Blind Betty

[Blindbetty]

Hi Y'all I am new to the site and glad I found it. I rescued Betty in November she was all bones. The morning after her rescue her eyes were closed, they eventually opened but the next day the same thing, by the third day they were not opening at all. She started to develop large bumps of scabs bumps the size of marbles I kept her away from my other flock the entire time. she became lethargic her mouth would hang open and I didn't think she was going to make it, what the help of a group on Facebook I was able to bring her back to life where she was again talking to me standing up and eating and drinking on her own. I had an appointment for the vet that day so I went ahead and took her, they advised putting her down. I couldn't do it, they provided me with antibiotics and antibiotic eye drops which I have administered on three different rounds. One seems to go down and then comes back up, I started giving her my own personal amoxicillin twice a day, it's just not doing anything. She has gained lots of weight and is laying eggs. about a month ago I started putting her outside in her own pen and about two weeks ago I've been letting her roam the backyard freely, which is completely fenced, and at night she sleeps in the house in a crate. My questions are do you think it's okay to put her in the coop at night with the other chickens, any suggestions on her eyes will they go down, is there something further I should do, I can't take her to the vet due to the cost. She has been laying healthy looking eggs, which I don't eat. Any advice from Chicken Lovers who have experienced this is greatly appreciated.
Thank you

 

[turkey girl 0964]

Poor baby.

 

[Blindbetty]

Poor baby.

It really is so sad!

 

[Ryan A]

Hi Y'all I am new to the site and glad I found it. I rescued Betty in November she was all bones. The morning after her rescue her eyes were closed, they eventually opened but the next day the same thing, by the third day they were not opening at all. She started to develop large bumps of scabs bumps the size of marbles I kept her away from my other flock the entire time. she became lethargic her mouth would hang open and I didn't think she was going to make it, what the help of a group on Facebook I was able to bring her back to life where she was again talking to me standing up and eating and drinking on her own. I had an appointment for the vet that day so I went ahead and took her, they advised putting her down. I couldn't do it, they provided me with antibiotics and antibiotic eye drops which I have administered on three different rounds. One seems to go down and then comes back up, I started giving her my own personal amoxicillin twice a day, it's just not doing anything. She has gained lots of weight and is laying eggs. about a month ago I started putting her outside in her own pen and about two weeks ago I've been letting her roam the backyard freely, which is completely fenced, and at night she sleeps in the house in a crate. My questions are do you think it's okay to put her in the coop at night with the other chickens, any suggestions on her eyes will they go down, is there something further I should do, I can't take her to the vet due to the cost. She has been laying healthy looking eggs, which I don't eat. Any advice from Chicken Lovers who have experienced this is greatly appreciated.
Thank you

it was good that u quarantined her, all I can say is take her to the vet, but it is a good thing that u discovered BYC because this site is pog for bird owners!

 

[coach723]

When you originally took her to the vet and they recommended euthanizing her, what was their diagnosis?
If this is a respiratory virus, then some of those are chronic. You can treat symptoms with medications but the symptoms will recur during times of stress, it's never 'cured'. The birds become carriers and it can be spread to your flock. So I would not put her with the flock for that reason, and because it doesn't look like she's able to see well, if at all, due to the swelling. She's going to be at risk of attack by the others and will probably not be able to compete for food and water with them. That may be a contributing factor to why she was so thin when you got her.

 

[Blindbetty]

When you originally took her to the vet and they recommended euthanizing her, what was their diagnosis?
If this is a respiratory virus, then some of those are chronic. You can treat symptoms with medications but the symptoms will recur during times of stress, it's never 'cured'. The birds become carriers and it can be spread to your flock. So I would not put her with the flock for that reason, and because it doesn't look like she's able to see well, if at all, due to the swelling. She's going to be at risk of attack by the others and will probably not be able to compete for food and water with them. That may be a contributing factor to why she was so thin when you got her.

The vet said she had a few things going on she didn't really say. She said I would have to admit her for a couple days for testing. The cost would exceed $500, which I can't do. She was quarantined for 60 days and she has no eyes. She gets around in the back yard pretty good. She knows we're the water and food is, and the other chickens do not bother her. She has no signs of illness except the swollen eyes. It's fasinating watch her put her beak close to the ground using another sense to learn her surroundings. Thank you for responding!

 

[kerbotx]

Did the vet mention/rule out Infectious Coryza? I'm not sure it's a match for your Betty, but it does cause certain types of facial swelling. It would require a different course of antibiotics. I agree with others that she's best on her own for now - the swelling alone could make her a target for bullying.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think that I would call the vet office and ask them to read you the vet’s note. It would be good to know if he thought it was a respiratory infection with bumbs only around the face, or if the bumbs were elsewhere on the body. Did they give antibiotics? Bumps can be swollen eyelids, tumors, fowl pox scabs, or others. Respiratory diseases may respond to certain antibiotics if they are caused by bacteria, but viruses will have to run their course over time. Most are chronic and the diseases will be spread to other chickens in the flock.