is a good one - I've used similar), then when dry (we dry with a towel rather than letting it dry in the air) put Canestan all over the area that was covered with poo and also on her vent itself, with a little bit on the opening to the hole (we have never pushed it deep inside but made sure the vent was well covered around the opening).

You need to do this for about 3 - 5 days. Ours recovered each time and we haven't lost one to vent gleet yet. They are very miserable when they get it badly, so you should see her pick up quite quickly as it improves.

Obviously, I cannot promise anything but it has worked for us and as Canestan is for fungal infections, it has (for us at least) proved very effective in eliminating it.

Oddly nearly all our rescue hens had it when we got them. I don't know if it is something they had in their production coop or if it was the holding rescue centre. We had some of the non rescue hens have it too - one only a month ago. She's fully recovered with no further bouts.

Good luck - I hope she pulls through.

Thank you @MandS !
Would I use the canestan along with the micondazole? I am currently orally giving her micon and putting greek yogurt on her topicallly. Do you think canestan would work better?
Glad to say she is still here, still not looking good though. She did eat a tiny bit and drink some yesterday evening.

 

[MandS]

Hmm. That, I don't know. I've never used the oral stuff before only been down the Canestan route. I don't know which is more effective or if there is any danger you can overdose her. I am struggling to know what I would do. If the vet gave me micondazole, then I would probably follow that because I trust their expertise. That said, when we took one of ours with gleet to the vet, he prescribed antibiotics, which makes matters worse. I came on here, found out information and did the Canestan thing and it cleared it up very quickly. I then went back to the vet who thanked me for letting him know and said that he had now something to research. Oddly, although an avian specialist, he had not heard of vent gleet.

The one thing I am not keen on is trying to be an expert, because I am not. I just keep chickens and try my best for them. So hopefully someone here may know the answers to the oral + topical issue and danger of overdosing.

Time doesn't look like it is on her side either, so again, I'd be curious how long she's been on the oral med and if any improvement in her poo has been seen?

I really wish you and her all the best. Not a nice position to be in.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Thank you @MandS
Today, she is not looking good. And her crop is rock solid. I can only assume I missed this yesterday as she has not been eating. So now, she is also getting coconut oil and massages. This first massage did break it up some, but her breath also stinks. Poor thing is not good. I am wondering is this an appropriate time to go with acidified copper sulfate @TwoCrows Can I call on you here please???

 

[MandS]

HI. I don't know how to do that?

The trick with her crop (and we have two with crop issues at the moment) is working out which it is. Impacted is one thing but the sour smell sounds like it is sour crop. However, like one of ours, they seem to have both going on because the wall of the crop becomes irritated and thickens. Massage is very good to do but also fluids are required. Are you comfortable getting fluids into her by syringe down the throat? You shouldn't do too much or she will regurgitate and then run the risk of inhaling the fluid and drowning, so being careful and only small amounts of water at a time (I usually do about 1 2 ml.

I'll keep my eye on the web for any updates and reply as quickly as I can. I do have to go out in half an hour however.

The crop issue would also explain why she is so down. That really knocks them back.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

HI. I don't know how to do that?

The trick with her crop (and we have two with crop issues at the moment) is working out which it is. Impacted is one thing but the sour smell sounds like it is sour crop. However, like one of ours, they seem to have both going on because the wall of the crop becomes irritated and thickens. Massage is very good to do but also fluids are required. Are you comfortable getting fluids into her by syringe down the throat? You shouldn't do too much or she will regurgitate and then run the risk of inhaling the fluid and drowning, so being careful and only small amounts of water at a time (I usually do about 1 2 ml.

I'll keep my eye on the web for any updates and reply as quickly as I can. I do have to go out in half an hour however.

The crop issue would also explain why she is so down. That really knocks them back.

Thanks MandS, Yeah unfortunately I am all too experienced with dealing with crop issues. Just with this one, I think the copper might be required. She has so much going on. Then again, I reckon the copper is probably hard on their systems so unsure if it's too much. I have used it before following @TwoCrows article and it worked a treat, it did take 5 days with one though and I doubt this one has 5 days in her in her current state.
I am syringing water into her and massaging, fingers crossed something gives soon!

 

[MandS]

Good luck!!!!

 

[chkva]

Buy some colloidal silver for her vent area. It prevents infections and kills off infections. Colloidal silver can also be used for her crop issue, it can be given orally and also can be mixed with water. This was suggested to me by a vet when I first started with chickens and had dogs. They said it works for humans, dogs, cats, birds, and all livestock so I always keep it on hand. It can kill of MRSA in a human, which isn't killed off by many antibiotics.

Good luck with your chickens! Thank you for caring for them.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

OK, I can normally keep calm about these rescue hens, but this is outrageous. Her vent was 99% blocked by that crap, and she also has bumblefoot. This is not ok. Sorry for the outburst.