HELP! Sudden lethargy, and uncontrollable shaking/breathing

[vantain]

I have a beautiful Buff Orpington, Gertrude, who was fine one minute, eating/drinking/scratching...then she sat down and started open mouth breathing. Since then, she is just laying there, not very responsive, panting and shaking. I removed her from the run, since the others started to bother her, and I have her inside, in a pet crate, with heat. I check on her every 30 minutes, and she is still shaking and open mouth breathing, eyes closed. I checked her vent, and I can't feel any egg or anything. She's obviously in distress, and I'm afraid to move her anymore because she is in such stress.

Any ideas of what I can here? She's been this way now for about 3 hours.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Yikes. Let's tag some experts cause this is beyond me but you definitely need some help: @Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

Sudden symptoms can point to a toxic exposure of some sort. Was she in the run before this came on? Is your run uncovered? Look carefully on the ground for any weird insect out of the ordinary.

It can't hurt to give the hen some activated charcoal and sugar water to drink with electrolytes in it. Repeat the activated charcoal in a couple hours, and again just before night.

 

[vantain]

I'm going to guess heart failure. I checked on her again a few minutes ago, and she has died.

 

[vantain]

Sudden symptoms can point to a toxic exposure of some sort. Was she in the run before this came on? Is your run uncovered? Look carefully on the ground for any weird insect out of the ordinary.

It can't hurt to give the hen some activated charcoal and sugar water to drink with electrolytes in it. Repeat the activated charcoal in a couple hours, and again just before night.

I have cameras that record all the time. I had checked them to see when the problem started. One minute she was eating at the feeder with others, then walked to the waterer to get some water, then walked to another spot and sat down. From that point on, she started panting, and that is about when I found her.

No others are showing any symptoms like this. My run is covered.

 

[azygous]

Have you checked the water for anything unusual? It won't do any harm to treat with the activated charcoal just in case. No harm vs do nothing and she could die.

 

[vantain]

Have you checked the water for anything unusual? It won't do any harm to treat with the activated charcoal just in case. No harm vs do nothing and she could die.

She already passed.

 

[vantain]

Have you checked the water for anything unusual? It won't do any harm to treat with the activated charcoal just in case. No harm vs do nothing and she could die.

I refreshed the water yesterday, as well as cleaned the waterer. No one else is having symptoms like this. Fine one minute, then suddenly having a serious issue. All of her movement and activity just prior to sitting down were normal. She was up on the outdoor roost just before coming down to eat/drink. While on the roost, she was preening herself.

 

[azygous]

By "anything unusual" I mean insects. A few years ago, I lost two chicks to a buck moth caterpillar that fell out of the trees right at their feet. Just a taste sent them into toxic shock. They died.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Sorry to hear she didn't make it