Chicken been under the weather for weeks

[jools2014]

Hi all. One of my chickens has been under the weather for weeks now. It started with her just opening her mouth a lot (breathing through her mouth I guess), then she lost her "voice" and was wheezing a lot. I took her to the vet but he didn't know what it was without doing x-rays etc. so gave us 3 options-have her PTS, try antibiotics, have x-rays etc to find out whats wrong for sure. He looked down her throat but couldn't see anything. He noticed she was very wheezy. He weighed her and said she was underweight despite the fact she has 24/7 access to food and they all have lots of treats too and she still loves her treats and main food.

I was supposed to take her back if the antibiotics didn't perk her up-I'm not really sure what to do. She has not got any worse, I think the wheezing is better but she still opens her mouth constantly and has lost her voice-she comes out in the morning and all she can make is a squeak, I don't know if she is making this noise as she is in pain or whether she is just trying to make her normal chicken noises. She is not like my other sick chickens in the past who all were very lethargic and just stood around, but she is not 100% and her comb is not healthy looking. I don't know how long it takes the comb to go back to normal, or how long it takes for a chicken to get over a respiratory infection if thats what it is? I don't know what to do since she seems ok enough not to have her PTS yet, but taking her back to the vet would cost hundreds to then get x-rays etc. and she is getting on for 6 yrs old.

Here is a list of things which make me think she is poorly-
1. She keeps opening her mouth to breathe
2. Unhealthy looking comb (it's not purple or blue but slightly collapsed)
3. Can only make squeaks not normal noises
4. Sometimes chooses to sit on a shelf rather than roost (rarely)
5. Apparently is underweight according to vet but have not weighed her since to see if she has put on any weight

Here are things that make me think she is ok-
1. Almost always roosts except for occasionally
2. Is first down off the perch when she hears me go down to the henhouse, and has no problem climbing/flying down (it's quite high)
3. Still loves her treats and comes to see what I have for her
4. Can still run quite fast and usually will when she sees me going to stroke her since the poor thing has been messed about so much, picked up, bathed and taken to the vet! Still scratches around.
5. Doesn't seem to wheeze whilst roosting like she did before antibiotics

She has had this thing for weeks now, I think the antibiotics did help with the wheezing but she is not 100%, I'm unsure where to go from here don't like to think she is suffering but she seems so well in other ways I wouldn't like to have her PTS yet or subject her to all sorts of tests at her age and spend 100s on x-rays etc. Any thoughts on what to do?

 

[Abriana]

Use some poultry VetRx, really good for respiratory problems. You can buy it at southern states or on a website called Jeffers. Good luck!

 

[micstrachan]

Yes, supportive care for sure. Sounds like a respiratory infection, possibly. Maybe she needs a second round of antibiotics if she responded but did not fully recover? Or maybe tbe antibiotics only helped a secondary infection and the primary infection is viral or fungal? How does her breath smell?

 

[jools2014]

Hi, thanks for the replies, I'm in the UK so I doubt I can get VetRx, does anyone know? Could order it but that would take like 2 weeks to arrive! Always disappointed that all these treatments get recommended and we have none of them in the UK that you can just buy OTC in US

Well I can keep giving her antibiotics for a few more days I guess. I have not noticed her breath at all-the vet didn't say anything either and he examined her and looked down her throat so got pretty close, so I think her breath is ok.