Hen losing weight, vet stumped and so am I. Marek’s?

[MissGreenJeans]

Hi, fellow keepers. I’m sad and confused, and I hope some experienced folks will offer an opinion about my situation.

Bird:
2.5-year-old Ameraucana

Origin and environment:
Purchased from Chickens for Backyards, arrived via mail a couple of days after hatch, vaccinated for Marek’s. Closed flock since, no free ranging, pretty strict biosecurity measures, no close neighbors with chickens. Can share more if requested.

Symptoms:
Staring at the time of a hard molt (approx. 4 weeks ago), increasing inappetence, ongoing weight loss, increasing lethargy, crop never totally empties but is not large, poop variable: often watery, sometimes with green bits, sometimes yellowish, then more normal-looking after a single tube feeding at vet (pics attached)

Ruled out at vet:
Parasites, including coccidia, crop impaction, sour crop, total crop stasis (crop contractions observed, barium study done with x-rays), lead/metal poisoning, tumors. Vet did see what she thought might be an ovarian cyst on x-ray but doesn’t think it is causing symptoms.

Treatment tried:
Prozyme, offering a ton of different foods, brought inside to hospital crate, a single tube feeding at vet three days ago, which perked her up and did prompt some eating (only watermelon, a little Kaytee Exact and her own poop—lots of that)

Possible diagnosis:
My vet thinks it may be Marek’s. I assume it would be the visceral version. My bird has zero paralysis, limping or other similar symptoms, no cutaneous symptoms, and her eyes are normal.

I realize that I can’t know if I now do have Marek’s in my flock unless my chicken dies and I have PCR testing done when I take her for necropsy. But does Marek’s sound likely to you, given the info above? Has anyone had a similar experience?


Lots of poop:

Yesterday (Friday), after tube feeding on Wednesday afternoon and a lot of watermelon


Last week, when not eating much of anything


Last week, when not eating much of anything


Last week, when not eating much of anything


Week before last

This morning

 

[nuthatched]

What is her diet?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hi! Can you give her raw yolk and some meat, anything to boost her nutrition. How far is she into the molt? Can you post pictures of her?

 

[LaFleche]

I'd stop the water melon and feed her scrambled eggs with millet and fine oats, adding some brewer's yeast.
Always provide granite grit and calcium free choice.

When moulting the entire metabolism of the bird changes and they lose up to one third of their body weight.
Any other issue they might have been able to keep at bay prior to moulting might resurface and sometimes even lead to death as their body is weakened and unable to fight it during moulting.

Although your vet said there were no worms present, I would still deworm as depending on the kind of parasites they will not always be present in a fecal sample and it could make all the difference if they are depleting her of much needed nutrients while causing harm to her intestines.

 

[MissGreenJeans]

What is her diet?

She and my other girls were eating Scratch and Peck organic pellets (the ones made with black soldier fly larvae). She also got a little scratch (Nature’s Best) but not daily, a few dried black soldier fly larvae most days, and sometimes fruit/veg. The flock mainly eats their feed. When she lost weight and started to become anorexic, the vet told me to try anything. I tried meat baby food, baby rice cereal, cooked oatmeal, apples, cooked peas and carrots, and scrambled eggs. She ate a little of each at first. Then, for a few days, she wouldn’t eat anything except the larvae and apples. Then she quit eating those, too. She continued to drink water daily and stayed hydrated. Today, after having that tube feeding at the vet on Wednesday (Kaytee Exact), she’s eating a little of the Exact, a little of that with Nature’s Best all flock crumbles mixed in, watermelon when I offer it, and her own poop.

 

[MissGreenJeans]

Hi! Can you give her raw yolk and some meat, anything to boost her nutrition. How far is she into the molt? Can you post pictures of her?

Yes! I’ll try the raw yolk and meat. Does it matter what kind of meat? Pic posted. That’s her today, looking like she’s feeling better. She’s now actually nearing the end of her molt. (Or maybe she’s done? Not sure if the official end is when all the feathers are grown back in or when they quit falling out. ) While declining, her feathers continue to come in beautifully.

 

[MissGreenJeans]

I'd stop the water melon and feed her scrambled eggs with millet and fine oats, adding some brewer's yeast.
Always provide granite grit and calcium free choice.

When moulting the entire metabolism of the bird changes and they lose up to one third of their body weight.
Any other issue they might have been able to keep at bay prior to moulting might resurface and sometimes even lead to death as their body is weakened and unable to fight it during moulting.

Although your vet said there were no worms present, I would still deworm as depending on the kind of parasites they will not always be present in a fecal sample and it could make all the difference if they are depleting her of much needed nutrients while causing harm to her intestines.

This is very helpful advice! Thank you! I’ll try the eggs again, but she was refusing those. Do you think the watermelon is harmful? Or just not rich in nutrients? It’s the one thing she seems really into eating, and I think it helped perk her up—maybe because of all the hydration?

 

[MissGreenJeans]

Yes! I’ll try the raw yolk and meat. Does it matter what kind of meat? Pic posted. That’s her today, looking like she’s feeling better. She’s now actually nearing the end of her molt. (Or maybe she’s done? Not sure if the official end is when all the feathers are grown back in or when they quit falling out. ) View attachment 3686513While declining, her feathers continue to come in beautifully.

 

[MissGreenJeans]

More pics…

 

[MissGreenJeans]

More pics…

Start of hard molt about a month ago…