Chicken Loudly Gasping for Air and Wheezing

[TheBestMidwestFlock]

She wasn’t interested in food or water again last night so I don’t think she has gotten any of the Tiagard yet. I watched the video you linked, I think it’s possible she could have a ruptured air sac in the front by her breast bone and crop but I’m not sure. I took a video of her breathing and posted it on YouTube, I’m going to try to link it in this post. I’m also going to take her outside today to get some fresh air and see if she’s interested in eating any grass.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She wasn’t interested in food or water again last night so I don’t think she has gotten any of the Tiagard yet. I watched the video you linked, I think it’s possible she could have a ruptured air sac in the front by her breast bone and crop but I’m not sure. I took a video of her breathing and posted it on YouTube, I’m going to try to link it in this post. I’m also going to take her outside today to get some fresh air and see if she’s interested in eating any grass.

I think it’s possible she could have a ruptured air sac in the front by her breast bone and crop but I’m not sure.

Poor Girl!

You mention you think she possibly has a ruptured air sac in the front near the breastbone. My understanding is you should be able to feel and hopefully see the air trapped under the skin. You'd release it by sticking a needle just under the skin.

I've included a video below that I think gives a good example of what the skin/trapped air looks and feels like, hopefully you can investigate her further and determine if indeed there is a ruptured air sac or not.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=144610178626472

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you feel of her crop? How does it feel?

 

[Eggcessive]

Does it feel like air under the skin around her breast or could it be a full puffy crop?

 

[TheBestMidwestFlock]

Poor Girl!

You mention you think she possibly has a ruptured air sac in the front near the breastbone. My understanding is you should be able to feel and hopefully see the air trapped under the skin. You'd release it by sticking a needle just under the skin.

I've included a video below that I think gives a good example of what the skin/trapped air looks and feels like, hopefully you can investigate her further and determine if indeed there is a ruptured air sac or not.

View attachment 4255214View attachment 4255215

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=144610178626472

Thank you for the helpful video and diagrams, after watching that video I don’t think it’s a ruptured air sac anymore. I looked under her feathers all over her body and I don’t see anything that looks like trapped air, I think yesterday I may have just felt the air sac filling with air and thought it was ruptured.

Can you feel of her crop? How does it feel?

Does it feel like air under the skin around her breast or could it be a full puffy crop?

Her crop is empty, I can feel where her crop is but there’s nothing in it. I think I may have been feeling her front air sac filling with air yesterday and mistook it for being ruptured.


I took her outside yesterday to get some fresh air and she walked around for a bit and preened her feathers, which I thought was a good sign. After I brought her back in she seemed to sleep really well for the rest of the day. I gave her Safeguard again last night and I also syringed some of her TiaGard water down her throat.

This morning she seemed to be doing a bit better, she still sounded wheezy but she wasn’t stretching her neck out to breathe. I took her out of her crate and she started scratching around a bit in the garage, which she’s hasn’t done before. So I tossed some of her food out in front of her but I don’t think she ate any. After being out for a bit her breathing started to get bad again, stretching her neck out a lot and she ended up walking back into her crate and tucking her head under her wing to go back to sleep.

I left her alone throughout the day since she was breathing so good in her crate and thought that maybe me picking her up is making it worse sometimes. She was able to lay down as well (she has been just standing). I gave her the last dose of Safeguard tonight and syringed some more of her Tiagard water down her throat. She walked around for a while and was able to eat a few pellets. I’m trying to get her to drink water but she’s not really interested. She did have some solid poop though, all of her poop has been very watery but after I gave her the medicine tonight she had solid poop. I think she’s getting better, I think she would feel a lot better if she would eat and drink but I’m having a hard time convincing her to do so. Thank you all for the help so far.

 

[Eggcessive]

Normally, there would not be air under her skin if she did not have a ruptured or leaking air sac. Her crop should normally fill up with food and water during the day, and then feel empty first thing in the morning.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the helpful video and diagrams, after watching that video I don’t think it’s a ruptured air sac anymore. I looked under her feathers all over her body and I don’t see anything that looks like trapped air, I think yesterday I may have just felt the air sac filling with air and thought it was ruptured.



Her crop is empty, I can feel where her crop is but there’s nothing in it. I think I may have been feeling her front air sac filling with air yesterday and mistook it for being ruptured.


I took her outside yesterday to get some fresh air and she walked around for a bit and preened her feathers, which I thought was a good sign. After I brought her back in she seemed to sleep really well for the rest of the day. I gave her Safeguard again last night and I also syringed some of her TiaGard water down her throat.

This morning she seemed to be doing a bit better, she still sounded wheezy but she wasn’t stretching her neck out to breathe. I took her out of her crate and she started scratching around a bit in the garage, which she’s hasn’t done before. So I tossed some of her food out in front of her but I don’t think she ate any. After being out for a bit her breathing started to get bad again, stretching her neck out a lot and she ended up walking back into her crate and tucking her head under her wing to go back to sleep.

I left her alone throughout the day since she was breathing so good in her crate and thought that maybe me picking her up is making it worse sometimes. She was able to lay down as well (she has been just standing). I gave her the last dose of Safeguard tonight and syringed some more of her Tiagard water down her throat. She walked around for a while and was able to eat a few pellets. I’m trying to get her to drink water but she’s not really interested. She did have some solid poop though, all of her poop has been very watery but after I gave her the medicine tonight she had solid poop. I think she’s getting better, I think she would feel a lot better if she would eat and drink but I’m having a hard time convincing her to do so. Thank you all for the help so far.

Sounds like she's doing a little better. Keep up with the good work, I know it must be stressful for you.


My understanding it the Tiagard (Tiamulin) is very bitter, so she may not willing drink it all that well. Most people sweeten the mix with a little juice or Karo Syrup to make it more palatable. Hopefully she'll pull through this. Having short periods of time where she's not gasping so much sounds promising as is her moving about a little.

Keep us posted.