Chicken sick

[threehorses]

Oh Cipro is indeed strong stuff! Yes, you can use yogurt with the Ciprofloxacin. It's rough on the digestive system so I'd definitely do the probiotics daily and for two weeks after you medicate. That should do it if it's bacterial!

YAY on the food and gobbling.

Agreed with the wound over her leg - that makes sense. I'm glad to hear she'll have some good strong antibiotics fighting anything she might have going on inside. Yes! I wish I had your feed depot. Mine is clueless. Well they're all really clueless here. It's sad. >.>

Anyway, looking forward to updates though obviously this takes some time to get the body sorted out.

She's in wonderful hands though!

 

[dixiedog]

Just got home and read your helpful message. Lucky (which she was named three years ago when I saved her from a respiratory situation), had not moved so she has been put into her straw bed. I had to buy the giant size yogurt as it was the only one that was plain and a pack of no sugar added apple sauce. I'm only putting a pinch of the medication (one pill is 500 miligrams so they said that should last two days using am and pm. We'll see how she does with the mixture. If I am understanding you after the 14 days of medication, to continue to give her yogurt for another two weeks. Guess this she's on the patio for the next month, God willing!

You have been very helpful, how do you know so much?
Regards, Susie

 

[threehorses]

You don't necessarily have to keep her on the porch for a month. Just give her a special treat of the yogurt glop every other day during the last two weeks.

But I understand all about porches and whatnot. I had a duck in my garden bathtub for a couple of weeks after he was attacked by dogs. /sigh

On knowing stuff, I used to want to be a vet - worked as an assistant in a clinic for a few years - but school and a bad relationship didn't work out well for me. Then I've had animals, and exotic birds, all of my life. So that helps.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! The intricate information about animal health is a passion for me, and helping others (because so many times I couldn't find anyone to help me) is an even stronger passion. Really anyone can learn it - I just like to know as much as I can about it, and never give advice I haven't used personally a number of times.

You've made my night; thank you for being so kind.

I'm hoping your Lucky girl continues to be just that - very lucky this time. Actually she is because she has you for a mom.

Cheers! I'll be looking for updates when you have time to post them.

 

[dixiedog]

You are a very caring, kind person that I truly appreciate. It's so great to have someone to discuss this stuff with and know that I am not being a pest! Will post updates.....eating her mush this morning. Just not sure how to get her to drink water as she is not doing it herself.

 

[threehorses]

I totally believe in being a pest, personally!

But I haven't met one yet.

Good news on her eat. The mash - does it have any moisture? I'm wondering if you can sneak some (or more) moisture, pedialyte, into it? Are you certain she's not drinking on the sly? Is there a way to tell? Maybe putting a few drops of food dye in the water so if she does, you'll see the evidence on her beak?

You'll probably have to do the ol' side-of-beak-dribble if she continues. You can also tell somewhat how hydrated (or dehydrated) they are by looking at the brightness of their eyes. If her eyes at all seem more dull, I'd get on the fluids. They can be dehydrated before the eyes lose a little sparkle - but definitely if they don't look bright eyed dehydration is a concern.

I'll wait for your updates. And thanks again for the kind words!

It's easy to be kind to good people.

 

[dixiedog]

Glad to see you are on the same wave length! Her eyes are a kind of orangish, not bright red. And, I have been putting a bit of water into the mash as she is definitely not drinking her water, as she is not moving. When I put her water in front of her I have to dip her beak into it.

Just got a 34 oz bottle of unflavored Pedialyte and the bottle says to use within 48 hours....at $3.99 a bottle, that's quite expensive. Does it lose it's punch after 48 hours?

I can put a bit of the Pedialyte into her mash, but how much should she have daily? If I need to do the side to side dribble you mentioned, how is that done?

Diarrhea is liquidy again. Poor little bird

 

[threehorses]

Honestly I use it til it's gone. Yeah I hate that label, too. Just keep it in the fridge. I also always buy the generic pedialyte. Because I also hate the price. lol She should have as much as she'll take of both the pedialyte and the mash until she's drinking normally, then just water is good.

Boo on the diarrhea reappearing. On the side dribble, you'll just try to get her to drink by getting a spoon or dropper or whatever you have and dribbling it onto the opening on the side of her mouth. I don't like to put water directly into the mouth because of the way chickens' airways open into the mouth. This gives them a chance to drink on their own - kinda.

If you want to stretch the pedialyte, use straight pedialyte in her mash, and water/pedialyte for her 'water' and the stuff you'll try to get into her mouth.

What color are her droppings?

 

[dixiedog]

Well I figured out the side dribbling, but she barely takes any in. She's eating a little, got her layer pellets crushed at the feed depot today. Likes the hard boiled egg in it. Her poop is a greenish brown with white in it. She doesn't want to move at all as it appears any weight on her leg really bothers her. It will be a miracle if she makes it.

Meanwhile, I have a silky rooster, along with four hens out in the chicken yard. Lucky is a frizzle. Had to give away the other two roosters which were my babies that I raised from these hens, beautiful grey frizzle rooster, too bad, but the silky was one of my original 10 four years ago and while I would have liked to give him away, it didn't seem fair as he was the master. Gave them to Farmer Dell, really that's what's on his card.

So, today at the feed depot they had baby pullets, anacanda and silver wyandottes. As there were only three anacandas and few of the wyandottes, of course I had to get two of each. They are regular size and my others are bantams. I had two anacandas last year, but a chicken hawk dove thru boganville and netting and killed them and left them as he couldn't take the big bird out thru the way he got in.

So, these babied are in a bird cage on top of my patio table, Luckie is in the rabbit cage next to them, and my collie thinks they are her babies and doesn't want to leave them alone.

Like I needed something else to take care of....four cats too, three of which are 17 years old! Will keep you updated and thanks for caring.

 

[threehorses]

LOL why do you think I have eight mixed (mostly rooster) bantams in the growing up cage? They had eight bantams, and I had none.

I'm bad at resisting either, which is why I also sadly try to raise Broad Breasted White turkeys as pets. I'll never learn. /wink

In the mean time, where exactly was her injury again? Good on the eating the egg yolk food though. I'd see how much water/pedialyte you can get away with adding to that to hydrate her. Maybe she'll drink some when she's eaten some. I hope.

 

[dixiedog]

Well she finally drank a little bowl of water yesterday. While she is still not moving, she looks a little better. Her injury was above the tendon to the sore leg and feed depot's doctors said that there was probably an infection or possibly torn tendon causing her to be unable to walk on that foot. Although, yesterday when I moved her to change her straw in her bed she actually stood on both feet. Looking up at the moment!