Egg Yolk Peritonitis Diagnosis - does she have a chance?

[micstrachan]

Oh, sorry, and I forgot to answer your question about salpingitis and sterility. Yes, I have heard of that happening, but I have no idea on the statistics (meaning... what percentage of the time the hen stops laying forever.) Good luck!

 

[micstrachan]

I just realized that you have multiple threads going. How is her crop? Is it still filling up with gas? If so, I think that would be from yeast, which can be treated with acidified copper sulfate if she will drink it.

 

[ChickenMama308]

I just realized that you have multiple threads going. How is her crop? Is it still filling up with gas? If so, I think that would be from yeast, which can be treated with acidified copper sulfate if she will drink it.

I haven't noticed it filling up and expelling gas like it did that one bizarre night, though her crop is still a little bubble when I wake up but she's eating/pooping normally and because the vet tried to sample fluid when it was around the same size and it turned out to be empty, I'm not focusing too much on it for this reason though still giving crop massages here and there. She does still have this nervous twitch that seems somewhat involuntary however. Also a couple nights ago as she was perched on the counter, she moved her crop left and right quickly which was interesting to see...

 

[ChickenMama308]

Thank you for the update! I am glad she seems to be responding. A total of two weeks is probably good for treatment. What antibiotic and anti-inflamatory are you using and at what dosage? How much does your bird weigh?

You say she isn't drinking, but is she eating? You can wet her feed to help get some fluids into her.

As far as molting, I have a 2 1/2 year old Australorp who has never molted nor ever stopped laying. She seems to ever so slowly molt continually, as some feathers are really tattered and old while others are shiny and new!

I have other birds who had big, bald prickly (from pin feathers) patches in their first autumn. I a finding it really varies!

Keep us posted on her progress!

Her antibiotic is Clavamox, 125mg every 12 hours,
and her antibiotic is Metacam, '25 pound' dose every 12 hours (which is a dosage specific to this medicine - I would say it's roughly a couple CC's but I can double-check and add in that info here later).

She was at her lowest 2.10 pounds, and is currently weighing in at 2.138 pounds. She has been on the above program for roughly a week, and finished her final antibiotic last night. I actually misread the dosage and initially, I was giving her 1/2 the dosage of the antibiotic each 12 hours for 2 days I believe, and then resumed with giving her the full dosage and that's when it became apparent that she was more interested in food. It was when we ran out of anti-inflammatories a couple days ago that when I checked on her in the morning, her poops (or urates?) from the evening were liquidy again, though she had solid feces, which was out of the usual from what she has been producing - normal looking poos, just smaller in size. Her poops have since returned to looking more normal / not liquidy again. A couple days ago seemed to have been a big triumph, when she started eating starter feed crumble with water in it!!! Hallelujah!!! Trying to get her to have as much of this as possible because I still haven't seen her drink water - so thank you for the tip! She and her sisters seem to be continual molters if nothing else!

 

[ChickenMama308]

Aloha everyone! Just a quick update. Nani has finished one week of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories and seems to be doing better, in that she is eating more on her own and is even eating wet starter crumble feed - yay!! She is weighing in at 2.138 pounds, a bit up from her lowest of 2.10 pounds, and though she is still extremely underweight, she feels and looks a bit better, although her super pale comb and face always throws me off but hopefully it's just indication that she is not currently laying. She's been sleeping inside in a warm bathroom with 12+ hours of darkness, and spending up to 6 hours free-ranging with her sisters and buddies during the day, looking active every time I see her She has been eating spinach, kale, starter feed crumble, layer feed crumble, papaya, bread, amaranth, seeds, etc on her own! I decided to experiment with not force-feeding, not force-watering, and not giving her antibiotics and anti-inflammatories today and possibly onward to monitor if there are any changes and make some decisions as we move along, as I have more on hand if need be.

She is still not drinking water on her own for some reason (at least that I ever see) but her having wet feed plus spinach etc. makes me feel a bit better, and I really want to give her a break from forcing a syringe down her mouth so seeing how we go. I just picked up some digestive enzymes, milk thistle, and dandelion for extra support and I'll start experimenting with these now. She still has a 'nervous twitch' at times, specifically when eating, and her crop never seems to go flat but she's eating / pooping very well in comparison to before so I'm just giving her crop massages here and there. Her poops have been looking quite normal, just small. A couple days ago when I went to get her in the morning there seemed to be liquidy (urates?) along with her feces which was not normal for her recent poops but they've seem to go back to normal.

Any thoughts / advice etc. always welcome. Thanks so much and enjoy your day!

 

[ChickenMama308]

Oh yes! And I want to start giving her probiotics to make up for what was lost from her antibiotic treatment - is apple cider vinegar sufficient or any other recommendations? I prefer to stay away from dairy. The digestive enzymes I got her have probiotics in them as well supposedly which is nice - 500 units of cellulase per pill, hopefully that works well!

 

[micstrachan]

It sounds like things are looking up. Great job!

What are you providing as a water dish? My silly girls live to drink from a clear glass bowl, though they drink from their waterers, too. Try mixing up what container you offer and see if she tries it.

 

[micstrachan]

I also forgot to mention that was the same antibiotic ant inflammatory combo my girl was put on when she had EYP.

 

[ChickenMama308]

Another update. I't been two days without antibiotics and four days without anti-inflammatories and Nani has lost weight both days and is now back down to 2.113 pounds from her high of 2.138 a few days ago. She was still eating yesterday when she was foraging mostly, but notably lost as much of an interest in food as she had been showing and seemed to have slightly less energy overall. I noticed a couple days ago some liquidy brown poo which was uncharacteristic for anything I've (ever) seen from her, but that day I thought maybe it was the nutridrench coming through, but this morning there was more of it and I haven't given her nutri-drench in a handful of days. She has less feces in her droppings and lots of liquid - see attached photo. The morning after her first day/night with antibiotics, she had more liquidy poo, and the same again today. I did give her some dandelion a couple days ago which makes them urinate supposedly, but unsure if it's taken this long to show through..?

I'm wondering what this says about her condition - does anyone have any thoughts? I'm feeling a bit sad and unhopeful. I will start her on another round of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories this morning for another week of treatment, and if she goes downhill from there it may be time for her completion, unless another week of treatment may make a difference. Please let me know if you have any thoughts anyone <3

 

[micstrachan]

Hi. I'm so sorry I did not see this post. How is your girl? Honestly, I would give her anything she will eat, and start with damp feed and scrambled egg. When my EYP girl was not interested in food, I was able to spark her appetite with live meal worms. Can you get those somewhere?