Broody Silkie Girl Going Strong For Over 3 Weeks And We Are Starting To Worry...

[enola]

Sorry to hear this...... What type of wormer did the vet use? Make sure you keep her hydrated.

 

[pdirt]

I just got home from the vet.
She was in a wire cage, with no nesting materials.

Unfortunately, the outlook is not a good one. She's very thin and incredibly weak and dehydrated. The vet seems to think it's either a reproductive issue or parasitic, but her stools all looked normal to me, and I kept an eye on them. They gave her vitamins, wormer, and some fluid, and gave me the option to hospitalize her or bring her home. Unfortunately, I just couldn't spend the 100+ dollars per day to have the medical staff look after her, so we are going to do the best we can at home. They gave me a plastic syringe to feed her, to see if we can help her regain her strength. Per the vet's advice, she's nestled up in a cat carrier with some shavings in the basement, where it's warm.

I'm pretty devastated. I love this sweet girl and it's pretty apparent that the outlook is grim. It's amazing how attached a girl can get to a hen. Prayers would be appreciated. <3

Prayers on their way. Sorry to hear this. Good luck!

You might link this post to the Emergencies forum. There are some pretty knowledgeable folks over there who might be able to offer additional support. If it is parasites (worms), you can't always see them in the stools. Some worms you can, but not all kinds.

Once I had a cat with failing kidneys. She wasn't getting enough water. I had to give her fluids by putting a needle (attached to an IV bag) under her skin. It would create a large liquid bulge under her skin, but her body would absorb the fluids. I don't know if this would work with a bird or not.

 

[VyInRI]

How would I go about linking this post to the emergencies forum?

I'm not entirely sure what wormer they gave her. All I know is that was injected. I think it was injected. Honestly, the entire thing is going fuzzy. I was such a wreck the entire time, it took all my energy to focus on the vet's words.

 

[krista74]

I will send all the positive thoughts I can your way

In the mean time, try and love her better. Lots of good food - scrambled eggs, perhaps some yoghurt and porridge, even some meat. I have a girl who is recovering from surgery and even when nothing else could tempt her, a little tuna or beef flavoured tinned cat food was appealing! I know it's not the ideal food to give a chicken, but anything she can get into her at this point is a good thing.

Make sure she has plenty of fluids, lots of quiet petting and a stress-free, warm environment.

My very best wishes to you. I hope she recovers soon for you.

- Krista

 

[VyInRI]

She's in a large pet carrier with shavings in the basement (which is nice and toasty warm) now, and she does have some water and crumbles, should she be tempted to eat or drink. I did wrap her in an old beach towel and my father and I took a half hour to try to syringe-feed her, and she did cooperate for a while. She definitely let us know when she was starting to get stressed out, so we let her rest and are going to try again before I turn in for the night. She barely moved at the vet's office, and at home tonight she did stand up a couple times and flap her wings once or twice, which was huge, because she was so weak earlier than she couldn't even stand on her own. We didn't get a whole lot into her, but it's a start. I know we have a long road ahead of us, and the vet said outright that it didn't look good for her, but as long as she's fighting, we're gonna do our best by her.

 

[theoldchick]

Sorry to hear of the bad news. Often in cases like this nursing care can make the difference. You can give her small amounts of fluid/liquid diet on an hourly basis. You can also call your vet and ask about giving subcutaneous fluid in the wing web and they should be able to set you up with the supplies you need. They can also show you how to tube feed her.

This story is a good reminder to listen you your inner voice. You knew your hen was not doing well and needed help. In most cases a normal healthy hen will have no problem going through the broody process. However, if the hen is a sub-clinical carrier of the various viral/bacterial infections or has a infestation of parasites, she may not be able to withstand the challenges of being broody.

Keep up the good work! I hope she does well.

 

[VyInRI]

Unfortunately, my sweet girl took a pretty sharp turn for the worse last night. She's gotten just as, if not weaker, than she was, and now she's refusing food and water almost entirely. She has another vet visit tomorrow, but I don't know she'll make it that long. I'm pretty devastated - she seemed to be doing better for a while.

 

[cavemanrich]

Sincere thoughts of sorrow. I know how you feel. I went thru such a situation and hen dying really hurt me. My girls are my pets. We eat chicken from KFC.

 

[theoldchick]

I feel your anguish. I wish I could save them all.

 

[krista74]

Unfortunately, my sweet girl took a pretty sharp turn for the worse last night. She's gotten just as, if not weaker, than she was, and now she's refusing food and water almost entirely. She has another vet visit tomorrow, but I don't know she'll make it that long. I'm pretty devastated - she seemed to be doing better for a while.

I'm very sorry to hear his news. I had been hoping that you would get a more positive outcome.

My thoughts are with you.

- Krista