Depressed chicken...what's wrong? Pictures included

[New Chicken Lad]

scrambled eggs with spinach & banana..... protein, calcium, potassium & some B vitamins...

 

[gewgaw]

One of mine has the same symptoms, even down to the watery poo like Ghostbusters' ectoplasm. I'm worried she's ill but it looks like she has new feathers coming through on her neck and breast. She also has only recently snapped out of a broody spell when she plucked out a load of feathers underneath. She is also not laying at the moment. Been like that for four or five days now.

From what I've read here, though, I'm inclined to think she is feeling some discomfort because of the new feathers and is just feeling sorry for herself. She is still eating and drinking, though not anywhere near as much as usual. Se's not even chasing the cats like she normally does.

Would the moulting depression cause a pause in laying or is this something I should be a bit more worried about?

 

[hockeygirl56]

I emailed a dr i heard give a lecture at a vet conference I went to, and he told me she either has tumors or salpingitis. I'm still going to try supportive care in the hope that he's wrong, but I'm prepared to take her in to euthanize her in the next couple days.

 

[hockeygirl56]

Just wondering, has anyone had any experience with Isa Browns having issues with tumors or salpingitis? I really like their personalities, and they're awesome egg layers, so I had been thinking when I do get more chickens I'd go with them, but not if I have to worry about this happening again! I know it can happen to any chicken, but just want to make sure it's not more consistent with these guys.
On a slightly positive note, I got her to eat a little bit of tomato and some of her food, and she seemed to have a little more energy when I let her out after being in her cage all day, but she still looks pretty crappy. Just wish she'd let me know for sure it was time, don't want to put her down if there's a chance the dr was wrong and she could bounce back...

 

[casportpony]

Why don't you want to tube feed her? If she were mine, I would rule out worms and treatable bacterial and/or fungal infections before I euthanized her. How much does she weigh?

-kathy

 

[hockeygirl56]

The Dr I emailed is a poultry vet, and although I've been emailing him different things I'm noticing he still says the same diagnosis. I did check for parasites and she came up negative. He told me antibiotics would hurt her at this point, not help. My only other option is surgery, which she's too weak to handle. I've never tube fed a chicken before, so I'm afraid of hurting her. And she did eat some today, so that seems to be a slight improvement, if I'm lucky enough that she'll prove the diagnosis wrong.

 

[casportpony]

You do know that false negative on fecals are common, right? Did you do a gram stain or a blood panel? How do you know she doesn't have an infection?

Maybe you should list all of the symptoms you emailed to the vet, 'cause I'll I'm hearing is that she's losing weight (she should weigh 5-6.5 pounds), not eating as much and molting. Why does the vet think she has salpingitis or tumors? I'm not saying she doesn't, but you haven't listed any symptoms that make me think that.

So far you have listed:

• Molting
• Depression (fluffed, eyes closed, etc.)
• Off feed
• Runny poop

Have you done a cloacal exam?
Have you weighed her?
Is she in a warm, draft free place?

Think about treating her the way you would treat a cat or a dog at your clinic.

I don't want to sound rude or harsh, but you're a vet tech and tube feeding is well withing your job description, IMO. Time to cowgirl-up and learn, it's way easier than tubing cats, dogs or horses and it will allow you to get a better understanding of what's going on with her. If you don't, she will most likely die from dehydration or starve to death.

Once you get the hang of tubing it will take you less than three minutes to make the food, catch the hen and tube. which is probably less time than you spend trying to get her to eat treats. Tubing is also a great way to keep them hydrated. I am available by phone to help if you need it, just PM me.

Two great links on tubing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid#post_9910754
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-visuals-very-detailed-post#post_11652991

If you want to be able to say that you tried everything to save her, I feel that tubing is what you need to do to buy more time.

-Kathy

 

[hockeygirl56]

As a vet tech, I have seen what can go wrong tube feeding and as I have the most chicken experience at my clinic, I AM afraid of causing her harm. If she is not doing better by tomorrow, I will consider bringing her to work with me and attempting the tube feeding. I wanted to give her a chance of eating on her own while isolated from everyone first before I try this. Plus, it's a whole lot easier working on other animals than your own...you tend to lose trust in yourself when doing anything to your own. Especially something you've never attempted before.
The vet said that he feels this is the diagnosis due to how long she's been depressed. He said any other options would have killed her long ago. I've been grasping at every other possibility I can, but he's ruled them all out. I wish I had more local veterinary experience, but I don't.

 

[Sassafras]

Hockeygirl56, how is your hen doing? Did you try to make her some scrambled eggs or some oatmeal to perk up her appetite?

 

[hockeygirl56]

I had to euthanize her today. She was looking so much worse, didn't want to move, and would only nibble at food. We did a necropsy after and she did have salpingitis...her oviduct was full of liquid and pus and the cooked egg yolk stuff. She may have had a mass in her abdomen also. She was so uncomfortable she wouldn't sit on her roost, just stood the whole time. I'm glad to know I made the right decision and she wouldn't have gotten better, but it still sucks. Especially when I went in to say goodnight to the girls tonight and was one goodnight short. I'm hoping her hangout buddy doesn't miss her too much...