Help! Micro Serama is ill!

[FeeltheLove12]

I don't exactly know how I acquired Penelope...I thought she was a teenager last year when a woman at a Serama show shoved her in my hands in exchange for a hen of mine she coveted. She obviously knew I was a newbie at this.... But I fell in love with Penelope and brought her home last July. Eight weeks later she laid a tiny egg, and then about 1 every 3 days until a month ago. I did not realize she was a micro until her recent issues.....she started walking backwards and flipped over once. I suspected egg bound, then noticed yolk in her droppings. For the past 4 weeks, I administered Baytril and Calcium Gluconate by mouth. She is much better, but still unsteady on her feet. She has no other symptoms other than unsteady gait and no eggs.

Now that I know she's a micro (6 oz), I realize she may never lay eggs again and may not live long. I can't find any information on what happens to kill these tiny wonders....and I want to prevent it if I can. I don't know if I need to just continue the meds (every other day now)...or what else might help her. She is so precious, and I am terribly attached....I know I may lose her, but I want to do all I can...

 

[azygous]

She likely has genetic issues, being bred for a micro size. It's what happens when we humans monkey with nature.

So, yes, she probably has an infection. The yolk evidence indicates she probably has EYP - Egg Yolk Peritonitis. This can be caused by genetics and stress. The yolks are released by the ovary, but they are diverted to the abdominal cavity instead of traveling down the oviduct.

The result is a mess of infection in her abdomen. There are two ways to treat it. One is to have a vet surgically clean out the infection and take steps to stop future ovulation. The other is to keep her on an antibiotic until she feels better. The latter doesn't have a high success rate, I'm sorry to say. If she lives, she likely will never lay again, but she could continue to release yolks to do future damage.

This is likely what you're dealing with. If you can locate a good avian vet and can afford it, that would be the best plan of action. The second option is to step up the antibiotic to each day instead of every other day, and hope for the best.

 

[FeeltheLove12]

So she was feeling better and then I stopped the antibiotic....and she slipped back some.
I have no problem having the vet sterilize her, but I don't want to do that and have her die anyway of whatever kills the micros at 8 months. I find information stating they don't usually live past 8 months, but not the reason for that....and I think that's true for Roos, too....

Poor little baby....I would never have engineered that, but I guess I am glad she's in my hands, and I understand why the breeder forced her on me.... It will be quite a trick to find a vet in this area, but I would take her out of town if it buys me more than a few more months....

 

[azygous]

Stopping an antibiotic when the hen starts to feel better is what a lot of people get tricked into doing. Most antibiotics should be give daily for a period of 7 to 10 days straight. There are some that need to be given for 21 days. It's important you follow the drug recommendations to the letter.

I hope you can find a vet to treat her. I've fallen in love with her sweet little photo, and I know how much you must love her.

 

[FeeltheLove12]

Actually, she's been on the antibiotic for 21+ days...but I was to discontinue it but to keep a close eye on her for symptoms worsening... and I think there's a little of that...I guess there is no horrible harm in continuing it indefinitely...and the calcium gluconate. In the meantime, I will check into the chickterectomy...if I can do it without causing her too much more trauma....I will....

I am just glad I know what the problem is, and that it won't affect the rest of my flock....she's missing them something awful...but I was afraid of contamination while I figured it out....

I am also glad I had some Baytril on hand because finding a vet to treat her in time would have been impossible. I think I was over medicating her, which probably helped knock the infection out enough to save her but upset her stomach. I got lucky finding someone knowledgeable by phone who recommended the proper dosage and calcium gluconate (TSC $6) which clearly helped a lot. I would never be without it in my Chick First Aid kit now.... The biologist said she likely cannot process the other kinds of calcium (in her food, oyster, Tums, egg shells, etc...)..

For as little as she is, you should see her fight me to take the meds now that she's feeling a bit better....I just want to make sure I know what else to look out for....

Thank you for troubleshooting this with me.....it helps immeasurably....

 

[azygous]

The 21 days of antibiotics should have knocked out any infection. You run the risk of eliminating all her good microbes in her intestines by prolonging the antibiotic. Yeast infection could take advantage of it.

It's a real balancing act.

 

[rebrascora]

If she is not actively laying then I would stop giving the calcium gluconate. You will be putting a strain on her kidneys having to process that calcium when she has no use for it.
Major surgery, like removal of the oviduct or lavage of the abdominal cavity is pretty risky..... it's mostly the anaesthetic which creates the greatest issues in chickens ... so not something that should be undertaken without careful consideration. They cannot usually remove the ovary as well as the oviduct due to high risk of haemorrhaging because of the large blood supply to the organ, so hormonal implants are required to prevent future ovulation and need to be replaced every 3-6 months..... it becomes a very expensive situation at $100-$150 a go. Not wanting to dissuade you, but just ensuring that you have all the facts before you consider putting her through the trauma of surgery.
I wish you luck with her.

 

[FeeltheLove12]

The 21 days of antibiotics should have knocked out any infection. You run the risk of eliminating all her good microbes in her intestines by prolonging the antibiotic. Yeast infection could take advantage of it.

It's a real balancing act.

Oh boy! Don't I know it! She wouldn't be here today if I wasn't paying close attention to it, and that's why I wrote for support!! I am making sure she gets yogurt and keeping an eye on her vent for yeast....

 

[FeeltheLove12]

If she is not actively laying then I would stop giving the calcium gluconate. You will be putting a strain on her kidneys having to process that calcium when she has no use for it.
Major surgery, like removal of the oviduct or lavage of the abdominal cavity is pretty risky..... it's mostly the anaesthetic which creates the greatest issues in chickens ... so not something that should be undertaken without careful consideration. They cannot usually remove the ovary as well as the oviduct due to high risk of haemorrhaging because of the large blood supply to the organ, so hormonal implants are required to prevent future ovulation and need to be replaced every 3-6 months..... it becomes a very expensive situation at $100-$150 a go. Not wanting to dissuade you, but just ensuring that you have all the facts before you consider putting her through the trauma of surgery.
I wish you luck with her.

Well, thank you for that.....I certainly wanted to make sure she was healthy enough to undergo surgery first....she has gained some weight and is much better....just not all the way there.... I want to be sure I do all that I can for her without overdoing it....and that has been a balancing act from the moment she got sick.....so far, I have had no reason to believe she is dying or suffering unnecessarily.....(except when I had to use KY jelly and my pinkie to determine if she was egg bound...LOL), but I want to know what to watch for so that doesn't happen....I had no idea she was a micro, and still don't know if this is what kills them or if it is something else I also need to watch out for....she seems quite content....it's me that's not!! I don't want to miss something.....

Thank you for your input....it validates the razor's edge I am walking.... Well, worth it as long as both of our quality of life is maintained.....

 

[FeeltheLove12]

Well, thank you for that.....I certainly wanted to make sure she was healthy enough to undergo surgery first....she has gained some weight and is much better....just not all the way there.... I want to be sure I do all that I can for her without overdoing it....and that has been a balancing act from the moment she got sick.....so far, I have had no reason to believe she is dying or suffering unnecessarily.....(except when I had to use KY jelly and my pinkie to determine if she was egg bound...LOL), but I want to know what to watch for so that doesn't happen....I had no idea she was a micro, and still don't know if this is what kills them or if it is something else I also need to watch out for....she seems quite content....it's me that's not!! I don't want to miss something.....

Thank you for your input....it validates the razor's edge I am walking.... Well, worth it as long as both of our quality of life is maintained.....

You know that brings me to a question....do you think one 3-month course of the hormonal implant could give her significant recovery time to heal enough to make it not happen every time she releases a yolk? If that is a possibility, it may be money well spent at least the first time anyway.....