Blue, floppy comb and recurring lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea

[CharlieBaby]

My 2-year-old ISA Brown, Nina, is sick. This is the third time she's been sick this spring, with symptoms flaring up every 4-6 weeks.

She goes from her perky self to extremely lethargic, droopy tail, floppy comb, low appetite, excessive thirst, and watery diarrhea. The diarrhea has been going on for sever months without relief, even when the other symptoms dissipate. She stopped laying eggs the first time she fell ill, and has not resumed for several months.

When she's been sick, I've isolate her, medicated her water with NutriDrench or ACV, and offered mealworms, scrambled eggs, plain yogurt, and grit in addition to a mush made from her regular pellets and water. Additionally, I sprinkled some milk thistle extract, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, ALA, betaine, and taurine ("Liver Nutrients" by Seeking Health) in treats. Oftentimes, her favorite treats could not tempt her to eat, and my husband carefully syringe fed NutriDrench and water mixed with a little bit of feed.

Last month, I mailed a sample of her poop for a fecal float test. The results showed "positive" for coccidia at 10,650 eggs/oocysts per gram (picture attached). I wasn't sure how to interpret the results, but I responded by treating the entire flock with a high dose of Corid for 7 days in May.

The first time Nina got sick, a few months ago, I treated the entire flock with Safe-Gaurd dewormer.

She's pulled through with the supportive care and medicine listed above, but on more than one night I thought she might die for lack of "oomph." The floppy comb is always the first sign that she's on her way to another "episode" of sickness.

The pictures were taken this morning. I'm bracing myself for another serious bout of SOMETHING -- I don't know what to call the illness. Do you know what this could be or how I can prevent it from happening again? Is there an antibiotic or medication you recommend? A specific blood test?

 

[CharlieBaby]

Hoping to get a response soon. Her condition has worsened since I posted earlier today (sleeping nearly constantly).

I don’t know what the illness is, or why it recedes and then comes back full force within weeks. The blue comb (cyanosis), months-long diarrhea, and no eggs for months are big concerns, especially for a relatively young (2 yr old) ISA Brown.

Looking online and consulting Gail Demerow’s “The Chicken Health Handbook,” I think one of the following may be at play:

• Avian tuberculosis (TB)
• Lymphoid leukosis
• Fowl cholera
• Avian influenza
• Septicemia (staph infection)

I have several antibiotics in hand, including sulfa and Tylosin. Thinking about trying Tylosin because it can treat septicemia and fowl cholera. This will be my next step if I don’t hear otherwise.

Still hoping to hear from someone who is familiar with these symptoms or a BYC expert. Thank you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry she's not doing well.

Likely she is suffering from a reproductive disorder if she's not been laying eggs. She may have cancer, EYP, Salpingitis or similar.

I'd try giving her Calcium Citrate with D3 once daily for a week to see if that makes a difference, if she's trying to expel an egg.

Her hunched appearance reminds me of a hen that's not well and may not live a lot longer, but sometimes they will surprise you. She may have some internal laying and once that settles down, she'll feel better for a short period of time.

Address the crop symptoms, basically manage them. Often when hens have reproductive problems, then crop doesn't function very well either. The article below will walk you through the process.

Sometimes when they get like this they can wax and wane for a while, but then they will decline and not bounce back, monitor her and her quality of life, once she's not improving, then consider putting her out of her misery.

If you wish to find out more about the decline, then having a necropsy through your State Lab will give you the best info. or if you are up to you, you can perform your own informal necropsy to see if you find anything obvious.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[CharlieBaby]

Thank you @Wyorp Rock. I’ve learned so much from you from reading through various threads, and I appreciate your input here.

I think her crop is okay right now, but I’ll remover her food until morning and monitor for sour or impacted crop. Helpful article.

I’ll try calcium citrate, too. I think you’re right that there’s a reproductive component at play. May use lube and gloved hand to gently feel for eggs or matter, but I’m not sure I’ll find anything.

My husband just reminded me that we tried 3 days of Baytril (2x/day) a month ago for suspected e. Coli (salpingitis). She improved after several days, but it clearly didn't solve the long term problem.

She’s drinking water excessively. I think this is a possibly symptom of acute fowl cholera, along with lethargy and bluish comb, but I’m not seeing respiratory signs. She seems a little too old for lymphoid leukosis, and I’m not sure how she would have contracted a staph infection, but I read that both of those can also cause a blue comb. Ascites can also cause a blue comb and would be more closely related to reproductive issues. I haven’t noticed swelling, but I could be missing it.

Will update this thread when things change. Thanks again.

 

[BigBirdy]

Thank you @Wyorp Rock. I’ve learned so much from you from reading through various threads, and I appreciate your input here.

I think her crop is okay right now, but I’ll remover her food until morning and monitor for sour or impacted crop. Helpful article.

I’ll try calcium citrate, too. I think you’re right that there’s a reproductive component at play. May use lube and gloved hand to gently feel for eggs or matter, but I’m not sure I’ll find anything.

My husband just reminded me that we tried 3 days of Baytril (2x/day) a month ago for suspected e. Coli (salpingitis). She improved after several days, but it clearly didn't solve the long term problem.

She’s drinking water excessively. I think this is a possibly symptom of acute fowl cholera, along with lethargy and bluish comb, but I’m not seeing respiratory signs. She seems a little too old for lymphoid leukosis, and I’m not sure how she would have contracted a staph infection, but I read that both of those can also cause a blue comb. Ascites can also cause a blue comb and would be more closely related to reproductive issues. I haven’t noticed swelling, but I could be missing it.

Will update this thread when things change. Thanks again.

Has she pulled through?

 

[Lidigirl12003]

Thank you @Wyorp Rock. I’ve learned so much from you from reading through various threads, and I appreciate your input here.

I think her crop is okay right now, but I’ll remover her food until morning and monitor for sour or impacted crop. Helpful article.

I’ll try calcium citrate, too. I think you’re right that there’s a reproductive component at play. May use lube and gloved hand to gently feel for eggs or matter, but I’m not sure I’ll find anything.

My husband just reminded me that we tried 3 days of Baytril (2x/day) a month ago for suspected e. Coli (salpingitis). She improved after several days, but it clearly didn't solve the long term problem.

She’s drinking water excessively. I think this is a possibly symptom of acute fowl cholera, along with lethargy and bluish comb, but I’m not seeing respiratory signs. She seems a little too old for lymphoid leukosis, and I’m not sure how she would have contracted a staph infection, but I read that both of those can also cause a blue comb. Ascites can also cause a blue comb and would be more closely related to reproductive issues. I haven’t noticed swelling, but I could be missing it.

Will update this thread when things change. Thanks again.

My hen has been going through something so similar. She is in the sick bay then five days later starts to improve and comb color improves then within couple days right back where we were. Third time in three months. Did your hen make out ok?

 

[CharlieBaby]

I’m so sorry @Lidigirl1200 and @BigBirdy. It’s heartbreaking when a feathered friend is sick.

At the time of my original post, I tried all the tricks and supports I’d learned from this site and “The Chicken Health Handbook” including taking Wyorp Rock’s advice to add calcium and D3. I also took Nina to an emergency exotic animal hospital with a poultry vet on staff. The vet drained her for ascites (“water belly”), extracting a lot of infected-looking, yellow fluid. She prescribed meloxicam for Nina’s inflammation and suspected pain, and metaclopramide for crop motility. Additionally, gave me special formula to mix and tube feed Nina. She offered to operate, but at $1800-2000, I couldn’t afford it. (She does not implant deslorelin, but other poultry vets do; Nina was probably too sick, but the implant may have helped then, or earlier.) I continued with supportive care and the medicine the vet prescribed, and Nina got better for a time.

Nina got sick again exactly one month later. The other chickens knew before I did, as she dropped in pecking order and they began to chase her; she’d been at the top until then. Soon her symptoms were worse than ever with a crop that wouldn’t empty for several days combined with a failing appetite that eventually completely disappeared — these in combo with the symptoms mentioned in my original post. I’d been worried before, but this time — fourth round in 4-5 months, going from laying almost daily to not laying at all and getting progressively worse with each cyclic bout of illness — I sense she may not recover, and I was right. It was my first time treating a sick chicken that would ultimately die, and I was heartbroken. When she started seizing, I knew I was at — and probably well beyond — the point of giving her a peaceful exit. I chose to take her to a compassionate local vet who out her down via injection. The necropsy showed extensive disease in her body cavity, especially her reproductive organs. She said with confidence that Nina’s illness would not have been curable at that point.

I’ve had several birds over the last six years get very sick and then recover within 2-5 days with vigilant supportive care, usually at home and without the help of the vet, and sometimes with antibiotics. Nina just kept getting sick. This was a strong clue that she would not recover. Earlier treatment — hormonal implant or oviduct removal surgery — at the very first sign of decline, namely an abrupt end to egg laying that did not resume within a few days, may have saved her; I don’t know. ISA Browns are notorious for having reproductive issues and I will not be getting any more of that breed, as much as I loved Nina.

I wish you and anyone else reading this good health for your feathered friends. We can only do our best with what we know and what we can afford. I’m so happy to have had Nina in my world for two years as my trusty sidekick. Your chickens are lucky to have you in their court. Please post if you have additional insight or other outcomes that may help others who stumble on this thread. Take care.

 

[CharlieBaby]

Oops, my tag didn’t work. See above, @Lidigirl12003.

 

[Lidigirl12003]

I’m so sorry @Lidigirl1200 and @BigBirdy. It’s heartbreaking when a feathered friend is sick.

At the time of my original post, I tried all the tricks and supports I’d learned from this site and “The Chicken Health Handbook” including taking Wyorp Rock’s advice to add calcium and D3. I also took Nina to an emergency exotic animal hospital with a poultry vet on staff. The vet drained her for ascites (“water belly”), extracting a lot of infected-looking, yellow fluid. She prescribed meloxicam for Nina’s inflammation and suspected pain, and metaclopramide for crop motility. Additionally, gave me special formula to mix and tube feed Nina. She offered to operate, but at $1800-2000, I couldn’t afford it. (She does not implant deslorelin, but other poultry vets do; Nina was probably too sick, but the implant may have helped then, or earlier.) I continued with supportive care and the medicine the vet prescribed, and Nina got better for a time.

Nina got sick again exactly one month later. The other chickens knew before I did, as she dropped in pecking order and they began to chase her; she’d been at the top until then. Soon her symptoms were worse than ever with a crop that wouldn’t empty for several days combined with a failing appetite that eventually completely disappeared — these in combo with the symptoms mentioned in my original post. I’d been worried before, but this time — fourth round in 4-5 months, going from laying almost daily to not laying at all and getting progressively worse with each cyclic bout of illness — I sense she may not recover, and I was right. It was my first time treating a sick chicken that would ultimately die, and I was heartbroken. When she started seizing, I knew I was at — and probably well beyond — the point of giving her a peaceful exit. I chose to take her to a compassionate local vet who out her down via injection. The necropsy showed extensive disease in her body cavity, especially her reproductive organs. She said with confidence that Nina’s illness would not have been curable at that point.

I’ve had several birds over the last six years get very sick and then recover within 2-5 days with vigilant supportive care, usually at home and without the help of the vet, and sometimes with antibiotics. Nina just kept getting sick. This was a strong clue that she would not recover. Earlier treatment — hormonal implant or oviduct removal surgery — at the very first sign of decline, namely an abrupt end to egg laying that did not resume within a few days, may have saved her; I don’t know. ISA Browns are notorious for having reproductive issues and I will not be getting any more of that breed, as much as I loved Nina.

I wish you and anyone else reading this good health for your feathered friends. We can only do our best with what we know and what we can afford. I’m so happy to have had Nina in my world for two years as my trusty sidekick. Your chickens are lucky to have you in their court. Please post if you have additional insight or other outcomes that may help others who stumble on this thread. Take care.

So sorry for your loss and thank you for the update. My hen has a dog crate now in the garage and she comes and goes living in the backyard during the day so she is next to the flock. Still blue comb and diarrhea. Still not laying but running around yard catching bugs and eating and drinking. No treatments have worked. We are past six weeks of trying everything and she is still here lol. We know it’s a matter of time. Just letting her live out her life happily. Day by day.