Five-month old Australorp suddenly lame. Update: Now another pullet going lame!

[EggSighted4Life]

best thing would be UPS

Fed Ex is who UC Davis had me use.. Overnight shipping for Saturday delivery with NO signature required (per the labs instructions as it was a Friday) and using their commercial account with them billing me.. costed $17.

I dispatched the bird Wednesday and put out for the barn cat for maybe 10 minutes before deciding I NEED to know & then refrigerated, anxiety made Thursday pass. Lab stated they weren't sure they could get any findings depending on condition.. but the necropsy described the body as being in good condition.. despite my extended storage. Yes I used Ice packs, newspaper, etc in the insulated small ice chest (already on hand from shipped prescriptions), packed that inside a cardboard box, not disclosed contents. She also stated that they're in the business of answers not making money so if they didn't think the sample was viable enough they would not follow through but rather let me know.

We have a "mail room" type place that offer the fed ex services and has daily pick up. They (Fed ed) are MY least preferred shipper BUT, I did as instructed and it went well.

I hope you don't have to, More hugs!

It may seem simple or silly.. but I love those names.. June, May, April.

Come on ladies, Bock!

 

[texsuze]

Just heartbreaking reading your posts. And tragedy always seems to happen during holidays and/or weekends, without fail. Looks like you have a few options for locations to send samples or otherwise for testing, if this site is current:

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/vdl/Pages/default.aspx

I didn't receive test results on Fay last week, as I was lead to believe. Hoping that tomorrow will be the day, and that the samples got to the lab ok. I'll post my results here, if that's ok, although vet did NOT test for Marek's. Fay continues to hang in there, wanting to be with her flock, eating, drinking, pooping, talking, but her mobility is limited to a few unsteady steps only, then dropping to rest. Her shanks and feet appear totally normal. She continues to receive 1.3 ml meloxicam oral, b.i.d.

 

[azygous]

@texsuze My closest state lab is in Rocky Ford, about two-thirds of the way to Denver from where I live on the southern border of the state.

There is no FedEx facility here. We're so rural, we're practically in the twentieth century. The best way would be UPS. I can enlist a friend from town to take the package over to UPS after dark. That way I don't need to chance driving these mountain icy roads after dark.

By all means post your lab results here.

 

[texsuze]

Thanks, Azy. What about shipping to New Mexico for testing, if closer? If your friend is able to transport that would be great.

This morning my vet (his receptionist) phoned to say that Fay's CBC was "normal" but that the Mycoplasma results were not in yet. The CBC was not the most important test, but good to know. Holidays, plus the 'cootie' interruption seem to be greatly impacting the package shipping we've all taken for granted til now. I'm betting the mycoplasma comes back positive. I'll post the results once they are in.

This a.m., Fay was the most "mobile" she's been in a week; able to take several semi-normal-looking steps before dropping to rest. She is very motivated to keep up with her 5 sisters and their wanderings. Separating her from her flock would've created too much stress. Good appetite and now on Day 7 of meloxicam, which only now seems to be really kicking in.
Taking elderly cat to the vet now.....

 

[azygous]

@texsuze that's wonderful news she's improving. That's the direction I wish I was seeing with May. While she's alert, she is even more immobile and now daily care involves at least one bath to wash the poop off that's she's lain in. This morning, it was cecal and trying to scrub that off of anything is a challenge. May does enjoy the blow drying, though.

But we've reached the point where it's all but obvious she isn't going to recover.

 

[ValerieJ]

@texsuze that's wonderful news she's improving. That's the direction I wish I was seeing with May. While she's alert, she is even more immobile and now daily care involves at least one bath to wash the poop off that's she's lain in. This morning, it was cecal and trying to scrub that off of anything is a challenge. May does enjoy the blow drying, though.

But we've reached the point where it's all but obvious she isn't going to recover.

I'm so sorry.

 

[Sally PB]

Me too.

 

[azygous]

May is now finishing seven days on Denagard with no evident improvement. Her left leg has lost the strength to support her. She was using it to hop around on one leg, dragging the right one. Now all she can do is thrash herself about in search of a new position. The result of this is poop gets all over her belly feathers. She needs a daily bath. Yesterday she needed two.

Here is May getting blow dried after her soak in Dawn and a dash of peroxide in the water to bleach the cecal stained feathers. She adores the blow dryer. Now she is sunning herself in the garage window to dry the rest of the way. It's much too cold to go back outside with still damp feathers.

Tomorrow the lab results from the Mycoplasma s. test will be in. If that comes back negative, I will pursue a blood test for Marek's.

 

[ValerieJ]

Wow. Those are heartbreaking photos. I have done this before. I nursed one of my beloved hens until the day she died, much the same as you are. Sometimes we just need to do all we can, and hope at least they know how loved they are.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I am very sorry u havent YET been able to fix them. A question did cross my mind re the MS test. If mycoplasma only survives 3-4 days away from its natural host (live chicken), & if test sample takes longer than 3-4 days to test, will sample remain viable? Question may be moot since i did agree with your previous reasoning that if you were dealing with MS, then tylan and/or denagard should alleviate the symptoms. However this turns out, i agree with ValerieJ that your girls no doubt feel your love. On behalf of chickens everywhere, thank you for your special care.