Help Laverne! She is suddenly lethargic, droopy and not eating

[LavernesMom]

Hi there community!
I could really use your help figuring out how to help Laverne. She is my much loved pet chicken. She is an only chicken as her flock rejected her and beat her mercilessly. After many isolated stays in chicken hospital (not literal, just isolated care by me), I finally decided to make her an only chicken. She’s been amazing and has thrived on her own (for those of you who may think it’s awful for her to be alone).
She has been that way for the last three years with no issues. She gets plenty of chicken hugs and mom time.
Yesterday she started to look sluggish in the evening and today she doesn’t seem to want to move around at all and looks droopy. She hasn’t eaten much that I can tell and is not interested in anything I’m offering her.
She’s hated chicken chow from the beginning, but I’ve always offered it free choice with oyster shells, egg shells, dried worms and scratch. She gets treats of cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, kale and other various fruits.
She is free range in my fenced backyard, has her own coop with enclosure, sand for flooring and pine shavings for her nest box.
What else can I tell you? Her vent looks clean and moist. No evidence of mites or parasites. Feathers look good. Wattles and comb are red and look good...I’m sending a picture of her current slumped condition. The only things I can think may be behind her issue:
Diet
Possible outside (and unknown) poisoning
Wild bird diseases

Im thinking of doing a flush...

Thoughts???

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She’s hated chicken chow from the beginning, but I’ve always offered it free choice with oyster shells, egg shells, dried worms and scratch. She gets treats of cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, kale and other various fruits.

How old is Laverne?

When did she last lay an egg?

I would check her crop first thing in the morning to that it's empty. Feel inside her vent for an egg and feel her abdomen below the vent between the legs for any bloat/swelling or fluid.

Diet could be taking it's tole on her - hard to know. What is chicken chow? Layer Feed? You can always get a small back of chick starter or flock raiser and see if she will eat that better.

I'm not sure what you mean about giving her a flush? What type of flush and how?

I would try to get her hydrated. You can give her a direct dose of poultry vitamins for a couple of days. If possible, get a fecal float to rule out worms.

 

[LavernesMom]

How old is Laverne?

When did she last lay an egg?

I would check her crop first thing in the morning to that it's empty. Feel inside her vent for an egg and feel her abdomen below the vent between the legs for any bloat/swelling or fluid.

Diet could be taking it's tole on her - hard to know. What is chicken chow? Layer Feed? You can always get a small back of chick starter or flock raiser and see if she will eat that better.

I'm not sure what you mean about giving her a flush? What type of flush and how?

I would try to get her hydrated. You can give her a direct dose of poultry vitamins for a couple of days. If possible, get a fecal float to rule out worms.

Laverne is almost 5. She's sporadic about laying...end of April was her last burst of eggs...8-10 and then 6 weeks before that maybe 5
Do you think she could be egg bound even when pooping normally? She just pooped 2 hours ago
Chicken chow is my short hand for layer crumble
The flush I was considering was one from Gail Damearow (sp?)...epson salt and molasses...in case she ate something that is poisoning her...
She’s not drinking that I can see. I’m in the parking lot of Walgreens getting eye droppers to get a flush or fluid into her

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Laverne is almost 5. She's sporadic about laying

Do you think she could be egg bound even when pooping normally? She just pooped 2 hours ago

The flush I was considering was one from Gail Damearow (sp?)...epson salt and molasses...in case she ate something that is poisoning her..

Can you get some photos of her poop?

Likely not "egg bound" if she pooping, but I would still feel the abdomen below the vent for swelling or fluid.
At 5 yrs old and laying sporadically, she may have a reproductive issue like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, cancer, Salpingitis, etc.

Check her crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's empty.

Do you think she free ranges enough to have gotten into something poison?

 

[LavernesMom]

Can you get some photos of her poop?

Likely not "egg bound" if she pooping, but I would still feel the abdomen below the vent for swelling or fluid.
At 5 yrs old and laying sporadically, she may have a reproductive issue like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, cancer, Salpingitis, etc.

Check her crop first thing in the morning to make sure it's empty.

Do you think she free ranges enough to have gotten into something poison?

Good morning,
I checked her this morning and her crop was empty. Also checked her abdomen and it was soft, nothing firm at all so I don’t think she’s got egg issues. She won’t eat or drink. She was talking a bit and attempted preening a bit. She did not poop this morning as per her usual after getting up in the morning.
I’m trying to get her in to a vet as we speak...
Her poops generally look good but can be a little loose/runny in the warmer months or if she’s eaten a bit too much cheese (honesty is the best policy even if it makes me look like a terrible chicken owner). In the case of cheese related oddities, I back way off cheese consumption and up her greens.
I am concerned about some unknown that she could have eaten causing this, but truly being unknown makes it difficult.
I appreciate your thoughts, input and care

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Were you able to see the vet? How's she doing?

 

[LavernesMom]

I apologize for the lateness of my reply,
We were able to get into see a vet yesterday. They gave her a full exam but no bloodwork. I asked for an x-ray based on their suggestions. And the x-rays showing what they think may be egg peritonitis (which they explained with some thing similar to human endometriosis), but they wanted to send out her x-rays to more experienced doctors in reading them. There were also some areas in the x-ray that were off color making them question if there was fluid build up...but also admitted that they didn’t know and were speculating. They sent me home with Laverne, and oral supplement for calcium to help her pass with maybe a small or fairy egg, antibiotics in case there was something unforeseen or unknown, and an anti-inflammatory… Just to cover things in general. Her heart rate and lung function we’re perfect.Her heart rate and lung function we’re perfect.
All that being said, the second that Laverne and I got home and I let her out of her cage, she was like a brand new chicken, Head up, tail up , vibrant and her usual self. She gave me a look that me something like, “why did we have to go to the doctor today?” And “I feel great!”
She was hungry and ate like crazy (chick starter and milk...but mostly milk...that I Hope was infused with some extra nutrients from the starter feed...)
Now we are waiting for that unknown egg to pass...
Laverne’s saga continues