Phoenix Collins
Songster
- Sep 9, 2021
- 56
- 80
- 106
I have a four year old bird who's named Lightning. She is my gentle giant and quite literally too. She was supposed to be a 7lb bird, but lost quite a bit of weight. She was 3lbs when she first got sick on September 8th of last year. Took her to the ER Vet doctor and doctor didn't seem entirely like he knew what he was doing to tell you the truth. He gave her amoxicillin and painkillers. Then after the amoxicillin she started having liquid yellow poop and barely ate.
4 weeks later
Finally found a vet that knew what they were doing. Found out that she had a bacterial infection in her gut. It was clostridial organisms that cause necrotic enteritis. They told me she looked bad enough that she had a low chance of survival and said that she was getting old for a chicken. She looked pretty sick too. They said that amoxicillin can cause resistance which makes it ineffective. They gave me a an antibiotic that was called tylosin. Said that it was well known to work on chickens without causing resistance. Told me to get probios and and greek yogurt and incorporate it into her diet. To help replenish the healthy bacteria and to help fight the bad. After the medication she started eating again. Was mixing the probiotics with scrambled eggs (chilled so I didn't kill the probiotics) and gave her some yogurt. Had to force feed her some of the yogurt. Used a needleless syringe. She was on the antibiotics for 16 days 1/8th of a pill. After antibiotics she seemed fine for a couple of weeks. Then she started declining again and started laying lash eggs.
A month later
Went back to the vet found out that she had the less of the clostridials but she still had most of it. Another round of tylosin except doubled. Decided that I was no longer going to give her her pills mixed with water anymore because I accidentally drowned her. Gave her CPR to save her. Started sneaking it into corn and shrimp a night. Ate it no problem. She started doing amazing and I could feel her gaining weight. She stopped wanting the probiotics though. She didn't like the taste.
A month later
The last four days of meds she started declining again. Stopped eating completely and started sleeping all the time.
March 2nd till recent
Took her back to the vet she no longer had bad bacteria but had crop stasis. Grrrr. Got her on two kinds of meds for that. She's still alive today but is walking wobbly and is acting very tired. She started eating again on her own and drinking water. I have been singing to her and giving her kisses and pets frequently throughout the days and telling her I love her. I have been playing the wonder woman theme song (from new movies with guitar) for her when she decides she wants to walk to bed at night. Small tiny improvements but is still sleeping a lot.
Saved this info until last because I had a lot to tell you about the past 5 months. Everyone has been concerned with liver and kidneys issues. She's had green poop. Didn't want to draw blood because they were worried it would push her to her death. She's been having a hard time keeping her temperature up. Put heron the heating pad when she gets cold. I bought milk thistle tea and dandelion root tea and put one bag of each in a 24 oz jar and have been giving her maybe five ml at morning and night. Honestly don't know what I am doing with this stuff. Giving her nutri-drench too. Poop really stinks now and she's been acting extra lethargic. Help! I can't cull. She's fought for too long on her own. Sorry for the book.
She died about an hour ago March 14th at 11 pm.
4 weeks later
Finally found a vet that knew what they were doing. Found out that she had a bacterial infection in her gut. It was clostridial organisms that cause necrotic enteritis. They told me she looked bad enough that she had a low chance of survival and said that she was getting old for a chicken. She looked pretty sick too. They said that amoxicillin can cause resistance which makes it ineffective. They gave me a an antibiotic that was called tylosin. Said that it was well known to work on chickens without causing resistance. Told me to get probios and and greek yogurt and incorporate it into her diet. To help replenish the healthy bacteria and to help fight the bad. After the medication she started eating again. Was mixing the probiotics with scrambled eggs (chilled so I didn't kill the probiotics) and gave her some yogurt. Had to force feed her some of the yogurt. Used a needleless syringe. She was on the antibiotics for 16 days 1/8th of a pill. After antibiotics she seemed fine for a couple of weeks. Then she started declining again and started laying lash eggs.
A month later
Went back to the vet found out that she had the less of the clostridials but she still had most of it. Another round of tylosin except doubled. Decided that I was no longer going to give her her pills mixed with water anymore because I accidentally drowned her. Gave her CPR to save her. Started sneaking it into corn and shrimp a night. Ate it no problem. She started doing amazing and I could feel her gaining weight. She stopped wanting the probiotics though. She didn't like the taste.
A month later
The last four days of meds she started declining again. Stopped eating completely and started sleeping all the time.
March 2nd till recent
Took her back to the vet she no longer had bad bacteria but had crop stasis. Grrrr. Got her on two kinds of meds for that. She's still alive today but is walking wobbly and is acting very tired. She started eating again on her own and drinking water. I have been singing to her and giving her kisses and pets frequently throughout the days and telling her I love her. I have been playing the wonder woman theme song (from new movies with guitar) for her when she decides she wants to walk to bed at night. Small tiny improvements but is still sleeping a lot.
Saved this info until last because I had a lot to tell you about the past 5 months. Everyone has been concerned with liver and kidneys issues. She's had green poop. Didn't want to draw blood because they were worried it would push her to her death. She's been having a hard time keeping her temperature up. Put heron the heating pad when she gets cold. I bought milk thistle tea and dandelion root tea and put one bag of each in a 24 oz jar and have been giving her maybe five ml at morning and night. Honestly don't know what I am doing with this stuff. Giving her nutri-drench too. Poop really stinks now and she's been acting extra lethargic. Help! I can't cull. She's fought for too long on her own. Sorry for the book.
She died about an hour ago March 14th at 11 pm.
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. They hold a very special place in our hearts 
. RIP Lightning
