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

[texsuze]

I'm very sorry to hear May is gone . I'd been following May's progress with great interest (and hope for a cure), as it has so paralleled my situation with my Black Australorp, Fay. Because of your constant sharing of detailed information I have been motivated to try some of your ideas re: vitamins, antibiotics, etc. with Fay, and to keep diligent about changes in her behavior and condition. I hope Su-su will not be grieving long.

Fay (age 4) had tested positive for both MG and MS a while back. She was vaccinated for Marek's and fowl pox as a chick, FWIW. I think you mentioned that your flock (?) tested negative for MG. Just wondering what the common denominator, if any at all, might be since May and Fay seem to have had a similar medical issue.

Fay has plateaued in her condition: still wants to be with the flock (I'm now down to 4 hens--that's another, likely related story), still manages to 'walk' with wings flapping to where she wants to go, sometimes eventually covering a distance of 40'. Still eating, drinking, pooping, talking and trying (without success) to lay. But I digress. With a heavy heart I say, RIP good hen May.

 

[azygous]

Fay's affliction sounds similar to Su-su's lameness. Su-su has been walking with an arthritic rolling waddle for half her life, five years or so. She will often use her wings to get to where she needs to be quickly. She no longer can hop up to the perch at night and needs help, and help to get down in the morning.

But she's doing well in spite of it, and I expect her to live for a few more years well into chicken old age. Keep up your special care of Fay, and we'll be celebrating both birthdays for some years to come.

 

[Ladyxan]

Oh, I am so sorry to hear it, azygous. You did so much for May and enriched her final days exponentially with care and companionship. Thank you for bringing us all along on this journey with you, it has been an amazing blueprint for how to care well for birds with mysterious conditions. Sending you warm thoughts.

I agree!! Thank you Azy!! I’ve been away too long and sorry to see May did not make it. Time to go check on Nanny Su-Su

 

[Csweaver]

I’m so sorry for your loss. You did amazing for her. Your story was truly inspiring (heartwarming and heartbreaking). My thoughts are with you.

 

[joydix]

Wondering why you aren’t thinking mareks? Do,you send in for necropsy? In CA we can send to the AG dept at UC Davis. They charge $27 and u can get a discount code for shipping maybe your state has same? Very worth it to know what is in your flock. Sorry for your loss….mine are all vaccinated but does not prevent from carrying. When their immune system suffers it seem the virus kicks in.

 

[azygous]

I did get a necropsy. Marek's and lymphoid leucosis have very similar symptoms, some being more common markers of each disease. One of these very common markers in Marek's is inflammation of the sciatic nerve where leucosis commonly has tumors galore on internal organs.

The necropsy bases the diagnosis on preponderance of these common markers. It was decided that leucosis was cause of death, probably not Marek's due to no invovement of the sciatic nerve and lots of tumors and pre-tumors. Since leucosis was already in my flock, that cinched the diagnosis further. But there's a small chance it was Marek's nonetheless.

 

[joydix]

I did get a necropsy. Marek's and lymphoid leucosis have very similar symptoms, some being more common markers of each disease. One of these very common markers in Marek's is inflammation of the sciatic nerve where leucosis commonly has tumors galore on internal organs.

The necropsy bases the diagnosis on preponderance of these common markers. It was decided that leucosis was cause of death, probably not Marek's due to no invovement of the sciatic nerve and lots of tumors and pre-tumors. Since leucosis was already in my flock, that cinched the diagnosis further. But there's a small chance it was Marek's nonetheless.

Thanks for explaining. I like to know all I can. Marek’s is mystifying. And heartbreaking what you are dealing with is just as frustrating and awful. So sorry.

 

[micstrachan]

Carol, my feed store sources from Privett and I have one with ataxia. I’ll be rereading this thread in its entirety looking for things to throw at her. I suspect Marek’s, but it could be nutritional. I might need to step up the tubing and supplements.

@azygous

 

[azygous]

Lymphoid leucosis can affect the brain and nerves as well as causing tumors. B-complex can help repair nerve connections and I believe it gave my pullets extra time, but in the end, the damage overwhelms the chicken and vitamins stop helping.

Please feel free to post on this thread if you find anything helpful to treat this.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Im sure most are aware of the controversies as to whether or not ivermectin treats covid19. I recently became curious as to why ivermectin would specifically target the covid19 virus. Turns out there are recent research studies addressing the possibilies that ivermectin may be a broad-spectrum antiviral, targeting Many viruses, both rna and dna.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41429-020-0336-z

Furthermore, i found studies showing that ivermectin potentially has the ability to target many cancers.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7505114/

I didnt dig deep, but since both Lymphoid Leukosis and Marek's Disease are caused by viruses, and since LL and MD both cause tumors, the potential for ivermectin to treat LL and MD did give food for thought.

Azygous, what do you think about this? (There are additional articles on internet addressing this subject; i only linked two.) After all you did to try and save your blue australorp pullets, these articles caught my attention.