Hen suddenly very sick. Chalky white/yellow discharge, bad smelling vent. Other details provided, please help

[azygous]

On second thought, a better flush in view of her yeasty crop, would probably be an Epsom salts flush (magnesium sulfate). This one calls for one teaspoon of Epsom salts in half a cup (118ml) of warm water. The same protocol as the molasses flush. This amount is much easier tubed in as syringing would take forever. The Epsom salts also works to kill yeast as it stimulates the intestines to move undigested material through the intestines and gizzard.

Administer for three days in a row.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Her problem could be a blockage farther down the digestive tract, and a flush might be helpful to try tomorrow in lieu of the copper sulfate solution. It will also infuse her with additional nutrients and calories and should give her a boost besides stimulating her intestines to move any undigested material.

Give her one teaspoon molasses dissolved in one-fourth cup (59ml) warm water first thing tomorrow. It's easiest to tube it into her if you can to get it all in at once so it can stimulate her intestines. Do it for three days in a row. It's a mild natural laxative and is safe.

Thank you. I will try that. I've never had to tube feed a bird, but I knew I'd probably have to try someday so I have a catheter tube in the kit.

But in bad news, after being off the ceph for just one day, the infection is back. This morning her vent was gunked up with white stuff and sticky clear liquid. -- she was just sitting in it. She has that foul acrid smell and one eye is mucous-y again.

So I suppose we can safely assume that she does have a bacterial infection because the ceph helped and when I took her off she went bad again. So if I continue trying to help her, she needs more antibiotics. It doesn't look like the ceph was strong enough or the right one to knock this out completely -- if that's possible.

Problem is the crop is so backed up -- but I'm thinking like you are -- that the blockage is further down and she's filling with the liquid from the back end up.

Poor Rusty. She's in a bad way.

 

[TropicalChickies]

On second thought, a better flush in view of her yeasty crop, would probably be an Epsom salts flush (magnesium sulfate). This one calls for one teaspoon of Epsom salts in half a cup (118ml) of warm water. The same protocol as the molasses flush. This amount is much easier tubed in as syringing would take forever. The Epsom salts also works to kill yeast as it stimulates the intestines to move undigested material through the intestines and gizzard.

Administer for three days in a row.

Ok, I did give her Epsom salt once two days ago. And it did flush her out -- she pooped a big smelly mass shortly afterwards. I'll try that again instead of molasses.

 

[azygous]

The protocol is for three days straight. I've done this for a couple of my hens, and it energized them.

 

[azygous]

Often, the bacterium in these types of infections is E.coli. I had and E.coli bladder infection this past summer, and it took forever to get rid of it because E.coli has a couple of antibiotic resistant strains. It took me three different antibiotics to get rid of it finally.

Try amoxicillin in addition to the Ceph if you can get it. 250mg per day for ten days.

 

[TropicalChickies]

The protocol is for three days straight. I've done this for a couple of my hens, and it energized them.

Thank you. I gave her the flush this morning and it made her eliminate a big stinky watery bubbly mess. Better in than out. Then I gave her water with electrolytes and probiotic. I will continue flushing her for the next two days.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Often, the bacterium in these types of infections is E.coli. I had and E.coli bladder infection this past summer, and it took forever to get rid of it because E.coli has a couple of antibiotic resistant strains. It took me three different antibiotics to get rid of it finally.

Try amoxicillin in addition to the Ceph if you can get it. 250mg per day for ten days.

A friend of mine in the US who keeps birds put me on touch with an avian vet.

She also recommended either amoxicillin or injectable penicillin or oxytetracycline with neomycin. (I told the vet I can buy some antibiotics without prescription, but I'm not sure which ones). She also said given that the crop was so slow, the injectable would take effect faster and stays in her system longer. I recall you mentioned the risk of necrotic skin, though, with injectables.

I'm going into the town today and will see what I can get. If I can amoxy, I'll go with that. If not, I know I can get the oxytetracycline for sure, I've used it before and am comfortable giving the subcutaneous injection.

Thanks for all of your help.

I put Rusty outside after her big poop while the other chickens were ranging away and she sunbathed. Then she came in and drank some fluids on her own. So I'm not giving up.

 

[azygous]

You can avoid tissue damage by being careful to inject in a different spot each time. Some meds are more caustic than others in this respect.

Using two different antibiotics in conjunction can work on resistant E.coli. Just need to research the interaction possibilities. There is none with amoxy and Ceph. But the effectiveness of them together on E.coli is unknown. As long as we know it's safe to use the two together, it's worth a try.

When you face choosing an antibiotic, you also need to find out if it's a broad spectrum or not. An antibiotic that works on one bacterium may not work on another due to the difference in cell structures of these bacteria. You are safer going with a broad spectrum.

Since the acrid odor is back with a discharge, it might be a good idea to start her on the daily calcium again in case an egg is involved.

 

[TropicalChickies]

You can avoid tissue damage by being careful to inject in a different spot each time. Some meds are more caustic than others in this respect.

Using two different antibiotics in conjunction can work on resistant E.coli. Just need to research the interaction possibilities. There is none with amoxy and Ceph. But the effectiveness of them together on E.coli is unknown. As long as we know it's safe to use the two together, it's worth a try.

When you face choosing an antibiotic, you also need to find out if it's a broad spectrum or not. An antibiotic that works on one bacterium may not work on another due to the difference in cell structures of these bacteria. You are safer going with a broad spectrum.

Since the acrid odor is back with a discharge, it might be a good idea to start her on the daily calcium again in case an egg is involved.

I was able to get amoxicillin. Is the dosage of 250mg given once a day or every 12 hours?

 

[azygous]

That would be every 24 hours, but if you're dosing with the Ceph twice a day, break up the amoxy into two 125mg doses.