Gasping, Tail Down, Depressed BPr hen @ five years old

[Brewsterhens]

Please help if any of you can. Pecky is a five year old Barred Plymouth Rock hen living in a mixed flock of 11 hens.
For a few weeks she has been " off", just kind fo not her normal personality...we call her Pecky because she follows us and pecks us. The only specific symptom then was dirty tailfeathers( diarrhea I assume).

Hard to tell whether she is laying, I never see her in the nestingboxes and I do have a number of other girls laying.

Last few days ( coinciding with horrible heat; which today is NOT the case), she has begun sticking her neck up a little and taking deep breaths. Over the weekend her comb began to turn lilac! I brought her inside to the a/c, because the heat was so bad ut there. She turned red again and was no longer gasping.

Her comb is limp, and she just looks miserable sstanding around with her tail down, and eyes closing like she is trying to sleep...or stay awake.....

She does move around, but minimally. She is easy to handle eveqn when not sick, but now she is basically like, whatever"

So, I am a certified vet tech, though have no chicken experience..she is my first one and Ihave had her for two years.

What I have done:
being treated with baytril and tylan
dewormed with ivomec and panacur

being her in when the temps are going to be high

washed her bottom off once with chlorhexadine soak and rinsed...still looks icky back there....


she IS eating and drinking.

Today is NOT terrible hot, and she seems a bit worse.


Ideas?

 

[Brewsterhens]

palpated her crop...first time ever feeling a crop...it felt flaccid but not empty, and I could feel a bunch of little pebbly things in there...I did see her eating some of the crushed oyster shells yesterday.

 

[mg15]

Hi,
I have not had this complication. But I do hope someone can help you.
Thinking if her comb color improved in the a/c if she were my bird I would just keep her inside.
The heat is just too much for her and a possible heat exhaustion. It will take awhile for her to recover her strength.
I watch my girls carefully too out in the heat. Today 95 and they are younger than Pecky.

 

[Brewsterhens]

Yes, I did keep her in today while I was at work....breathes better but still the butt down, kind of sullen demeanor. Eats well though.

 

[mg15]

That does sound better for her. Maybe because of her age she is quite sensitive to the heat.
I hope her tail comes up. and I understand about the demeanor being sullen. Some treats to make her feel special. I notice when hens are not well the upright tail is the first to go. You caring for her makes her feel special too. Pecky is a good girl.
mg

 

[Brewsterhens]

She IS, I love her..she has always been my favorite. I hate seeing her like this. Every day I pray her tail comes up a little. But she actauuly seems worse to me today. Her appetite is very good though, still. Poor little girl. Am thinking of trying to find a vet who sees chickens...

 

[mg15]

I hope Pecky gets to feeling better. Especially, her tail going up.
She is eating and that is very good. Actually, that is great she is eating.
If you find a vet be sure to keep the updates going.
Hopefully, tomorrow she will feel better.
And it is the weekend coming up so maybe you can find a bird vet that will see her. I can't stand to have a some issue with an animal and all vets are closed

 

[Brewsterhens]

Pecky has an appointment today at 11. I am supposed to be at work at 11 myself, but I called in and said I would be late because my chicken has to go to the vet.
So many tardy and no - show co workers at my place, all for child related this n thats...I dare them to give me any ****.
I don't have any kids and am always prompt and stay late. So pfft.
lol

 

[mg15]

Do update when you find out what the vet says.

So glad you are going in with her. !

 

[Brewsterhens]

Well, we had to euthanize Pecky.

She had a fluid filled abdomen, and was not going to make it. We had to do the right thing for her. Not sure what the initiating problem was, as we didn't go beyond the abdominal tap which revealed the fluid. We anesthestized her and then euthnaized her.
Thanks for your replies.
I wish we could have fixed her...but I feel a little better knowing she feels nothing bad now. Poor girl.