Appetite stimulants for old injured hen?

[cate1124]

First thing I think is, still not eating, maybe pain still too much.

Wondering what is her dose of Meloxicam?

Pain definitely messes with appetite, but so can dosing that’s too high - especially in older hens. It can irritate the stomach and make them feel worse rather than better. So if she’s getting, say, over 0.45mg/lb twice a day, it might be too much.

That said, not enough pain relief will also put her off her feed.

You're right to be concerned about inappetence. When a hen this age stops eating, it often means the body’s under a lot of stress. Sometimes it's pain, could also be internal bruising from fall, or even organ strain after a fall.

Here’s a few gentle ideas that might help:

Pain re-check: If she’s not more comfortable after a few days, maybe talk to the vet about adding a stomach protector (like sucralfate) or trying a tiny break in dosing to see if her appetite perks up.

Aromatics and warmth: Warm up her wet mash to body temp, and try poultry electrolytes in her water. Even things like warmed bone broth (no salt, no onion) can spark interest. Sometimes some stronger smells, a little garlic or a tiny amount of tuna can act as an appetite stimulant.

Energy first: Try a little sweet potato mash or baby food (meat varieties seem to work best). Sometimes older hens will go for soft textures if their joints are sore (and what the reason is, I can not say. Must be a chicken thing).

Hand-feed calmly: She might respond to being hand-fed just enough to trigger the hunger reflex again. This has worked for me before.

Leap not quickly to a pharma appetite stimulant. If something is as yet undetected an she can't eat, an appetite stimulant can make her just a bit uncomfortable when one instinct to not eat right off meets pharma impulse to eat.

I know the worry when an old lady hen goes quiet. If she’s still got that spark in her eye, she may yet rally once the pain is under better control.

Prayers for Charlotte from Jesse Lee Turner.

Thanks for this thorough and kind response, Jesse Lee. She was getting 3.75 mg meloxicam once a day, which was within dosing protocol of 1.6 mg/kg every 12 hours (my vet prefers once a day); one evening she got an additional 1/4 tab. During the six days she was on it, her appetite decreased. Some days her mobility seemed to improve; others not, so how much help it was giving her with pain and inflammation is uncertain. Vet says a limb injury alone typically does not cause inappetence; she wonders about internal injury. But we stopped the meloxicam, as that was also a possible cause of inappetence, and one we could test by ceasing. Plus, she had quit taking it voluntarily in raw hamburger, which meant force pilling her in my lap, which risked aggravating the injury. Initially -- yesterday -- it seemed her appetite had improved so I thought maybe meloxicam WAS the culprit. But today it is absent again.

We are more than a week post injury and even without the drug, I would think pain would not be causing inappetence at this point. She will periodically get up and try to get around, and when she sits, she is alert and -- if not dozing -- has her head up. On Sunday, when she likely still had some Meloxicam in her system, she had a dirt bath during which she used the hurt leg vigorously. Still, she did not eat, but she did eat better yesterday. Today -- clearly no meloxicam in her system -- I saw her stand and wobble on her deformed right foot long enough to briefly scratch her head with the injured left. But, back to not eating. I cannot connect the dots here so it's hard to know how to help her.

I will try moistening mash with warm broth tomorrow, and cook and mash a sweet potato for her. Also a bit of garlic, and tuna. I've tried every other treat under the sun.

Really appreciate your thoughts and prayers. At her age, I knew she would not be with me a lot longer, but did not expect injury to be what would take her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you. I've offered both ND water and plain; will try electrolytes tomorrow. You would not believe the bounty of treats I have offered, including tomato, grapes, strawberries, brown rice, cornmeal mush, egg, hamburger, earthworm, sunflower chips. Dampened mash, of course. She will get up and stumble away from me when I approach with plates and water. I briefly considered force-feeding, but with significant recovery from lameness uncertain, not knowing the cause of her not eating (internal injury?) and her age, I've had to ask myself what I'd be saving her life for, assuming that measure would work. I hate it, but I think this is her call. Maybe she knows what she's doing on a long, rollercoaster road to recovery. Or maybe she simply can't.

I know it must be frustrating but hang in there.

Just place food/water where she can get to it. It does sound like she's choosing to do her own thing. So, I'd let her and see how it goes.

 

[cate1124]

I know it must be frustrating but hang in there.

Just place food/water where she can get to it. It does sound like she's choosing to do her own thing. So, I'd let her and see how it goes.

Thanks so much; the concern, companionship and encouragement of fellow chicken keepers means a lot to me, especially at such a time. I offered her the "torpedo" mix on a plate this morning; she demurred. I've added some garlic to it and left it in her cage along with electrolyte water while I have a short morning run. She again ate some scratch "with" the flock, in her cage on a plate while they pecked away at the nearby boards I put down and spread as the flock's morning ritual check-in. She stood a bit while eating. I have no idea how she has the energy to do even that. I'll get her out of her cage soon so she can be with the others as she wishes in the coop. They are being good company.

Thanks again for caring enough to monitor this thread and offer support.