Chicken physio... Anything else I can do??

[FowlWitch]

If you get one, post some photos and let us know how it works out.
I hope Bessie starts to improve.

I bet you could make one of those yourself and save some cash. It looks like PVC pipe, some cheap wheels, and fabric.

 

[LozzyR]

I bet you could make one of those yourself and save some cash. It looks like PVC pipe, some cheap wheels, and fabric.

I did think of that; they look like pvc plumbing parts I recently purchased from Bunnings. However, I really liked the look of the sling and I’m not really in a position at the moment to create something that looks that robust. $60 plus postage seems like a good price for convenience. I’ll see how she goes though.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I bet you could make one of those yourself and save some cash. It looks like PVC pipe, some cheap wheels, and fabric.

I did think of that; they look like pvc plumbing parts I recently purchased from Bunnings. However, I really liked the look of the sling and I’m not really in a position at the moment to create something that looks that robust. $60 plus postage seems like a good price for convenience. I’ll see how she goes though.

@FowlWitch I'm sure you could make one, but I agree with @LozzyR the sling is probably the harder part to make.
Sometimes convenience overrides everything else too!

@LozzyR what color are you going to get for Bessie?

 

[LozzyR]

If I get one, I thought I saw a nice purple one. I’ll see how Bessie goes over the next week.

 

[Shadrach]

I've had a bit of experience with limps and complete paralysis.
Sorry to drag you through a story, but it does show what persistence can achieve if nothing else.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/shadrachs-stories.1263724/#post-20314661
You should consult your vet about this but my approach when dealing with sever bruising that cause limps is to try to keep the joints mobile.
High doses of vitamin E (400 IU) apparently help in some cases as do B vitamins.
Of course, if your hen is in sever pain then movement may aggravate this so some caution is needed.
For a couple of other cases I've had where the bruising and swelling has discouraged the chicken from walking at all, I've given a fairly hefty dose of Metacam; it's an anti inflammatory as well as an analgesic (4 graduations on the supplied syringe) in the morning and an exercise routine a couple of hours later. I see you already have this.
I try to keep the joints mobile by helping them to perform natural actions rather than trying to get them to walk; scratching being an obvious one, but also squatting and maybe surprisingly wing flapping which stretches the leg. Even fairly sever tendon damage will repair given time. I would be reluctant to permanently consign an other wise healthy chicken to life in a sling. The sling can make your life easier when it comes to keeping the chicken balanced but my long term aim is always to have the chicken walking independently, even if it mean with a limp.
I wish you the best of luck. It's particularly frustrating if there is no break.

 

[LozzyR]

Thanks @Shadrach, I will have a look at your post when I have a moment. I really want her to be mobile again, so will ask the vet about some of the things you have suggested. Thanks for chipping in!

 

[LozzyR]

Oh @Shadrach, that’s so sad to hear about Dandy, Skunk and Major, especially when you put so much into Dandy’s rehab! I will definitely keep up Bessie’s physio and try some of the things you suggested. Thanks for the link to your story.

 

[LozzyR]

Dear all, I’m gutted to say that Bessie died at the vet’s today. She lost interest in eating and drinking yesterday so I gave her some pain meds at bedtime. She wasn’t interested in food and water this morning so I gave her another dose of meds. She seemed to pick up a bit and had some oats and yoghurt. I had to go out today and when I came home I put her in the sunshine next to some juicy grass. She didn’t show the slightest interest in it and her breathing looked a little laboured. Our regular vet is off today so I took her to see another one who has some experience with chickens. The avian vet thought she had cellulitis and recommended a stronger antibiotic. The attending vet suggested this course of action and went to clip her vent feathers and get some fluids into her. He came back and said she couldn’t breathe on her side and thought she may have a lung infection as well. He thought she had made the decision for us and brought her to me wrapped in a towel so I could say goodbye. She didn’t regain consciousness and died in my arms.

Goodbye my little Bessie-Boo, you gave me so much joy in the five months you were part of our family. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you. xoxox

 

[LozzyR]

 

[Shadrach]

Dear all, I’m gutted to say that Bessie died at the vet’s today. She lost interest in eating and drinking yesterday so I gave her some pain meds at bedtime. She wasn’t interested in food and water this morning so I gave her another dose of meds. She seemed to pick up a bit and had some oats and yoghurt. I had to go out today and when I came home I put her in the sunshine next to some juicy grass. She didn’t show the slightest interest in it and her breathing looked a little laboured. Our regular vet is off today so I took her to see another one who has some experience with chickens. The avian vet thought she had cellulitis and recommended a stronger antibiotic. The attending vet suggested this course of action and went to clip her vent feathers and get some fluids into her. He came back and said she couldn’t breathe on her side and thought she may have a lung infection as well. He thought she had made the decision for us and brought her to me wrapped in a towel so I could say goodbye. She didn’t regain consciousness and died in my arms.

Goodbye my little Bessie-Boo, you gave me so much joy in the five months you were part of our family. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you. xoxox

I'm sorry to read Bessie-Boo has died.
Perhaps a necropsy might give a more concrete reason for her problems and rule out the possibility of an underlying problem such as Mareks.