Fox attack - limp neck

[micstrachan]

What an amazing little miracle chicken! She looks great! Do think maybe she pants when she is sore? All this renewed mobility and pushing herself may cause some pain. Great to see her gaining strength!

 

[Loona]

What an amazing little miracle chicken! She looks great! Do think maybe she pants when she is sore? All this renewed mobility and pushing herself may cause some pain. Great to see her gaining strength!

I don't know...it's so hard to say, I've wondered that too : \ Occasionally, and it is seldom, I do hear a 'gurgle' from in the throat. Like maybe once a day that I have noticed. It's not on a continuing basis, but is the only clue I have. My suspicion is respiratory or this gapeworm, but I've read that gapeworm isn't all that common and surely I should've noticed this long ago? Like I don't know how long it takes for gapeworm to start and become a noticeable ailment? I'm almost tempted to start her on Clavamox. I do have a bit leftover, 18 or 19 250mg pills. I think I'll put her on it just in case. But I hope it's the right a/b? : \ I do have some Metrodiazonole liquid from a previous cat visit to the vet. Do people give that to chickens? I do believe I have a few Baytril from a cat visit last year too. I know people use that, but there's only like 3 or 4 pills.
It is so great to see her up and about, even if it is only in the house and deck. It's a real breakthrough. Plus seeing her peck at her food bowl is an encouraging sign too.

 

[Loona]

This is Olga this morning.

 

[Loona]

This link says it's not a good antiseptic, so that's the main reason I don't used it.
http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/16.pdf

In the past 6 months I learned about that 'blue stuff' from the vet, and I'm pretty sure she was correct in her analysis that it is "the" antiseptic of choice for wound care and cleaning. It really helped heal another hen that had it's entire 'breast meat' skin ripped off. And it did help with healing Olga's wounds quite nicely. There wasn't any necrosis and the new tissue came in so well. It's available on Amazon and one bottle will apparently last for years. The vet poured me two small jars, and after cleaning two hens, I've not hardly made a dent in it. Vet told me to mix it with water. She said it didn't matter if you want to make a gallon or a pint. Just pour the solution into however much water you have and when it turns a very light blue, that is enough. I'm quite amazed at this stuff. I was always sold on Betadine but she told me N-O. It's fine for one initial cleaning. Thereafter it will delay healing. I learned something there. I have it on hand for my horses. I use it for rain rot and wound cleansing. For a wound, I clean w/betadine, pat it dry then apply Wonder Dust. That's usually it. So I've never really used Betadine on a continuing basis enough to find out that it delays healing. This was the most helpful advice from that 200 dollar office visit. I declined the estimated 800-1000 dollar "surgery" to attach the flap of skin. I listened to the advice I got here and my gut, that all that wasn't necessary. Just clean the wound, and chickens do heal quite nicely. This website is extraordinarily helpful.

 

[Loona]

Here is the stuff: https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-Chlor...522834&sr=8-3&keywords=chlorhexidine+solution

https://www.amazon.com/Chlorhexidin...522834&sr=8-9&keywords=chlorhexidine+solution

 

[Loona]

I do see a 4% solution, but I'm pretty sure the blue stuff I have is 2%.

 

[Loona]

After the above video of her mouth breathing, I began to debate the Clavamox. After about an hour, she did not mouth breath once more all day. She pecked around at her feed and various foods I threw down like bread, corn niblets, leftover spanish rice (she likes it but have no more), some chickweed from the yard. She is walking ALL over the house! She walks everywhere she goes w/o hardly ever falling down. She sometimes loses her balance but catches herself. This is very therapeutic at this point and I'm SO happy to see it. If I have to let her be a house chicken until she can walk perfectly well, then I sure will. I'm baffled at the contrast in her ability to walk in the house and on the deck no problem, but put her outside in the grass and she becomes a ragdoll!

Yesterday I was really concerned about the mouth breathing because I've seen it for maybe weeks, on and off, but it went it away completely for the whole rest of the day until I tube fed her. So Hmmmm....I have to wonder if I should feed her less or if it's time to wean her from that and encourage her feed. Yesterday, I deliberately did not tube feed her because she was more interested in her feed than ever before. And no mouth breathing.
I've been giving her two syringes of the bigger tube each time.I think I'll now cut it back to one. I pulverize organic layer pellets in the coffee grinder and make a feeding of half that and half Exact. I think today I will just concentrate on getting her to eat the other things, lessen the tube feeds, and see if she'll gain her appetite for chicken feed. Yesterday I got a variety of poops. Today they all look normal. Shew! She's quite a perplexing hen! She absolutely loves walking around the house. I think she feels more secure and just glad to have her abilities back. It's totally adorable to see her jump onto the couch to 'roost' w/my daughter who's lounging. She's done this every night when it becomes dark. And it must be on that fluffy blanket, LOL....but I do pick her up and put a towel under her. When we got to be we pick her the towel up and put her in the litter box. It has a lid, and she loves it. She'll sleep all night in it and jump out on her own in the morning.

Well, till next time. I'm seeing some really encouraging breakthroughs with her this week. It's been a long haul, but so worth it!

 

[biophiliac]

You are amazing @Loona ! Thank you for the update.
Eta regards to Olga.

 

[Loona]

It's been a few weeks, so I thought I'd give a report on Olga. I'm happy to say she IS eating her food again and she is able to stay in her tractor most of the day without flopping over!! That only happened this week. Last week we were still finding her legs up in the air acting like she had no idea how to stand up. But weekly, there have been bits and pieces of positive progress. I'm SO happy to look out the window and see her consistently standing up. It's a big sigh of relief.
I don't think she will be able to return to the coop because her 'old friends' will most certainly peck at her and it will take more time for her to be strong enough or able to fend for herself, if she ever will. We will more than likely make her her own coop that is level and is partly a wooden deck.
She can walk all around the house and deck and never fall over. When she looks or leans far to her left, that is when she loses her balance and the wings flap to keep her up, but she rarely falls over. The real test will be when she can free range while we babysit without wanting to head straight for the bushes. I think she instinctively does this in order to hide because she is impaired. Which reminds me, this week on Tuesday the UPS driver pulled up to the door and it scared her. So what did she do? She flopped over with her feet straight up in the air and stayed that way, like she was playing dead!! That is exactly how I found her in the chicken coop on that terrible night. I've also noticed that when geese fly over she would fall over, but that was last week. I have not seen her do that anymore because the geese fly over every day several times. But the UPS guy scared the crap out of her! LOL The tractor was in the yard near the door.
She's been laying eggs regularly too and they are simply gorgeous with orangey yolks. They're perfect. But lately she has laid two soft shell eggs. I contribute this to her going back to feeding herself. She was getting crushed pellets (in the coffee grinder) mixed w/water and her health was really coming along which I contribute to her finally having the strength and gumption to start eating again. She's still a bit picky but not much. Today she wants to lay an egg but hasn't yet. I hope to see a good shell on it. We'll tubefeed her this evening just to make sure she's getting the calcium she needs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm so glad to hear that she has improved. You have done such a wonderful job taking care of her.
The UPS man story did tickle me a little - poor dear.
Thank you so much for the update - I hope you and Olga both continue to do well.