Chicken with respiratory sickness?

[The Chick Addict]

Is she pooping?

Yes she is, she's doing large, watery poops with some urates and green specks, they look like this:

I'd check her crop in the morning to see if its emptied. The liquid may be due to a crop problem which is not uncommon in hens that have reproductive disorders.

Okay, I'll do that tomorrow morning! Just felt it and it feels soft but not completely empty. Uh oh, how would I know if it's a reproductive issue? I just felt her abdomen and it's still slightly swollen though I drained all of the fluid... could that be an indicator? It doesn't feel hard at all, very soft.
The poor girl still isn't looking great and is pretty lethargic.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Okay, I'll do that tomorrow morning! Just felt it and it feels soft but not completely empty. Uh oh, how would I know if it's a reproductive issue? I just felt her abdomen and it's still slightly swollen though I drained all of the fluid... could that be an indicator? It doesn't feel hard at all, very soft.
The poor girl still isn't looking great and is pretty lethargic.

Well, you drained fluid from the abdomen. A common cause of the Symptom Ascites (Water Belly) can be a reproductive disorder (EYP, Cancer, etc.) and/or organ dysfunction/failure. The only way to really know the cause of the fluid would be to investigate further if you lose her (have a necropsy performed).

Fluid can sometimes build back up quickly. Draining isn't a cure, the condition that is causing the fluid still exists. Draining is part of supportive care, sometimes its helps, but sometimes it doesn't.

I'd work on hydration, keep her relatively warm and encourage her to eat. Re-check her crop again for the next few mornings.

 

[The Chick Addict]

Well, you drained fluid from the abdomen. A common cause of the Symptom Ascites (Water Belly) can be a reproductive disorder (EYP, Cancer, etc.) and/or organ dysfunction/failure. The only way to really know the cause of the fluid would be to investigate further if you lose her (have a necropsy performed).

Fluid can sometimes build back up quickly. Draining isn't a cure, the condition that is causing the fluid still exists. Draining is part of supportive care, sometimes its helps, but sometimes it doesn't.

I'd work on hydration, keep her relatively warm and encourage her to eat. Re-check her crop again for the next few mornings.

Thank you so much for the info!

I have been working on keeping her warm, and when I tried feeding her this morning, I finally was able to get a good look into her beak... and it is Canker. Unfortunately, I was unable to even feed her as she began wheezing and coughing and she began looking like she was dying... right now I am concerned that she may not make it through the day, although I plan on making a trip to the vet tomorrow to get Metronidazole and I am praying she'll make it long enough. Any advice on what I can do for her here at home until tomorrow?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for the info!

I have been working on keeping her warm, and when I tried feeding her this morning, I finally was able to get a good look into her beak... and it is Canker. Unfortunately, I was unable to even feed her as she began wheezing and coughing and she began looking like she was dying... right now I am concerned that she may not make it through the day, although I plan on making a trip to the vet tomorrow to get Metronidazole and I am praying she'll make it long enough. Any advice on what I can do for her here at home until tomorrow?

I'm sorry to hear she's not doing well.
Hopefully the vet will be able prescribe the Metronidazole.

In the meantime, it sounds like you are doing all you can for her. Keeping her warm and hydrated.

It would probably be a good idea to treat your flock, you can ask your Vet for Metronidazole for all or if they don't want to do that, treat the flock with Acidified Copper Sulfate.
https://jedds.com/products/acidifie...nce?_pos=1&_psq=acidfied+copper+&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Canker is contagious and birds remain carriers, so assume that all have been exposed. Keep water stations cleaned. You may find that you can keep an outbreak at bay by giving the flock Acidified Copper Sulfate every month or every other month for 3-5days each time.

 

[The Chick Addict]

I'm sorry to hear she's not doing well.
Hopefully the vet will be able prescribe the Metronidazole.

In the meantime, it sounds like you are doing all you can for her. Keeping her warm and hydrated.

Thank you, thankfully she survived the night and seems to have improved and wanted to eat.

It would probably be a good idea to treat your flock, you can ask your Vet for Metronidazole for all or if they don't want to do that, treat the flock with Acidified Copper Sulfate.
https://jedds.com/products/acidifie...nce?_pos=1&_psq=acidfied+copper+&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Okay, thank you for letting me know! I believe this is the only liquid form of the Metronidazole that my vet pharmacy sells, will this work, and do you know how much I should administer to her?

Canker is contagious and birds remain carriers, so assume that all have been exposed. Keep water stations cleaned. You may find that you can keep an outbreak at bay by giving the flock Acidified Copper Sulfate every month or every other month for 3-5days each time.

I will look into the Acidified Copper Sulfate so I can give it to my flock. Thank you so much for the advice! I do have a question, once I administer the Metronidazole, will the sores and buildup in her mouth go away by themselves?