Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

If she's having trouble with her liver, it would affect the uptake of calcium from her diet, right?

Are you also supplementing with oyster shell also? I have been doing that, but now I am paranoid maybe I should flip over to layer even if it means Pangoo gets that...

Not really. The liver and calcium absorption are not connected. However whatever is causing the liver enlargement might also be stopping calcium absorption in the digestive track.

The calcium and bones issue is insanely complicated in humans, re osteoporosis, I would expect it to be similar in chickens. Intake, metabolism, the use by the body of the calcium in the bones and the replenishment back into the bones, the blood calcium needs and whatnot (scientific term there) - the endocrine system's role, etc and the effects of load on the bones. All these things play a part. I probably left something out!

 

[micstrachan]

Thanks. Let's get the lab work back and see what it says about calcium.

Ok. I have other thoughts, too. But I won’t bother you with them until you feel like it (if and when).

 

[BY Bob]

Ok. I have other thoughts, too. But I won’t bother you with them until you feel like it (if and when).

Tomorrow. Reach out when you have time. I do want to hear them. I need to sleep tonight.

 

[GregnLety]

Indeed. How can more chickens ever be the "worst" that could happen?

Wanted 6, currently have about 30 adults and 9 fresh hatched chicks. Lol.

 

[featherhead007]

I flipped a coin. (Best 2 out of 3) and Jaffar won. He’s staying inside with me tonight. (I needed an alarm cluck for tomorrow anyways!)

If any of you had a roo, then wouldn’t you? (I thought so too)!

 

[GregnLety]

Right now our Silky rooster sleeps indoors and starts crowing randomly between 3 and 430 AM. I am under strict orders to finish his coop this weekend. Lol

I flipped a coin. (Best 2 out of 3) and Jaffar won. He’s staying inside with me tonight. (I needed an alarm cluck for tomorrow anyways!)

If any of you had a roo, then wouldn’t you? (I thought so too)!

 

[Kris5902]

Lilly is back home tonight

I felt it best to put that right out there. Now I will endeavor to explain what the visit to the vet revealed, did not reveal, and what action was taken.

Revealed

1. Lilly has lost muscle mass. Her keel bone is significantly more prominent than it was back in November. The doctor noticed it immediately. At the time of the initial exam the thought was that this indicated even more fluid weight.
2. Lilly's liver is enlarged.
3. Lilly has a temperature of 108F (42C). This a degree higher than the vet would prefer.
4. X-rays revealed no eggs in the works, no crazy calcium deposits, nothing significant in the reproductive tract at all. (I was not surprised by this at all. My hope is that she really is done laying eggs forever.)
5. X-rays reveled some fluid build up but not enough to explain the weight gain and distension of her abdomen.
6. X-rays show a noticeable loss of calcium from her bones. (Can elderly chickens have osteoporosis?)

Not Revealed

1. The vet was not able to withdraw any fluid for analysis. This shocked us both.
2. The x-rays did not reveal any easily identifiable mass in her abdomen. However, apparently chicken x-rays are difficult to read for masses. She would need to send the x-rays to a chicken radiologist to be certain that she was not missing something.
3. No single easily identifiable cause for her symptoms was uncovered.

Action Taken

1. Lilly came home. With no solid prognosis at this time there was no way I was taking any other action but bring her home at this time.
2. The vet and I agreed that there has to be some kind of an infectious process going on. Therefore she got a dose of Doxycycline. I say a dose but it is a 7 day course of time release antibiotic in one shot. The perfect method to give a chicken an antibiotic. She remembered me saying how difficult twice a day was with Sansa and went and got this newer method of treatment for her chicken patients.
3. A comprehensive battery of blood tests were sent out. They could be back as soon as tomorrow and she will call as soon as they are back.
4. We held off sending the x-rays to the chicken radiologist until the lab work is back.

So no definitive answers at this point. Lilly is back with the tribe. Hattie too. I spent quite a bit of time with Lilly sitting in my lap at the vet's. It was fun to hear her and Hattie talk to each other as Hattie scratched in the carrier while Lilly sat in my lap.

The Queen is still with us. Long may she reign.

To be realistic, I still expect the final verdict to be bad news. For now there is hope and I will give her that chance until I KNOW otherwise or she has demonstrated that she is no longer interested in carrying on.

@Ribh @MaryJanet @Aussie-Chookmum @LozzyR @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue @Shadrach

This is such a relief! You have an amazing Vet… as soon as I got the goats into the Bar the first thing I did was check my phone for this update. Upon seeing your title I was tentatively optimistic that it was good news, and finished putting all my girls up for the night before sitting down to read the full post. Fingers still very much crossed for you both!

 

[Kris5902]

I too am perplexed by the calcium loss. She is not laying eggs so why is she losing calcium?

Even though I just bought all flock, I need to move everyone to layer. I just used up the layer I bought for Sansa. I mean she has been on layer food! This is weird.

I used to worry quite a bit about the high levels of calcium in the layer feed, now I don’t. I just feed the layer, and offer calcium as a side too. My roosters seem to enjoy it too, or at least using it as girlfriend bait! Birds are in many ways similar to reptiles. This has me thinking about metabolic bone disease in animals like bearded dragons, which require adequate UVB light to metabolize the calcium. I know D3 is often needed to be supplemented as well for them to maintain bone density… just spitballing ideas

 

[Kris5902]

Makes me worry for Penelope, who will be six this year... I have a bunch of old ladies here, my horses are now all over 20, Penelope is elderly, my mum (shhhhhhh she hates when I call her elderly!).... Makes me worry.

When my mom is being exceptionally cranky I refer to her as Grandma when talking to the goats!

 

[bgmathteach]

If she's having trouble with her liver, it would affect the uptake of calcium from her diet, right?

I wish I knew. I'm not sure exactly what the liver does other than metabolize some things and helps in regulating blood glucose levels.

I just found this basic article, which has more information than I knew...but is pretty vague on the aspect you mentioned:
10 functions of the liver
This article seems more to your point....about calcium levels and liver function. It sounds like poor liver function affects calcium levels. However, this is far more complicated than I can discern with my non-existant background in bio/medicine. Maybe someone else knows better.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/548167-the-effect-of-calcium-on-the-liver/