Chicken is extremely dehydrated and won't drink water

[shasimon96]

Our 1yr old buff Orpington is very dehydrated (her wobble is light pink) it's been almost 12hrs since she last drank water. Last night a possum got in the coop and injured her, so we brought her inside to try and heal her wounds. What can we do to get her to drink?

 

[shasimon96]

She ate some scrambled eggs and a little lettuce...also drank a little water, but not much. What do we do to her eating and drinking like normal again??

 

[shasimon96]

Well she's still barely drinking water...if we stand there and tell her to drink her water then she'll do it, most of the time...we're still open to suggestions since she's a really stubborn chicken

 

[casportpony]

I tube feed and water mine when they are sick.

From: http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/07_emergency_and_critical_care.pdf

ORAL NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Below are listed some of the oral nutritional supplements
that can be gavage-fed to debilitated birds. Various
hand-feeding formulas are on the market and, as a
whole, are far superior to the homemade formulas used
decades ago that contained monkey biscuits, peanut butter
and ground seeds. Commercially available hand-feeding
formulas for baby birds are often utilized in the treatment
of sick and debilitated adult birds. The quantity
that can be fed at one time to a sick bird is greatly
reduced from that of baby birds. On the average, a baby
parrot can accommodate 10% of its body weight per
feeding due to the elasticity of the crop and its rapid
emptying. Adult birds have a greatly decreased crop
capacity, averaging 3% of their body weight. Additionally,
sick birds are less tolerant of food in the crop and care
must be taken to avoid regurgitation and/or aspiration.
A sick or debilitated bird should always have its
hydration corrected prior to attempting to initiate
oral gavage-feeding.
Some formulas that are used and the indications for
these are summarized below. None of these formulas is
indicated in the presence of ileus. Many ill birds are captive-
raised and were hand-fed, and these patients may
respond to hand-feeding techniques


(Fig 7.12). This facilitates​

both feeding and medication administration.

 

[casportpony]

From:http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/07_emergency_and_critical_care.pdf

Supportive Care
SICK-BIRD ENCLOSURES
Sick birds are often hypothermic and should be placed
in heated (brooder-type) enclosures


b (Fig 7.7) in a quiet
environment (see Chapter 1, Clinical Practice). A temperature
of 85° F (29° C) with 70% humidity is desirable
for most sick birds. If brooders are not equipped with a
humidity source, placing a small dish of water in the
enclosure will often supply adequate humidity. A moist
towel that is heated and placed on the bottom of a cage
or incubator rapidly humidifies the environment, as indicated
by the fogging of the acrylic cage front.
FLUID THERAPY
Oral Administration
Oral administration is the ideal method of giving fluids.
This method is more commonly used in mildly dehydrated
birds or in conjunction with subcutaneous (SC)
or intravenous (IV) therapy. Oral rehydration (30 ml/kg
PO q 6-8 h) also may be used in larger birds (eg, waterfowl)
that are difficult to restrain for parenteral fluid
therapy.
Subcutaneous Administration
Subcutaneous fluid therapy is probably the most common
method of administration, although administration
in very critical patients must be done judiciously. With
experience, warm fluids can be given over the dorsum in
very depressed birds without restraint or altering of the
bird’s position within its incubator. Studies have shown
that adding hyaluronidase


e to fluids (150 IU/L fluids)
greatly facilitates the absorption of these fluids.


17 Subcutaneous
fluids are most commonly given in the intrascapular​

area, the flank, and the area over the pectoral muscles

or the axilla. Maintaining fluids on a heating pad or in an
incubator, so they are available at the correct temperature
for emergencies, is important. Warm fluids are both
an adjuvant treatment for hypothermia and less painful
on administration. However, as in mammals, a severely​

debilitated or dehydrated bird will not absorb SC fluids.

 

[casportpony]

How to tube links:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid#post_9910754

and:
http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?t=7933