Hen on bedrest for broken pelvis has the runs- suggestions?

[ChooksChick]

Georgie broke her pelvis a week and a half ago, and she's healing (vet bills are lovely) but has little to no appetite and has green runs.

I know the color suggests her system isn't properly digesting (bilious) and assume it's due to her inactivity and the stress of the injury and being kept in the house.

She's moving around a little now and I've taken her outside for a couple of supervised junkets, but I'd like to try to tidy up her poo some and have run out of ideas. The vet gave me metronidazole to give her, but it's the nastiest med ever in pill form- I've had to take it before and it immediately dissolves on your tongue and is horrifyingly chemical tasting and you can't get the taste out. She let me give her one, but struggles valiantly against any more- to the point of me hurting her to get her to take it. Can't do that.

The vet also suggested Maalox. She has rejected that just as soundly. I can't disguise either of those. I can't even get her to take yogurt, which was previously her favorite food.

Any other suggestions to tighten up her mess? It's so hard to see her like this.

 

[jenni2142]

For mine that had runny poo due to cocci I gave a mixture of baby rice cereal, applesauce w/o added sugar, and crumble. I mixed it until it had almost a sandy texture. This was the ONLY thing that enticed them to eat and firmed up poo some within hours. It was also very easily digested which was good as their poor systems were already stressed with the cocci.

 

[Judy]

The old timey solution the doctors used to prescribe for kids was a BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and tea. They never gave us proportions.

I would think oatmeal or oats in some form would help a bit as well.

 

[threehorses]

I like babyfood oatmeal and plain yogurt.

Oatmeal (it can also be regular oatmeal ground in a food processor to a powder and mixed with babyfood applesauce, or just get a jar of it premade) will help solidify stools. The oats also give beneficial bacteria something to eat - and when they eat, they multiply.

Yogurt increases the number of beneficial bacteria that are colonizing in the gut. Good bacteria help protect the bird against bad bacteria and yeast (causes of diarrhea) by competition and by production of chemicals that the bad bacteria/yeast dislike. Acidophilis capsules work to the same effect, are easier to use, and can be mixed with the oatmeal.

Baby food applesauce corrects the pH of the gut slightly and also provides pectin, but use sparingly as it's also a cleanser. I'd use that once this week, the first feeding, mixed with the oatmeal and yogurt (1 teaspoon) or acidophilis capsule/tablet contents. First meal in the morning - before other foods are given. Then give her free-choice pellets or crumbles. Then the following days just give the oatmeal/yogurt followed by freechoice crumbles.

 

[ChooksChick]

Dangit. I can't George to eat yogurt.

I'm going to head over to the Merc and get some probiotic capsules, I guess and see if I can't slip some of that into her- she's rejected applesauce and oatmeal both. she's going to kill me with worry.

 

[threehorses]

Well at least if you get the capsules, it's quite easy to 'force' them to take some if you make it just into a paste. That would be the most important of all the things, I'd think. I'm susprised she wouldn't take oatmeal though. They usually love it unless it's too sticky. Sometimes it takes a few tries.

If she'll eat mashed boiled egg yolk, you can mix some oatmeal powder in water and then mix that with the egg and sometimes they'll take it. That might be a good place to stick the contents of one of the capsules or crushed tablets as well.

We'll find a way to tempt her.

 

[Poultry Couture]

I'm sure she's fine now, but is she still with us?

 

[cowcreekgeek]

Dangit. I can't George to eat yogurt.

I'm going to head over to the Merc and get some probiotic capsules, I guess and see if I can't slip some of that into her- she's rejected applesauce and oatmeal both. she's going to kill me with worry.

Try 'n get me to take meds, and you'll really see how much resistance one man can put up. OK, ok ... w/ that smile? I'd just make an awful face as I forced it down, which is what you're gonna have to do -- you've simply gotta put the meds directly into her crop. I've seen good instructionals, but for some reason I can't seem to find 'em today.

But, there's one one crop needling which is similar to what needs done: >> peck here << to open it in a new window ~'-)
Here's another, on tube feeding, right here on BYC.

There's a curved syringe that works sufficiently well for placing meds 'n such directly into the crop. You could pick one up from your vet's office, or many farm or pet stores; possibly even drug stores ...

​

The main objective, of course, is to get it to go into the crop, by missing the hole at the base of their tongue <-- as this is not where you want it to go.

​

You aim beyond, and slightly above, and slightly to your left, if the chicken's facing you ... this all sounds much harder than it is. I've used straws, the barrels of pens, pieces of aquarium pump tubing. You've just gotta be gentle in the inserting of it, and never try 'n force it past any resistance. But, you do not have to be gentle w/ the chicken -- tug the wattles, 'n hold 'er open ~'-)

 

[Poultry Couture]

My frizzle HATES taking his meds. Like she said just pull on their waddles an they'll open up!

 

[jaco]

I know your post is several years old, but how did your Georgie heal up? I have a dark brahma with a broken pelvis. After her fall she actually seemed fine but progressively got worse. X-ray confirmed a totally broken pelvis. She is still bright, eating and drinking. Any advice or hope for her healing would be great! She is just so wobbly. But doesn't seem to have any nerve damage. Clomps around the small kennel and can stand straight up when she feels like it. Again any advice would be appreciated