Feeding Sick Fowl (and vitamin B question)

[Stacykins]

So as I'm tackling with treating my first sick hen (suspected fowl cholera, getting SubQ oxytetracycline), I was wondering. How do you best feed a bird that won't eat on its own? Tube feeding? Just let it not eat? I just spent the past hour carefully dripping, drop by slow drop, of pureed oatmeal (hot water, quick oats, blender, let cool, suck into syringe) onto her beak to eat. Of the 20mLs in the syringe, I think I got 15mLs (1 tablespoon) into her. For the first time since she got sick a few days ago, her crop had food in it. I'd only been syringing her pedialyte, but given how high a bird's metabolism, I felt if she wasn't able to or not wanting to eat, she'd starve before she could kick the illness.

What do you do? Do you make any sort of nutritious mixture? I am sure I could have added yogurt, bananas, and made a puree to syringe feed too. But the first feeding, I just wanted to keep it simple.

She kinda fought getting fed at first (yay! She was peppy enough to fight). But eventually stopped fighting and willingly opened her beak for a drop, I let her swallow and breathe, and then she'd get another drop. Almost like she was too weak to feed without assistance. I do worry about aspiration, though.

What is the chicken subQ dose for Vitamin B Complex? I know it can help her recover, and help stimulate appetite.

 

[WI FarmChick]

I am so sorry you are going thru this. I am sorry i am not able to help you.
I guess my first thought would be do what you need to do to get food into her.
good luck.

 

[dawg53]

Fowl cholera is a contageous disease and in some states it is a reportable disease. Your bird would most likely be dead by now and oxytetracycline and vitamin B complex are useless to treat it. Here's a couple of links for you to read if you wish:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/202600.htm
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[WI FarmChick]

Yes..... do what dawg53 said...I too am reading.

 

[Stacykins]

Fowl cholera is a contageous disease and in some states it is a reportable disease. Your bird would most likely be dead by now and oxytetracycline and vitamin B complex are useless to treat it. Here's a couple of links for you to read if you wish:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/202600.htm
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Here is the original thread. If it isn't fowl cholera (which I guess the description seemed to fit the symptoms the most), what do you think it is? She is still alive today.

The Michigan DNR (even though the article refers to waterfowl) also suggests oxytetracycline among some of the drugs that can treat fowl cholera, if it is that. There are many other sources that suggest it as a medication, not just sulphonamides.

As of today, no other chickens have symptoms, which means that it may not be fowl cholera, if it is so contagious?

 

[dawg53]

Here is the original thread. If it isn't fowl cholera (which I guess the description seemed to fit the symptoms the most), what do you think it is? She is still alive today.

The Michigan DNR (even though the article refers to waterfowl) also suggests oxytetracycline among some of the drugs that can treat fowl cholera, if it is that. There are many other sources that suggest it as a medication, not just sulphonamides.

As of today, no other chickens have symptoms, which means that it may not be fowl cholera, if it is so contagious?

There are many chicken diseases that have the same symptoms as fowl cholera, alot of chicken diseases mimic each other at some point and a diagnosis can only be made with a blood sample sent off to be examined, or a necropsy performed. The fact that you stated that it hasnt affected your other birds proves it may not be fowl cholera as you first mentioned. There are other things you could be dealing with such as EColi infection as well. You can contact your county extension agent, a vet, or your state department of agriculture to find out how to go about getting your bird tested. A university vet medical school can do it as well. Once analysis is completed, then you'll know what you're dealing with and whether or not it's contageous to other birds.