Baby Chick around 6 weeks, is very sick! Coccidiosis treatment started but could it be a deficiency?

[Tanya22]

We found a baby chick around 6 weeks back lying on the road and brought her back home. She (her name is Tooki) might be of the broiler breed. Not sure. But now for the past 5 days she has suddenly gotten very sick and stopped moving around. We had purchased a baby chick (Brownie) so that Tooki would have company. But Brownie is almost double in size of Tooki even though she is younger! Tooki has not had much growth ever since we brought her and she still fits in my palms.

So, this is what happened:
5 days ago Tooki just stopped moving and her legs got very weak and started sleeping constantly. She constantly spreads her wings for balance and has not been able to drink on her own at all. I have been holding her above her water bowl for all of these days and otherwise she has been drinking and eating properly, but with huge balance problems. She and her sister Brownie also have red mucus in their droppings since five days ago. We rushed her to the Vet on day 1 and he told us to give them Antibiotics and a Vitamin syrup. I gave it to them for 3 days. On the 4th day (yesterday) we stopped this and started treatment for Coccidiosis. I had been noticing Tooki's symptoms and reported to the vet. Their is no place here where I can get their poo tested at unfortunately.
I have started giving both the babies around 1 gram of Coccicinil (It has Amprolium in it) mixed with 1 litre of water, two times a day.

Please please tell me what else I can do for them! Brownie, except for the red mucous like thing in her poo, is still active. But Tooki is very weak, when before she wouldn't stop chirping! Do tell me what can I do for her to become healthy again and so that her legs heal.
Please help me out as I cannot bear to lose them. They are literally like my children and I just want them to get well.

 

[azygous]

Where are you? In the USA or somewhere else? I suggest you ask your vet for a sulfa drug to treat possible necrotic enteritis associated with coccidia eating away at the intestinal lining causing the blood to show up in the stools.

You could be looking at Marek's in addition to coccidiosis and an intestinal infection. If the chick dies, a necropsy can tell you if it had Marek's. Your other chick could then be assumed to be also infected with it.

 

[Tanya22]

Where are you? In the USA or somewhere else? I suggest you ask your vet for a sulfa drug to treat possible necrotic enteritis associated with coccidia eating away at the intestinal lining causing the blood to show up in the stools.

You could be looking at Marek's in addition to coccidiosis and an intestinal infection. If the chick dies, a necropsy can tell you if it had Marek's. Your other chick could then be assumed to be also infected with it.

I am living in India. My vet has also given me Trepin Powder (Sulfa Drug) but till now he hasn't told me to use it. I don't have access to any Chick feed starter or Vaccines as no one here is ready to sell it for just one or two chicks. I have been giving them Maize + Soya with salt mixed in it. Of course the ingredients are ground so that they can eat easily.
Should I add anything else to their feed?

 

[azygous]

If the feed isn't ground to a fine consistency, you also need to supply grit for digestion. Many baby chicks sicken and die when their humans are not aware of this need.

Since you have the sulfa drug, it's a good idea to begin using it.

 

[Tanya22]

If the feed isn't ground to a fine consistency, you also need to supply grit for digestion. Many baby chicks sicken and die when their humans are not aware of this need.

Since you have the sulfa drug, it's a good idea to begin using it.

Same problem with grit! I have been trying to find it for so long but I can't. Please suggest if you know any website that would supply in India (i tried amazon and flipkart but found nothing) or if i can make it through natural ways.

The anticocci medicine that I am feeding them both apparently has some of the sulpha drug's ingredients and that is why my vet told me not to use it.

 

[Tanya22]

This is what Tooki's dropping looked like 2 days ago. She does have normal looking poo also, but I have been seeing the Red mucus since she got sick (5 days ago) in many of her droppings. Same with Brownie.

 

[azygous]

That red "mucous" looks to be intestinal lining, not blood. I found a neat trick to find out if something red in poop is blood or not. Put a drop of hydrogen peroxide on the red part. If it bubbles up, you will know it's blood. No bubbles, it's not.

You can use any sand or gravel you can find as grit. Is there a river or lake near you? Small chicks under ten weeks can get by with fine gravel or river sand at least a millimeter wide with sharp edges. Chickens over ten weeks should have access to gravel no larger than 3 mm diameter and have sharp edges. It's critical that all chickens have access to grit or they will eventually become constipated and sicken and die.

 

[Tanya22]

That red "mucous" looks to be intestinal lining, not blood. I found a neat trick to find out if something red in poop is blood or not. Put a drop of hydrogen peroxide on the red part. If it bubbles up, you will know it's blood. No bubbles, it's not.

You can use any sand or gravel you can find as grit. Is there a river or lake near you? Small chicks under ten weeks can get by with fine gravel or river sand at least a millimeter wide with sharp edges. Chickens over ten weeks should have access to gravel no larger than 3 mm diameter and have sharp edges. It's critical that all chickens have access to grit or they will eventually become constipated and sicken and die.

I understand. I will try to find some sand. Also, if it is not blood then what do you suppose the disease/problem could be?
PS I will still continue with the Cocci treatment just to be safe.

 

[azygous]

Yes, by all means stick with the coccidiosis treatment. It can't hurt.

If the stuff in the poop is intestinal lining, it's a normal occurrence and nothing to be concerned about. If it appears in the stools along with real blood, then it's a sign of necrotic enteritis caused by coccidia which you are currently treating for.

 

[Tanya22]

Yes, by all means stick with the coccidiosis treatment. It can't hurt.

If the stuff in the poop is intestinal lining, it's a normal occurrence and nothing to be concerned about. If it appears in the stools along with real blood, then it's a sign of necrotic enteritis caused by coccidia which you are currently treating for.

Oh thank god! The necrotic thing really scared me!
PS But is it normal for the mucus to appear for so many days? Also, the lethargy and the legs' weakness..