Help with sick Cochen chick

[EmmaKay]

I am a new chicken owner. Past few days, the weather has been unpredictable. (80 degrees down to 45 degrees) I normally keep the chicks in the shed with a heat lamp but this time I left them in their coop. The heat lamp was on but the chicks did not go to that level of their coop. The next morning I found them freezing. I noticed the cochen has been sneezing. 2 days have passed- she is still sneezing and when I went to check on her last night she was very weak and lethargic. She would not even open her eyes. When she sneezes, little droplets come out. I kept her inside last night and got her to drink from a syringe. She slept hard. She didnt even sit up to poop, she just pooped where she layed. When she got up, she drank and ate on her own. She keeps scratching at her ears and is still sneezing. Her breath smells too (possible sore throat??) She wants to keep sleeping but wont let me put her down. When I hold Hershey falls asleep (until she is awakened by her sneeze)... she switches from mouth and nose breathing.
What can I do to help her?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC
How old is she?

Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight - sometimes crop issues can cause the breath to smell.
Look inside her beak just to make sure there's no lesions or canker.

She's scratching at her ears, so take a look in the ears for infection too.
Chicks that are not well, may need a little extra heat, so even with her being inside, you may want to provide a heating pad cave for her to go in, but keep check that she's not getting too hot.

I would work on getting her hydrated. Drops of water or electrolytes would be good.

The sneezing with discharge is concerning, she may have respiratory illness. Depending on the cause an antibiotic may be needed to help with symptoms. Tylan would be a good choice.

 

[EmmaKay]

Welcome To BYC
How old is she?

Check to make sure her crop is emptying overnight - sometimes crop issues can cause the breath to smell.
Look inside her beak just to make sure there's no lesions or canker.

She's scratching at her ears, so take a look in the ears for infection too.
Chicks that are not well, may need a little extra heat, so even with her being inside, you may want to provide a heating pad cave for her to go in, but keep check that she's not getting too hot.

I would work on getting her hydrated. Drops of water or electrolytes would be good.

The sneezing with discharge is concerning, she may have respiratory illness. Depending on the cause an antibiotic may be needed to help with symptoms. Tylan would be a good choice.

Thank you for your response!! I would estimate that she is about a month old. When I bought her, she was a couple weeks old. I honestly try my very best but I am still learning. We love her so much. I bought the vetRX and have put some in water. I have been cleaning her pin daily. She is eating and drinking.. pooping like crazy! This morning, it looked like there was blood in her stool. Also, her eye was swollen shut. Less sneezing today and breathing sounds more clear... I tried applying a warm compress on her eye. She opened it but its definitely swollen.

 

[EmmaKay]

Thank you for your response!! I would estimate that she is about a month old. When I bought her, she was a couple weeks old. I honestly try my very best but I am still learning. We love her so much. I bought the vetRX and have put some in water. I have been cleaning her pin daily. She is eating and drinking.. pooping like crazy! This morning, it looked like there was blood in her stool. Also, her eye was swollen shut. Less sneezing today and breathing sounds more clear... I tried applying a warm compress on her eye. She opened it but its definitely swollen.

Also, I'm worried when I put her back with the others... will they accept her back as if she hadn't been gone?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for your response!! I would estimate that she is about a month old. When I bought her, she was a couple weeks old. I honestly try my very best but I am still learning. We love her so much. I bought the vetRX and have put some in water. I have been cleaning her pin daily. She is eating and drinking.. pooping like crazy! This morning, it looked like there was blood in her stool. Also, her eye was swollen shut. Less sneezing today and breathing sounds more clear... I tried applying a warm compress on her eye. She opened it but its definitely swollen.

Also, I'm worried when I put her back with the others... will they accept her back as if she hadn't been gone?

Can you get some photos of her poop and of her eye? (All of her too - I love photos!)

Is she able to walk/move around?

You may want to give her an antibiotic like Tylan to see if that helps to clear up respiratory symptoms.
Without seeing the eye - basic care is to flush with saline, press out any pus if that's causing the swelling, then apply an eye ointment like Terramycin. You can also use Original Neosporin in the eye if you can't get Terramycin. Some things are hard to find/get right now it seems.

Blood in the poop is concerning. Without seeing that, it may have been intestinal shedding, but if it was frank blood then Coccidiosis would be an issue. Corid will treat that, it wouldn't hurt to have some on hand if that's possible.

As for what will happen once she recovers and is ready to go back to the flock - the best I can say would be - you'll have to wait and see what happens. Chickens...oh boy, you never know what they will do. Cross that bridge when it comes.

 

[EmmaKay]

 

[EmmaKay]

Can I bathe her?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Poor thing!

No, I would not give her a bath. If she's soiled, clean the best you can with the least amount of water. Bathing a sick chicken can send them over the edge. Dry her really well. Use a hair dryer to get all her fluff dry.

I would get some Corid and start treating for Coccidiosis. I would consider getting an antibiotic like Tylan to treat for respiratory infection too. (Corid is not an antibiotic).
These meds can be given at the same time.

Not sure where you are located, but some Tractor Supplies carry Tylan50 injectable which can be given orally. Dose is 0.25ml per pound of weight given 3 times a day for 5 days.

Corid comes in powder or liquid and is found in the cattle section. Corid powder is 1 1/2 tsp per gallon of water and Corid liquid is 2 tsp per gallon of water. Give as the only source of drinking water for 5-7 days.

If she's not drinking well, then you may need to syringe the Corid water into her several times a day. A wet mash of chick starter can also be given if she's not eating really well.

Does the eye have pus or is there an odor about her face? I would keep the eye cleaned the best you can, apply the ointment. If there's pus, it will need to be pressed out and removed - chicken pus doesn't dry up on it's own even with antibiotics, it has to be removed.

 

[EmmaKay]

Poor thing!

No, I would not give her a bath. If she's soiled, clean the best you can with the least amount of water. Bathing a sick chicken can send them over the edge. Dry her really well. Use a hair dryer to get all her fluff dry.

I would get some Corid and start treating for Coccidiosis. I would consider getting an antibiotic like Tylan to treat for respiratory infection too. (Corid is not an antibiotic).
These meds can be given at the same time.

Not sure where you are located, but some Tractor Supplies carry Tylan50 injectable which can be given orally. Dose is 0.25ml per pound of weight given 3 times a day for 5 days.

Corid comes in powder or liquid and is found in the cattle section. Corid powder is 1 1/2 tsp per gallon of water and Corid liquid is 2 tsp per gallon of water. Give as the only source of drinking water for 5-7 days.

If she's not drinking well, then you may need to syringe the Corid water into her several times a day. A wet mash of chick starter can also be given if she's not eating really well.

Does the eye have pus or is there an odor about her face? I would keep the eye cleaned the best you can, apply the ointment. If there's pus, it will need to be pressed out and removed - chicken pus doesn't dry up on it's own even with antibiotics, it has to be removed.

Her whole body smells.. but yes, I noticed (what I thought was her breath) to smell really bad. Since the vetRX, i dont notice that bad smell much anyone. She eats and drinks great, she also moves around a lot on her own.

 

[EmmaKay]

Her whole body smells.. but yes, I noticed (what I thought was her breath) to smell really bad. Since the vetRX, i dont notice that bad smell much anyone. She eats and drinks great, she also moves around a lot on her own.

And how long will this last? I brought her in on 4/1