Behavior after injectable

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

Hello, we have a sick cochin on antibiotics right now. She was on oral but when we went to the vet yesterday, we mentioned how she had about 20 minutes of breathing struggle afterward (not any bit of aspiration, I’m confident in how it was administered) but more just stress. Deep red face, breathing heavy, open mouth breathing, falling asleep.

The vet gave us an injectable saying it should be a lot easier on her. Again, confident it was administered right but her behavior is definitely the same if not a bit worse. Is this a normal stress response? She was bright and alert before.

 

[Eggcessive]

What is the antibiotic and dosage? Giving medicine either orally or by injection can have a risk, and chickens may become overly excited and frightened. A lot can depend on technique and how quickly it can be done. I personally prefer to give medication orally a drop or 2 at a time. I grab the chicken in my arm and pull down on the wattles to give the medication orally, and then let go of the wattles for them to swallow. Most grown hens can handle 1/2 ml orally, before swallowing, but less is even better. Practice can help to get everything ready and just get it over with in a few seconds. Some wrap the chicken in a towel to hold them still.

After reading your previous thread, it sounds more like she is failing from her illness. She seems to have a reproductive disorder, and some may develop ascites and other issues that make it hard to breathe. That and the leukosis in the flock may be hard to get her back to normal. If she will eat some treat such as cooked egg, cream cheese, or other, you can hide medicine in those if they take it. Canned cat food pate is another way I get medicine into my chickens or pets. I hope that she gets better.

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

What is the antibiotic and dosage? Giving medicine either orally or by injection can have a risk, and chickens may become overly excited and frightened. A lot can depend on technique and how quickly it can be done. I personally prefer to give medication orally a drop or 2 at a time. I grab the chicken in my arm and pull down on the wattles to give the medication orally, and then let go of the wattles for them to swallow. Most grown hens can handle 1/2 ml orally, before swallowing, but less is even better. Practice can help to get everything ready and just get it over with in a few seconds. Some wrap the chicken in a towel to hold them still.

After reading your previous thread, it sounds more like she is failing from her illness. She seems to have a reproductive disorder, and some may develop ascites and other issues that make it hard to breathe. That and the leukosis in the flock may be hard to get her back to normal. If she will eat some treat such as cooked egg, cream cheese, or other, you can hide medicine in those if they take it. Canned cat food pate is another way I get medicine into my chickens or pets. I hope that she gets better.

Ceftiofur/Naxcel 100mg/ml, dose is .25 ml once a day

I do oral meds similarly, we have one hen who takes Enalapril and Pimobendan twice daily.

I hadn't posted a follow up from the last thread, but she had a vet visit yesterday where they did an x-ray. No indication of issue in her lungs/respiratory tract, no water belly, etc. The only issue was enlargement of her reproductive tract. Given her state, they gave her a Depo Provera injection there and she was SO much better all day yesterday. It's still likely caused by Leukosis so it's more just buying time, but she was her old self. The first time we saw the struggling again like earlier in the week was after injection.

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

Gah, she's not being doing well today. Super weird that she has gone back downhill again after a GREAT day yesterday. I wonder if the Depo reduced swelling at first and made her much more comfortable, but ultimately she's experiencing some other side effects? Any chance this could just be the shock/stress of the injection still?

 

[Eggcessive]

Is the hormone injection that same or similar to the hormone implants they do to stop laying? I’m sorry that she is doing worse or seems uncomfortable. Your vet probably knows a lot more about her condition than I do. It is hard to see them suffer.

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

Is the hormone injection that same or similar to the hormone implants they do to stop laying? I’m sorry that she is doing worse or seems uncomfortable. Your vet probably knows a lot more about her condition than I do. It is hard to see them suffer.

A bit different. We have another hen with the Deslorin implant. Some side effects but pretty mild. The Depo is another one that inhibits laying, but it’s much harder on their systems overall from what I’ve read. There’s risk associated, primarily if they have liver disease, but her liver functioning seemed normal.

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

Wanted to follow up on this thread, she’s still with us but I think she’s declining. She’s still eating some things she enjoys and having good moments, though overall tired and drinking excessively. Her crop is full and squishy, unsurprising because of the excess fluid. I’ll withhold food and water when she sleeps to check again in the morning.

Given that her X-rays were pretty clear outside of the reproductive tract swelling and we’re treating that, is it possibly worth treating anything else? Her fecal was negative. Coccidiosis, crop issue, something else? So hard that things present similarly but I don’t want to ignore if she could have a chance.

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

She’s also molting which doesn’t help anything.

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

She lived for 3 more weeks. Some days better than others. She passed away yesterday morning. I’m afraid that I aspirated her, but I was trying to be so careful. She just started thrashing when I tried to give her a little softened food. She died shortly after.

So heartbroken to lose another. She’s at the state lab for a necropsy next week.

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry that you lost her. Please let us know of your necropsy results.