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

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I can only guess why May has managed to recover partially from her original paralysis. June's pathology, from what Dr Niles described to me what he saw during his necropsy is mostly tumors and some bacterial infection. Of course there's no way to know what's going on in May's case, but it probably also involves tumors and previous secondary infections that may have responded to Tylan and the other antibiotics I tried at various stages.

We discussed May's and June's remissions, and he's at a loss to explain them.

Maybe he couldnt explain it because he had no clue all you did to try and save them. At the onset of June's final decline, i was skimming through the beginning of this thread, trying to find your first post where June's symptoms seemed to almost immediately reverse. I actually stopped reading for a moment and said out loud, "Oh My Gawd." Those who have followed this saga know you did So much to try and save them, much more than i had even remembered. And for the meds you used, explained why you were using them/what they treated for. An incredible wealth of information. When i have more time, intend to read back through this thread yet again, adding the various meds you used to my "chicken medicine cabinet", & and making note of their purposes. I suppose it was likely some sort of synergistic medical cocktail that helped both May & June hold on so long

Since this thread is about May, it is of course not finished yet, since May remains alive and laying. For her sake (and yours), i do hope this thread goes mostly inactive for a time, because that means May is soldiering on.

 

[AntiqueB]

I haven't been getting notifications for this thread, and just caught up from all the way back in March. It always makes me cry, both in sympathy with your beloved chickens, and for the enormous effort you put into their care and comfort.

The amount of information in this thread is unbelievable, and your knowledge of your chickens amazes me, as well.

I am so sorry for your loss of June. At least her death provided some closure. And I am glad that May is still doing (fairly) well.

Hugs to you, May, and the nurse, Su-Su.

 

[azygous]

Pathology report:





CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory – Rocky Ford Branch CO
Phone: (719) 254-6382 Fax: (719) 254-6055





Report Date: 4/16/2021 2:59:16 PM Sent By: Lori Bowker





Case Coordinator: Allison M. Watson, DVM, DACVP


Associated Parties

Animal Information

Taxonomy Count

Avian 1

Diagnosis/Case Summary

DIAGNOSES:



Accession No:

Date Received:

Owner: Owner/Producer:

Phone: Email:








Interim Report

University Rocky Ford Diagnostic Lab Submitter

Report To Rocky Ford Diagnostic Laboratory Dr. Gene Niles

1. Heart, brain, spleen: Suspect lymphoproliferative disease, Marek's or avian leukosis (please see "remarks").
2. Oviduct: Moderate granulomatous and heterophilic salpingitis with yolk coelomitis.
3. Crop and proventriculus: Mild lymphoid follicular ingluvitis and gastritis.

REMARKS:

Although mild and present in few organs, proliferation of round cells resembling lymphocytes in the heart, brain, and spleen, are suggestive of either Marek's disease or Avian leukosis. The kidney and sciatic nerves are apparently normal with no evidence of inflammation or lymphoid proliferation. Inflammation was also present within the oviduct with abundant yolk material surrounding the oviduct and within the omentum surrounding the intestine sections. Egg yolk coelomitis may have also contributed to clinical decline and death.

HISTOPATHOLOGY:

Slide 1.
Lung: Vasculature is diffusely congested.

Spleen: Lymphoid follicles are mildly hyperplastic and coalesce.





Oviduct: The lumen is filled with abundant yolk material. Yolk lines the serosa outside of the lumen and is surrounded by epithelioid macrophages and scattered heterophils.

Kidney: No apparent microscopic abnormalities.

Peripheral nerve: no apparent microscopic abnormalities.

Trachea: No apparent microscopic abnormalities.

Slide 2.
Liver: Rare multifocal aggregates of extra medullary hematopoiesis expanding the parenchyma.

Heart: The epicardium: Scattered small lymphocytes and intermediate sized lymphocytes expand the epicardium focally. The myocardium is expanded by aggregates of adipose.

Kidney and liver: No apparent microscopic abnormalities.

Slide 3.
Ventriculus and proventriculus: There are scattered follicular aggregates of small lymphocytes within the deep mucosa. Mild numbers of heterophils separate lymphocytes.

Crop/esophagus: Minimally to mildly increased numbers of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and few heterophils are within the lamina propria.

Intestine: Within the surrounding omentum and mesentery, abundant yolk material surrounded by scattered macrophages and fewer heterophils separate adipocytes.

Slide 4.
Sciatic nerves: No apparent microscopic abnormalities.

Brain: Multifocal vessels are surrounded by variable layers of pleomorphic lymphocytes.

Allison M. Watson, DVM, DACVP/ljb
This report was generated with dictation software. Minor typographical and grammatical errors can occur and may be confusing or misleading. Please call if you have any questions.





Lab Findings

All Testing done at RF unless otherwise indicated

Avian Diagnostics

Necropsy and histo - poultry

(Test Performed at FC) - 4/16/2021 2:58 PM Specimen
Chicken
Tissue-Fixed - 2



Necropsy

Complete





Client Report History





Report Type

Preliminary Interim






Date Sent

4/15/2021 1:02 PM 4/16/2021 2:59 PM

Interim (4/16/2021 2:59 PM)









Page 2 of 3







Bulletin(s)

Important Message Regarding Federal Express Shipments:

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Our laboratories recommend using FedEx Priority Overnight Service to be delivered by 10:30am Monday-Friday. All other FedEx services - Standard Overnight, Express Saver, FedEx 2-day - will not be received at our facility until late afternoon which may result in longer turnaround times if daily testing deadlines are missed. Please use the Test Information and Price List button on our website (dlab.colostate.edu) to find submission deadlines for required testing and choose the service that best suits your needs.

-Thank you for choosing CSU for your diagnostic services. If you have any questions about test interpretation, we are happy to provide assistance. Please consult a licensed veterinarian regarding treatment options and management decisions.

 

[Riv-6]

I tried early on to send a blood sample from May to the lab in Texas that does DNA tests. I gave up on that since our USPS has become as primitive as when it was started by Ben Franklin in 1775, I wasn't able to be assured the sample would be still viable when it got there. Colorado state labs do not have the capability of this lab test to determine virus DNA. I have no FedEx or UPS facilities in my area. This "Greatest Country in the World" has considerable areas that qualify as third world countries where services associated with advanced civilzation are non-existent.

I did get a PCR test done to determine if May had Mycoplasma synoviae. I got it done from Zoologix INC in California. She was negative.

I agree. It's quite sad to see such situations.

I'm sorry you were not able to get the blood test sent to Texas. I'm glad to see that you were able to send one to California. Can they run the same sample to test for Marek's as well? I'm not totally sure how that works.

Thank you for sharing every detail of your journey with June and May.

 

[azygous]

No. The labs each do different types of testing.

 

[micstrachan]

Thank you for sharing the results along with everything else. What a journey. Here’s to hoping May continues to do well and her symptoms stay at bay.

 

[azygous]

May couldn't get out of her sleeping box this morning. I took her out and set her on the floor, and she collapsed, catching herself from falling over sideways by her wing. She's in the chicken wheel chair and grateful to be supported.

I'm afraid her tumors are progressing.

 

[azygous]

As I suspected, May is laying an egg today. She is on an every other day schedule. I had removed her from the wheel chair so she could enjoy some warm sand under the heat lamp with Su-su. I also wanted to be alerted when May tried to get herself to a nest to lay.

So I found her stalled at the coop entrance unable to jump up to the pop hole. I carried her into the coop, but all the regular nests were occupied. I put her in her sleeping box to encourage her to be satisfied laying her egg there. May wasn't in agreement and made her way out of the box and was stalled at the stack of nesting boxes. Lucklily the bottom one became vacant and I put her in it. Later, the hen that was in there previously returned and now she's sharing the nest with May.

This is where having a disabled hen becomes on the verge of being unworkable. What May needs is her own personal care giver. I'm merely housekeeping staff.

 

[azygous]

Little did I know that this wheel chair would end up being so helpful. May laid her egg and was waiting patiently for me to fetch her from the nest. She enjoys being with the chicks as much as Su-su does, so that's where I put the chair for this afternoon.

 

[azygous]

May was completely paralyzed this week, couldn't stand or walk. I needed to put her in the wheel chair for two days in order for her to be able to eat and drink. She did manage to get out of the chair and make it as far as the coop where I found her on my frequent checks and carried her into a nest to lay her egg. And lay she did, and waited for me to come fetch her.

I started her on acyclovir and she's been on it for the past eight days, along with B-complex. She's now back to her former state where she can stand and get around okay, but she's lost her self confidence and wants to hide behind Su-su all day.

I have no idea if the acyclovir was responsible for her improvement. You would think it meant she does have Marek's if it was the reason she improved, but perhaps the acyclovir has properties that can also affect the leucosis virus as well as herpes. Just a wild theory. It can't hurt.