Help! I don't know whether it's okay to worm for coccidosis while I have my hen on antibiotics. Shot

[joelandbrandy]

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9 week old RIR (Nugget)

Two weeks ago, she was fine one minute, running around the yard being her hoppy little self and then thirty minutes later we found her under a tree in the yard huddled with droopy tail. Listless, diarrhea and a gimpy leg.

No obvious signs of injury. Still eating, drinking and pooping. We thought maybe she just sprained her leg and got dehydrated, so we kept her inside for a few days and then took her to the vet.

They gave her painkillers, did a fecal smear (no sign of parasites), we kept her indoors for a week, until she was done with meds and was quite perky and demanding to be out of her cage all the time and she rejoined the flock, happy as can be.

Then, three days later, we came home to find her listless, with diarrhea again. It was hot (high 80s) so we thought maybe she was heat exhausted. We dunked her in cool water and that got her up and walking again, but she soon lay back down and huddled. So now we've brought her back inside. The vet suggested to give her some wet cat/dog food he uses for critical care patients, but she won't eat it.

She foraged a bit when I took her outside today to stretch her legs, walked around but seemed a bit weak, and has eaten a little bit of pellets soaked with water and a bite or two of the cat food (we suspected she had an impacted crop, which we treated by encouraging her to drink and massaging it a lot - seemed to help).

But, now she's drinking plenty of water, but really isn't eating.
In general,she's kind of just a sad looking, listless little chicken.

Anyone have any suggestions? advice? I'd like to avoid another trip to the vet if possible and care for her here.

My chicken mama heart is breaking. Of course it would be our favorite bird. Isn't that how it always works?

Here's her poop from last night. Her last one today was more like #3.

I've started her on a round of oxytetracycline because her symptoms are so similar to mycoplasma synovaie, but at the same time I'm concerned about whether it could be cocciodosis attacking her gut. Really could use some help here.​

 

[ryanhodapp]

Do you have a food scale that you could weigh her? Did vet weigh her? She may be weak from not eating. Can you tube feed? Look up thread with how to info, supplies, links to videos. It's not hard and it is life saving.

 

[joelandbrandy]

I haven't weighed her yet. She did feel lighter when I picked her up.
I forcefed her some really watered down yogurt to see if I could help her get some probitics and a little nutrition last night, and this morning she ate a turnip green leaf of her own accord today, with a bit of gusto. She's stable. But if I let her out of her brooder, she stands around with her eyes closed and then wanders VERY slowly around our hallway. The local feed store suggested to put garlic in her water, and I'm starting a course of oxytetracline in her water. At this point, I just don't know what to do other than give antibiotics a try and hope that she's just battling an infection and that will take care of it.

 

[joelandbrandy]

I've started her on a round of oxytetracycline because her symptoms are so similar to mycoplasma synovaie, but at the same time I'm concerned about whether it could be cocciodosis attacking her gut. Really could use some help here. Can I give both at same time? Should I be giving her a probiotic along with her antibiotic?​

She's on day 3 of the antibiotic treatment. Ate a bowl of scrambled eggs yesterday, and we let her out to forage for an hour or so today, because she's getting depressed inside the house. Weighed her and she's hanging steady at ~14 oz.
I'm not sure how much she's actually drinking, so I've been syringe feeding her her antibiotic water.​