Flystrike - Questions about flock of 2 and isolation

[Megger2]

Still eating and drinking?

Her abdomen look so swollen! Poor girl!

Yes eating and drinking better each day. I’m doing some scrambled egg and her feed soaked in electrolyte water and we’ll as vitamins and electrolytes in the water.

Today she is moving around to get food and water on her own in her crate. Poops are pretty runny and green though (so clearly not drinking enough). She is still not walking normally - what do you think that swollen abdomen could mean?

 

[Megger2]

Do you have Veterycin gel spray? After the neosporin, if you can spray her with that, it will help keep the wound moist and protected too.

I’m using Microcyn

 

[lovesfarms]

I feel so bad for both you and your chicken to have to go through this! Makes me shudder... Not to change the subject but it made me think of the cow we bought once that developed lumps along the spine soon after we got her. Of course our thought was cancer. There were big fat larvae growing under her skin and the vet had to pop them open. She came from a region where the flies laid their eggs under the skin..
You are brave for taking care of your chicken! Don't know how I could do that

 

[cherrynberry]

Yes eating and drinking better each day. I’m doing some scrambled egg and her feed soaked in electrolyte water and we’ll as vitamins and electrolytes in the water.

Today she is moving around to get food and water on her own in her crate. Poops are pretty runny and green though (so clearly not drinking enough). She is still not walking normally - what do you think that swollen abdomen could mean?

I am not an expert, but all I know if that my hen that got flystrike was not nearly as bad nor as legthargic looking. It was really hard to tell thaty hen even had flystrike, but because I was spending time with her, I knew something was off. Sometimes, other problems can lead to flystrike (like my other bird that died ). So sometimes, its not the flystrike that kills them, but another condition. Not sure if that is the case with your bird, but certainly hoping not!


You are doing a great job though! I hope she recovers!

 

[Megger2]

I feel so bad for both you and your chicken to have to go through this! Makes me shudder... Not to change the subject but it made me think of the cow we bought once that developed lumps along the spine soon after we got her. Of course our thought was cancer. There were big fat larvae growing under her skin and the vet had to pop them open. She came from a region where the flies laid their eggs under the skin..
You are brave for taking care of your chicken! Don't know how I could do that

Just trying to give her a chance. I have a vet that would help me euthanize but not much on the treatment front. I can do the maggots but it turned my husbands stomach. I caught him mouth breathing when he was holding her just like he did when our kids would have poop blow outs!

So sorry for your cow. I have a long way to go before I could care for a cow!

 

[Megger2]

I am not an expert, but all I know if that my hen that got flystrike was not nearly as bad nor as legthargic looking. It was really hard to tell thaty hen even had flystrike, but because I was spending time with her, I knew something was off. Sometimes, other problems can lead to flystrike (like my other bird that died ). So sometimes, its not the flystrike that kills them, but another condition. Not sure if that is the case with your bird, but certainly hoping not!


You are doing a great job though! I hope she recovers!

Thanks so much - I finally read your whole thread and you were awesome with that hen that made it! Was inspirational. I so appreciate all the support on this thread!

I’m for sure worried there’s something underlying this fly strike. We adopted a small flock when we bought our house last year - inherited a not great set up and didn’t know much about the older hens or chicken keeping in general. We lost a few early on to what I’m certain was obesity…these girls were given so many treats and weren’t allowed to free range at all. Also side note one to nickle poisoning (state vet necroscopy found that!). So certainly thinking this could be something like heart failure. But want to do right by them. And keep learning. We have 7 (hopefully all) pullets in our new coop!

 

[cherrynberry]

Thanks so much - I finally read your whole thread and you were awesome with that hen that made it! Was inspirational. I so appreciate all the support on this thread!

I’m for sure worried there’s something underlying this fly strike. We adopted a small flock when we bought our house last year - inherited a not great set up and didn’t know much about the older hens or chicken keeping in general. We lost a few early on to what I’m certain was obesity…these girls were given so many treats and weren’t allowed to free range at all. Also side note one to nickle poisoning (state vet necroscopy found that!). So certainly thinking this could be something like heart failure. But want to do right by them. And keep learning. We have 7 (hopefully all) pullets in our new coop!

We all learn the hard way...I lost so many birds this year. Primarily to reproductive disorders

 

[Wyorp Rock]

AM day 4: no larvae today. I added anti-bacterial ointment (without pain reliever and sprayed after a quick wash out. Wound apprears to be healing. She’s standing much more, eating food and drink when offered. But not really walking around her pen. Cluck still sounds a little wheezy/weak (she is not wheezing when she breathes though).

Thanks again for support and ideas. I’m switching to a saline wash out today and will continue wound care twice a day.

Yes eating and drinking better each day. I’m doing some scrambled egg and her feed soaked in electrolyte water and we’ll as vitamins and electrolytes in the water.

Today she is moving around to get food and water on her own in her crate. Poops are pretty runny and green though (so clearly not drinking enough). She is still not walking normally - what do you think that swollen abdomen could mean?

I'm glad she's doing a little better!

The wheezing is concerning. With the swollen abdomen,
I would suspect that she may have an underlying reproductive disorder, hard to know unless you lose her and have necropsy.

IF there's fluid in the abdomen, then the vet may be able to drain some off to make her more comfortable. Some folks do it themselves. Fluid (Ascites) is a symptom - it can be seen with reproductive disorders (Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Cancer, Salpingitis, etc.) and/or it can be seen with organ dysfunction/failure (heart, liver disease). Unfortunately these things can be common in laying hens - it's the pits for sure.

I would make sure her crop is emptying overnight - sometimes they can have a bit of a wheeze when the crop is not emptying. However - often a crop issue is usually yet another symptom of an underlying condition - most commonly associated with the conditions mentioned previously.

She's a fighter! Keep us posted on how she's doing.

 

[Megger2]

I'm glad she's doing a little better!

The wheezing is concerning. With the swollen abdomen,
I would suspect that she may have an underlying reproductive disorder, hard to know unless you lose her and have necropsy.

IF there's fluid in the abdomen, then the vet may be able to drain some off to make her more comfortable. Some folks do it themselves. Fluid (Ascites) is a symptom - it can be seen with reproductive disorders (Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Cancer, Salpingitis, etc.) and/or it can be seen with organ dysfunction/failure (heart, liver disease). Unfortunately these things can be common in laying hens - it's the pits for sure.

I would make sure her crop is emptying overnight - sometimes they can have a bit of a wheeze when the crop is not emptying. However - often a crop issue is usually yet another symptom of an underlying condition - most commonly associated with the conditions mentioned previously.

She's a fighter! Keep us posted on how she's doing.

Thanks so much for all of this - really great info. Her crop was very full last night so I'll see how it is in a few. So good to have the perspective of all of the disorders/diseases that can cause these symptoms. Will help me feel better if we do actually loose her. Her voice did get stronger by last night. Talking more, less "wheezy." So time will tell. She certainly is a fighter!

Also I'll confess on here I played classical music for her during the day - I actually think it helped settle her...I read it in someone else's forum. Made me feel better at least she was having an interesting day

If she continues to improve hoping to do some reintegration (totally supervised) with her lonely friend who is all mad I blocked off her hiding spot yesterday. But I gave her some herbs and marigolds to destroy so she got a bit distracted.

 

[Megger2]

Day 5: definitely better this morning. Crop went down considerably but did not empty all the way. No hard, but I still can feel it is there (I’m new to feeling crops so not quite confident this is what I’m feeling). She’s much more full of vigor this morning. Clucking around the garage. Wound looking better too. Switched to saline flush and antibiotic treatment. So not totally out of the woods (see above but she is on the mend from the initial fly strike. Amazing - thanks all!