Breathing issue - need medication advice

[Shezadandy]

One of my older hens needs some help.

She recently had an impacted crop and I suspect she aspirated some amount when her crop was quite full and she laid down, forcing liquid up. She does not have ascities/waterbelly. She doesn't have any discharge from the eyes or nose at the moment.

We've cleared the impacted crop - but she's making kind of gasping noise on exhale, now even when she's up on the perch with a (now) empty crop. Last night she only did the noise if she was laying down (empty crop) flat on a surface, and it went away when I put her on a perch. Now she's doing it even when on the perch.

I've got a variety of medications on hand. Tylan 50 (injectable), Tylosin powder (99% tylosin tartrate), amoxicillin (250mg capsules), Baytril 10% oral liquid, and also Enrofloxacin 10% powder.

Edited to add: She weighs 4.70lbs

Adding medicine to the drinking water is not an option as she's not drinking enough to take in a dose. She's quite thin and there's not much of a breast muscle to inject into - so I'm looking for the oral dose to give her all at once- either added to the watermelon which is all she'll willingly eat at the moment, or by feeding tube if need be.

Again, she's an older bird kept as a pet, so she's not ever going to be food and her laying days are over.

What would be the best thing to try and what's the right dose?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If she does lay eggs then Tylan50 given at 0.25ml per pound of weight given orally 3 times a day may take care of aspiration pneumonia.

If she's not laying eggs or you know which eggs are hers so you can throw them away, then Baytril can be used (Baytril is not approved for use in poultry!)
Baytril 10% liquid dosage is 0.05ml per pound of weight given orally 2 times a day for 4-5 days.

Is she pooping? What's that like?
Has she been wormed? Treated for Coccidiosis?

The impacted crop is cleared, but is the crop emptying in the mornings - any indication that the crop may be soured?

With an older hen that is a pet - depending on symptoms - you can assess her best - I might be tempted to treat for infection, worms and coccidiosis. So....antibiotics, fenbendazole or Valbazen and Amprolium. Just my 2¢

 

[Shezadandy]

If she does lay eggs then Tylan50 given at 0.25ml per pound of weight given orally 3 times a day may take care of aspiration pneumonia.

If she's not laying eggs or you know which eggs are hers so you can throw them away, then Baytril can be used (Baytril is not approved for use in poultry!)
Baytril 10% liquid dosage is 0.05ml per pound of weight given orally 2 times a day for 4-5 days.

Is she pooping? What's that like?
Has she been wormed? Treated for Coccidiosis?

The impacted crop is cleared, but is the crop emptying in the mornings - any indication that the crop may be soured?

With an older hen that is a pet - depending on symptoms - you can assess her best - I might be tempted to treat for infection, worms and coccidiosis. So....antibiotics, fenbendazole or Valbazen and Amprolium. Just my 2¢

Thank you!

Here's the latest 'offering' - the only thing she's willing to eat right now is watermelon that I cut into little tiny cubes and mealworms that I've broken into little pieces. So, those reddish blobs in the picture are watermelon, not gobs of intestinal lining. This morning she had cleared what little bit I gave her last night.

She's never been wormed. When she gives me her next fresh sample I'll see if I can master my microscope and look for worm eggs. Been a lot of years since I used one.

The impaction was caused by some tall grass and despite all my best conservative efforts over multiple days, she couldn't clear it, so yesterday we did crop surgery and sure enough, it was grass. So, we emptied everything, every last morsel with lots and lots of flushes, so she shouldn't be in sour crop territory at this point. This morning she was empty- but of course she'd been emptied, and was only offered a small amount last night. Right now we're about 24 hrs post crop surgery.

The breathing issue predates the surgery, it started on Wednesday night. That's part of why we waited on surgery. Moving her to a spot with a perch helped alleviate that. She never stopped pooping over the course of the impacted crop, but it was minimal. We had to do most of the procedure with her standing because she wasn't breathing well on her side.

I'm pretty sure she'd done with egg laying and we can certainly dispose of her eggs if she ever does lay another one. I do have Corid, fenbendazole, and valbazen. What's the best direct dose for the Corid since she's not drinking all that much at the moment?

Thanks again!

 

[Shezadandy]

I gave her the Baytril, some water, and some Poultridrench by tube to make sure it all got down to the right place.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

View attachment 2046506

Thank you!

Here's the latest 'offering' - the only thing she's willing to eat right now is watermelon that I cut into little tiny cubes and mealworms that I've broken into little pieces. So, those reddish blobs in the picture are watermelon, not gobs of intestinal lining. This morning she had cleared what little bit I gave her last night.

She's never been wormed. When she gives me her next fresh sample I'll see if I can master my microscope and look for worm eggs. Been a lot of years since I used one.

The impaction was caused by some tall grass and despite all my best conservative efforts over multiple days, she couldn't clear it, so yesterday we did crop surgery and sure enough, it was grass. So, we emptied everything, every last morsel with lots and lots of flushes, so she shouldn't be in sour crop territory at this point. This morning she was empty- but of course she'd been emptied, and was only offered a small amount last night. Right now we're about 24 hrs post crop surgery.

The breathing issue predates the surgery, it started on Wednesday night. That's part of why we waited on surgery. Moving her to a spot with a perch helped alleviate that. She never stopped pooping over the course of the impacted crop, but it was minimal. We had to do most of the procedure with her standing because she wasn't breathing well on her side.

I'm pretty sure she'd done with egg laying and we can certainly dispose of her eggs if she ever does lay another one. I do have Corid, fenbendazole, and valbazen. What's the best direct dose for the Corid since she's not drinking all that much at the moment?

Thanks again!

Poor thing!

I hope she recovers quickly from the surgery and that she's not got any of that material clogging her up further along like in the gizzard or intestines.

The poop doesn't look good does it.

Direct Drench of liquid Corid is 0.10ml per pound of weight.

 

[Shezadandy]

Poor thing!

I hope she recovers quickly from the surgery and that she's not got any of that material clogging her up further along like in the gizzard or intestines.

The poop doesn't look good does it.

Direct Drench of liquid Corid is 0.10ml per pound of weight.

Thanks- I'm beginning to suspect that the crop issue is secondary to something else. I did give her the medications this morning via tube but she's really really not doing well today. It wasn't a packed crop, especially not compared to my chronic offender's impactions. The surgery went well. We know things are getting from beak to the exit - I waited until after surgery to give her watermelon chunks as they're pretty easy to identify in the leavings, and those definitely made it from point A to point B. Sigh. Definitely not looking good.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks- I'm beginning to suspect that the crop issue is secondary to something else. I did give her the medications this morning via tube but she's really really not doing well today. It wasn't a packed crop, especially not compared to my chronic offender's impactions. The surgery went well. We know things are getting from beak to the exit - I waited until after surgery to give her watermelon chunks as they're pretty easy to identify in the leavings, and those definitely made it from point A to point B. Sigh. Definitely not looking good.

I'm sorry
Often a crop issue can be a symptom of an underlying condition.
Sadly, older hens seem to be prone to reproductive problems too - so if your girl has not been laying for a good while, then that may be a good part of it.

 

[Shezadandy]

I'm sorry
Often a crop issue can be a symptom of an underlying condition.
Sadly, older hens seem to be prone to reproductive problems too - so if your girl has not been laying for a good while, then that may be a good part of it.

It's extra sad because she's one from our original group of chickens, and has been the mama hen to more chicks than I can count and 4 years of large and extra large eggs. Sigh. I'm pretty sure she was laying up until she molted. There's nothing abnormal in the abdomen - I've had hens with various stages of EYP and she's not showing any signs of it. She ate a little watermelon for me tonight. Hopefully tomorrow arrives with a happier girl, but my optimism is low.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's extra sad because she's one from our original group of chickens, and has been the mama hen to more chicks than I can count and 4 years of large and extra large eggs. Sigh. I'm pretty sure she was laying up until she molted. There's nothing abnormal in the abdomen - I've had hens with various stages of EYP and she's not showing any signs of it. She ate a little watermelon for me tonight. Hopefully tomorrow arrives with a happier girl, but my optimism is low.

I hope she is better this morning.

 

[Shezadandy]

I hope she is better this morning.

The breathing part isn't much improved, but I woke up today to find she'd eaten all the mealworms and all the watermelon I'd left her at bedtime, and evidence that it's coming out the other end. Yesterday afternoon I took her out to the orchard with me while I did some pruning so she could get some sunshine and fresh air, which she seemed to enjoy. This morning she's gobbled up the watermelon - I wish she'd eat something else, but for now, having an appetite at all is in the 'win' column. For whatever reason she's turning her beak up at scrambled eggs. So, I'll repeat the trip outside today as it's a nice sunshine filled day- and have some good company for planting and trimming.