Ear/Sinus Infection?

[jwcarlson]

Forgot to mention the ear canker. Sorry for that, yes, I actually read that article when originally looking into what might be wrong with her. I wish it were easier to see down into her ears. I'm starting to think that I should be doing peroxide on her ears daily. Or maybe the ointment I'm putting on her ears every day is what's causing the "crust"? I just don't want them to plug off again like they were when I first found she was sick. She had marble sized hard chunks in each ear. Right now they seem open except crustiness at the openings.

Maybe I'll skip all ointments tonight and for a couple days and see what happens. I could easily be doing more harm than good at this point. I haven't noticed wheezing the last couple of days, but I'm also not towel wrapping her anymore as I'm not feeding her anything. Which is when I'd normally hear it.

 

[jwcarlson]

An update...

I skipped ointments for half a day and she woke up with eyes crusted completely shut. So I kept up with the ointments and started putting a little peroxide in her ears twice a day. And finally I think it started making a difference. I skipped everything tonight as she was sleeping. So will see how it looks in the morning.
For a few days now she has also been on acidified copper sulfate water. I believe this is also helping. Poor girl is very much done being stuck in her dog pen. She really wants back with the flock. Trying to run out now when I open her pen. I let her out today in a bigger pen so she could scratch around. She seemed happy other than she still couldn't get back with her flock.

I know she still looks rough, but I believe her swelling is down a decent amount. The holes for her ears are drastically reduced. I have been more or less waiting to finally see enough that would push me to euthanize her. But now I think she's tipped the scales into the more likely to recover camp possibly. She still has that swollen caveman brow. She has, so far, not opened any fresh scratches on her head for a few days. Which is also a pretty big development as it seemed like she was getting after her face pretty bad for awhile.

Everytime I feel like she's made progress in the past, I have been wrong. Weather is getting really nice here considering the time of year. So that might be helping also. Fingers crossed!

 

[Ponypoor]

An update...

I skipped ointments for half a day and she woke up with eyes crusted completely shut. So I kept up with the ointments and started putting a little peroxide in her ears twice a day. And finally I think it started making a difference. I skipped everything tonight as she was sleeping. So will see how it looks in the morning.
For a few days now she has also been on acidified copper sulfate water. I believe this is also helping. Poor girl is very much done being stuck in her dog pen. She really wants back with the flock. Trying to run out now when I open her pen. I let her out today in a bigger pen so she could scratch around. She seemed happy other than she still couldn't get back with her flock.

I know she still looks rough, but I believe her swelling is down a decent amount. The holes for her ears are drastically reduced. I have been more or less waiting to finally see enough that would push me to euthanize her. But now I think she's tipped the scales into the more likely to recover camp possibly. She still has that swollen caveman brow. She has, so far, not opened any fresh scratches on her head for a few days. Which is also a pretty big development as it seemed like she was getting after her face pretty bad for awhile.

Everytime I feel like she's made progress in the past, I have been wrong. Weather is getting really nice here considering the time of year. So that might be helping also. Fingers crossed!

Well I sure hope she does turn around, she’s been through a lot and so have you.

 

[jwcarlson]

There is, unfortunately still "cheese" in her ears. But she doesn't have basically any of the caking she was having before (that was leaking out each night/day and leaving crust over her ears. There might still be a little, but it's like 5% of what it was, if that.

I am really at a loss with the cheese.

I'd never be able to get a picture of it, but it seems like it is coming up from below. I believe that I can see the part labeled "oval window". This is the right ear according to the website. I assume the round window is basically the ear lobe. The cheese being produced seems to be from the cochlea basically right inside the ear lobe and straight down. I am still doing a little hydrogen peroxide twice a day, so maybe it's helping push stuff up? What should I do with it? I have a tiny scoop tool that I'm getting the loose stuff out with, but I don't know if that's the right move. I will say that the peroxide isn't foaming/fizzing as much as it first did. The first time I put it into her ear it fizzed so much that it actually started bubbling out of her eye which I'm sure was a very unpleasant situation for her. I felt terrible.

It feels like part of the problem might just be that she doesn't have a normal drainage path down into her throat. Assuming their ear/sinus plumbing is remotely similar to ours. I know it's different, but I'm guessing there's a pathway down to the slit in the back of their throat.

Part of me wants to try to "flush" that path down to her mouth from her ear. Part of me wants to just toss her back in with the flock and see what happens.

To be clear, I'm just venting a bit, not expecting answers from anyone. I'm sure I'll just keep on peroxiding her and see what happens. Still have acidified copper sulfate in her water

 

[Justagalwithchicks]

What a sweet little fighter/survivor! She sure has a will to live. I'm rooting for her and check your updates. Hoping this spring you send a Pic of her with the flock free ranging in the sun!

 

[Ponypoor]

There is, unfortunately still "cheese" in her ears. But she doesn't have basically any of the caking she was having before (that was leaking out each night/day and leaving crust over her ears. There might still be a little, but it's like 5% of what it was, if that.

I am really at a loss with the cheese.

I'd never be able to get a picture of it, but it seems like it is coming up from below. I believe that I can see the part labeled "oval window". This is the right ear according to the website. I assume the round window is basically the ear lobe. The cheese being produced seems to be from the cochlea basically right inside the ear lobe and straight down. I am still doing a little hydrogen peroxide twice a day, so maybe it's helping push stuff up? What should I do with it? I have a tiny scoop tool that I'm getting the loose stuff out with, but I don't know if that's the right move. I will say that the peroxide isn't foaming/fizzing as much as it first did. The first time I put it into her ear it fizzed so much that it actually started bubbling out of her eye which I'm sure was a very unpleasant situation for her. I felt terrible.

It feels like part of the problem might just be that she doesn't have a normal drainage path down into her throat. Assuming their ear/sinus plumbing is remotely similar to ours. I know it's different, but I'm guessing there's a pathway down to the slit in the back of their throat.

Part of me wants to try to "flush" that path down to her mouth from her ear. Part of me wants to just toss her back in with the flock and see what happens.

To be clear, I'm just venting a bit, not expecting answers from anyone. I'm sure I'll just keep on peroxiding her and see what happens. Still have acidified copper sulfate in her water

I feel your frustration. I have been fighting crop stasis issues in a few of my chooks since last summer, lost 2 so far, and another of my hens is on the brink of passing. If she lives to morning I will be surprised. Is it Mareks? I guess I can send the next one that passes to the university here to be tested. But not much I can do if it is.

For your hen I would not flush or push anything down her ear, that’s just a recipe for all sorts of terrible things. If you suspect her life is suffering maybe best to euthanize her. But only you can make that decision. Tough to know what to do sometimes.

 

[jwcarlson]

I think I've decided to cull her on Monday so that I can ship her to the state lab more easily. I almost did it last night, but decided to wait so that I can have her analyzed. Unless something drastic changes, I'll wait as she does not seem to be suffering... but it's so far to tell. I believe finally she's had a change for the worse. Her ears are filling back up and crusting up. Her eyes were crusted shut this morning and she's been scratching at her head again. She had one a day or so ago crusted, but otherwise hadn't had that in weeks.

I appreciate all of the help and ideas in this thread, I've learned a lot. It's very bizarre to me that none of my other chickens have gotten sick.

Sucks... it really looked like she might have been turning the corner a week or so ago. I also noticed what looks like a nodule or pimple on one side of her neck this morning. Below the skin.

 

[jwcarlson]

Well... I just looked and the university diagnostic lab here only accepts specimens from licensed vets. So, I guess I cannot get her tested. That's lousy...

 

[Bawkbok]

I'm sorry you're going through this - and of course your chicken. She is probably uncomfortable or has some amount of pain if she is scratching at her head and ear. It has certainly been some time and you're experiencing improvements followed by more set backs and it doesn't seem fair to anyone. If you think she is uncomfortable with no hope of improvement, culling is probably the best and right thing to do. It's always a hard decision and it does truly suck to reach that point. Never easy. You have done your best to help her.
It is disappointing your state lab won't accept a body from a chicken owner.

 

[jwcarlson]

It is disappointing your state lab won't accept a body from a chicken owner.

Yes, was disappointed to see that. I'd read lots of other stuff on their site a couple of weeks ago, but must have missed that little tidbit. It's understandable, I suppose. But it does kind of stink.

You're correct that she is probably more uncomfortable than I realize. They are awfully good at hiding it.

Thanks for the kind words, we have certainly given her lots of treatments and time. Maybe I'll try to do a bit of a necropsy on her myself. I am very interested in what's going on in her sinuses. I'll do some looking here to see if there's some sort of guide.

I'll kill her tonight since I can't send her in.