jeepgrrl
Songster
Hi all,
My Welsummer, Chipper, hasn't been eating very well lately and I've also noticed her walking around much slower, far back behind her sisters. Chip also hasn't been able to get up onto the lowest roost, which is only about 18" off the floor, and she has been sleeping on the floor for the past couple of nights. I got a hold of her to palpate her abdomen, vent area, etc. I located a round mass about the size of a golf ball on her left side, near her left inner thigh. It is definitely affecting her walking/running ability as she was limping on her left leg as she was trying to get away from me; Chipper doesn't like to be held. She has very little food in her crop but has still been free ranging and eating from the feeder. She also ate some dried mealworms yesterday. There is no foul-smelling stool that I can detect, and she doesn't smell either. Her vent area is pretty clean. Even though Chipper is 16 months old, she has only laid a handful of eggs in her lifetime. She had laid a few rubber eggs in early spring, but nothing for several months. Its difficult to ascertai.n her condition; Chipper has always been quite aloof, always dropping back behind her sisters, always letting them steal food/treats from her, but her appetite has definitely decreased. Does anyone have any ideas what might be happening to her? The avian vet won't be in until next Thursday.
My Welsummer, Chipper, hasn't been eating very well lately and I've also noticed her walking around much slower, far back behind her sisters. Chip also hasn't been able to get up onto the lowest roost, which is only about 18" off the floor, and she has been sleeping on the floor for the past couple of nights. I got a hold of her to palpate her abdomen, vent area, etc. I located a round mass about the size of a golf ball on her left side, near her left inner thigh. It is definitely affecting her walking/running ability as she was limping on her left leg as she was trying to get away from me; Chipper doesn't like to be held. She has very little food in her crop but has still been free ranging and eating from the feeder. She also ate some dried mealworms yesterday. There is no foul-smelling stool that I can detect, and she doesn't smell either. Her vent area is pretty clean. Even though Chipper is 16 months old, she has only laid a handful of eggs in her lifetime. She had laid a few rubber eggs in early spring, but nothing for several months. Its difficult to ascertai.n her condition; Chipper has always been quite aloof, always dropping back behind her sisters, always letting them steal food/treats from her, but her appetite has definitely decreased. Does anyone have any ideas what might be happening to her? The avian vet won't be in until next Thursday.