Gasping for air only while lying down and being held!

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Well, I'm glad to hear she doesn't have bugs or is egg bound. If the vet says she's anemic, then I guess make sure she takes her supplements. Good Luck, and I'll keep you and Ladybug in my thoughts.
 
Lilybug is still gasping for air and now her eyes are swollen! Anybody know what's going on? Help!!
 
Wanted to post an updated about Lilybug.I don't know what else to do for her, but I am not willing to give up.I'm confused to whether or not to keep her on the antibiotics. The vet gave them to me andI held off because she has already been on 3 rounds of antibiotics and I felt if it didn't help then, how could it help now? Being I'm out of ideas to what is wrong with her and how to help her I started her on the meds 6 days ago. Yesterday evening and today I did not give it to her because she is starting to look out of it even more then before. Her gasping for air during roosting improved about 2 days after taking her meds so I don't know if the meds is why there is an improvement in that department which makes me unsure if I should have stopped the antibiotics.She looks so depressed and at times lethargic.She looks so tired and her comb is so so pale. I've been treating her for anemia for 2 months now,so shouldn't there be at least a little improvement with that or is this something that can not be cured?I've also noticed that although she is pooping, she seems to be straining a bit in the process. Her poop looks healthy...not runny or discolored, but sometimes very small.She has been really fighting me when I try to feed her yogurt and her supplemental nutrition food through the syringe. Only thing she doesn't fight me with is Nutrical ( She loves it!)I'm hoping that it is safe for her to eat often.I did ask a vet if it is possible for the Nutrical to constipate her but they said that if anything it would give her diarrhea. I'm gonna put some tuna on a plastic plate tomorrow in hopes maybe she'll try it.Keep her in your prayers!
 
My hens enjoy tuna, but I rinse some of the salt out. I have one hen that decided to molt in the spring, and to get her feathers to grow out, i will give her treats of mealworms, eggs, sunflower seeds, and a little bit of shredded cheese. And they all love grapes and raisins. And cooked rice. And spaghetti noodles. Don't know if her anemia will go away, yours is the first case I've heard of. I looked up the ingredients of Nutri-Cal, and it looks like a sugar and fat boost with corn syrup, malt, molasses, soybean oil and cod oil. should be okay in the short term. Will keep you and Lilybug in my thoughts.
 
SkywheelerChick said:
My hens enjoy tuna, but I rinse some of the salt out. I have one hen that decided to molt in the spring, and to get her feathers to grow out, i will give her treats of mealworms, eggs, sunflower seeds, and a little bit of shredded cheese. And they all love grapes and raisins. And cooked rice. And spaghetti noodles. Don't know if her anemia will go away, yours is the first case I've heard of. I looked up the ingredients of Nutri-Cal, and it looks like a sugar and fat boost with corn syrup, malt, molasses, soybean oil and cod oil. should be okay in the short term. Will keep you and Lilybug in my thoughts.
Click to expand...
My Lilybug did eat a little bit of tuna. I would have liked to see her eat more so maybe I'll mix some in with her layer crumbles.She was having pretty good nights, but right now as I type she is back to gasping for air.Maybe the meds were helping her and I should start her back on them. I am so stressed with not knowing what to do. Everything I do is just a guess and if I lose her I'm gonna end up feeling... what if I? I am so mad that finding a vet to treat chickens is so difficult.I don't think it is fair to them or to owners who raise them to love them.Thank you so much for keeping Lilybug in your thoughts.I love her so much and I don't want to lose her!
 
The other thing I want to mention, and others may disagree with me, is that I do not use a syringe anymore to feed or medicate. I aspirated one of my roosters that way, he ended up getting liquid food and vitamin supplements into his lungs, his breathing became raspy and he contracted pneumonia . It did not improve after taking him to the vet and getting him on antibiotics. I ended up putting him down (after several bouts of crying), and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It's been 8 months and I still play the what if game. Now when I want to medicate, I put the stuff in a gelatin capsule. If it's a water-based formula, I dip the capsule in oil before adding the ingredients, so that the capsule does not start to dissolve before I can deliver it. You can find them in any health food store. Then I grab their comb and their wattle to pry open their mouth and push it down their throat. They are not happy when I do this, but it gives me peace of mind. I'm not saying you should stop what you're doing, but be very careful and make sure the end of the syringe or pipette is past her air hole under her tongue before you deliver. Also, is she laying eggs? If not, I would take her off the layer crumbles, too much calcium, and put her on chick starter or poultry grower. That's what I feed my broody hens when they stop laying and start incubating their eggs until their chicks are grown and they start to lay again.
 
SkywheelerChick said:
The other thing I want to mention, and others may disagree with me, is that I do not use a syringe anymore to feed or medicate. I aspirated one of my roosters that way, he ended up getting liquid food and vitamin supplements into his lungs, his breathing became raspy and he contracted pneumonia . It did not improve after taking him to the vet and getting him on antibiotics. I ended up putting him down (after several bouts of crying), and it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It's been 8 months and I still play the what if game. Now when I want to medicate, I put the stuff in a gelatin capsule. If it's a water-based formula, I dip the capsule in oil before adding the ingredients, so that the capsule does not start to dissolve before I can deliver it. You can find them in any health food store. Then I grab their comb and their wattle to pry open their mouth and push it down their throat. They are not happy when I do this, but it gives me peace of mind. I'm not saying you should stop what you're doing, but be very careful and make sure the end of the syringe or pipette is past her air hole under her tongue before you deliver. Also, is she laying eggs? If not, I would take her off the layer crumbles, too much calcium, and put her on chick starter or poultry grower. That's what I feed my broody hens when they stop laying and start incubating their eggs until their chicks are grown and they start to lay again.

Using capsules would surely help the meds situation if I decide to continue them. She hasn't laid an egg for at least 3 months now. We actually do have her on chick crumble because a vet recommended it. Plus, I add water to it so I know she is getting more water intake.I'm so sorry to hear about your rooster.These chickens are so easy to get attached too,even more so when you spend so much time trying to nurse them back to good health.Thank you!
Click to expand...
 
huntingirl said:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/820569/best-treatment-for-gapeworm

This sounds sort of like her I think. Perhaps she has something stuck in her trachea? A bug or peice of something? Try holding your ear to her chest or mouth when your holding her and see if you can hear anything. Best of luck!!! I'm praying for you and Lilybug!!!
Click to expand...

In this thread, the chicken died of peritonitis, and had similar symptoms that Lilybug has. Here's a link to info on peritonitis.

http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
 
SkywheelerChick said:
In this thread, the chicken died of peritonitis, and had similar symptoms that Lilybug has. Here's a link to info on peritonitis.

http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
Click to expand...
That is the very first thing I thought it might be but she does not have a upright penguin-like stance and nor does she have a swollen abdomen.We bought poultry cell a few days ago and we added it to her water bowls.She has been drinking it well.She also has a new favorite snack that I think will benefit her well since she is anemic...TUNA!!She actually had a more then usual active day yesterday and last night she slept comfortably.Today she seems to be doing well so far.She is napping a lot along with her buddy.I will still keep the peritonitis in mind,but it doesn't look like it is and I hope it is not that. Thank you for the link.Can never be too concerned, careful and educated!!
 

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