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

[TropicalChickies]

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.

Hi thank you. One more question, please:

So I can give her the amoxy and the ceph at the same time as a combination therapy?

Or do I have to space them out?

Rusty's still with us. Feeling rough, getting gurgly breathing, but here. I just gave her the Epsom salt flush. Waiting for her to move the salt solution through her system, then I will medicate and hopefully feed her. I don't want to put the antibiotic right on top of the Epsom salt water of it's just going to go out the other end.

 

[azygous]

Give the two antibiotics at the same time. But, space the calcium by at least two hours as it can inhibit absorption of the meds.

I like it you're a thinking person. Good job.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Give the two antibiotics at the same time. But, space the calcium by at least two hours as it can inhibit absorption of the meds.

I like it you're a thinking person. Good job.

Ok, done. She has perked up a bit. Stopped the gurgly breathing. Looks like she took a step back from deaths door anyway. Maybe two! She ate a bit of damp mash mixed with a little olive oil. I've been syringing her pure water with a squeeze of lemon and bit of ginger -- seems to help "de-gas" the crop. The crop is still pretty big and watery, but she's moving stuff out. She's struggling but still has a chance.

Her comb is down and she's puffed up, but she's walking around and showing some interest in her surroundings at least. She naps a lot, but her breathing is more calm and regular. I've given her free reign over our patio kitchen.

 

[azygous]

She has the appearance of a hen who isn't ready to give up. When you see such progress in a short period, it's a very good sign. A dying chicken would not have responded like this.

 

[TropicalChickies]

She has the appearance of a hen who isn't ready to give up. When you see such progress in a short period, it's a very good sign. A dying chicken would not have responded like this.

It looks like we are moving in the right direction. Rusty's crop was much smaller this morning. She's only eaten a small amount, but still, if the crop were filling with liquid from somewhere below in her body, it wouldn't go down anyway. So I think the meds are reducing the infection and inflammation to let the crop move, is my guess.

I gave her an morning dose of antibiotics about 90 minutes ago. I'm going to flush her with Epsom salt now, wait until she poops, then feed her soft mash like I did yesterday. Then dose her again this evening. Hopefully by tomorrow the crop empties.

She looks like she slept much better last night. She's standing up this morning, much more alert, and breathing without any gurgling.

I have to be careful giving her food, spreading it out in small amounts so she doesn't scarf and choke. She does have to clear her throat after eating. Once she's cleared it herself, I squirt a few drops of liquid into the side of her beak and that gets it all down. But she wants to eat, and that's good. Her droppings after eating look better, mushy, but not all watery with less green bile.

 

[TropicalChickies]

She has the appearance of a hen who isn't ready to give up. When you see such progress in a short period, it's a very good sign. A dying chicken would not have responded like this.

How common is it for a hen sick like this to keep one eye closed? Is it a pain reaction? One eye is clear and pretty bright, but she keeps the other one mostly closed. I've flushed it with saline and applied gentamicin drops.

 

[azygous]

It can be indicative of many things. A pain reaction to an injury, weakness from not eating enough, a neurological symptom, an actual choice since chickens focus their eyes independently from each other. Flushing the eyes, both of them, with saline is an adequate response. My guess is she's weak and needs to see what's going on so she's conserving energy by using just the left eye which focuses on the broad world which can include danger. If it's the right eye she closes, it would lend credence to my silly theory.

Excellent progress from the patient.

 

[TropicalChickies]

It can be indicative of many things. A pain reaction to an injury, weakness from not eating enough, a neurological symptom, an actual choice since chickens focus their eyes independently from each other. Flushing the eyes, both of them, with saline is an adequate response. My guess is she's weak and needs to see what's going on so she's conserving energy by using just the left eye which focuses on the broad world which can include danger. If it's the right eye she closes, it would lend credence to my silly theory.

Excellent progress from the patient.

It is the right eye she closes! And after she eats and drinks, she opens it more! That's very very interesting.

Also, she has lost weight of course. She's thin, but not critically so. I've had broodies who got this thin before they started eating for themselves again. And I can tell she's conserving energy. When she sees and hears the flock outside the patio gate, she inspects, she's alert to noises, she's just resting I think. She's not immobile.

I'm encouraged. She is weak and needs supportive care and rest, but I can do that. She has a shot at beating this -- whatever it is.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Rusty is fighting as hard as she can, but I think I need to start helping her with the yeast in her crop. Her crop is smaller, but it has not emptied in 10 days (that I know of). She smells like a big sourdough bread bakery. There's yeasty smelling air coming out of her beak, she burps like a sailor, she wants to eat but it makes her choke, and now I can tell it's putting pressure on her heart.

She wanted to eat her damp mash today, but after she took just a few pecks at it, she walked away. And she was getting very weak from not eating enough and fighting this. So I poached an egg, removed the runny yolk, and spoon fed it to her. She immediately perked up. But then about 20 minutes later, she started forcefully exhaling gassy air and aspirating. She didn't breathe for more than 10 seconds and was going down. In a last ditch attempt to save her, I pointed her head downwards and tried to make her vomit. Risky, I know, but I'm pretty good at it after keeping a hen with chronic crop issues alive for almost two years, and Rusty was not breathing.

She didn't vomit, but the motion must have relieved the pressure momentarily because she caught her breath.

She wants to live. She is digesting food, but too slowly and not enough of it. Her liver is still working -- her poop has dark green bile in it -- not yellow or yellow green. I think the antibiotics are knocking back the infection, but the crop yeast looks really dangerous right now.

I have Clotrimazole cream and Nystatin in addition to ACS. I've not had good results with Nystatin on my other hen in the past, but I'm willing to try it on Rusty.

I'm all ears if anyone can advise. Thank you @azygous @TwoCrows @Wyorp Rock

 

[TwoCrows]

Rusty is fighting as hard as she can, but I think I need to start helping her with the yeast in her crop. Her crop is smaller, but it has not emptied in 10 days (that I know of). She smells like a big sourdough bread bakery. There's yeasty smelling air coming out of her beak, she burps like a sailor, she wants to eat but it makes her choke, and now I can tell it's putting pressure on her heart.

I couldn't get her to eat any damp mash today. And she was getting very weak from not eating, the meds, and the flushes. So I poached an egg, removed the runny yolk, and spoon fed it to her. She immediately perked up. But then about 20 minutes later, she started forcefully exhaling gassy air and aspirating. She didn't breathe for more than 10 seconds and was going down. In a last ditch attempt to save her, I pointed her head downwards and tried to make her vomit. Risky, I know, but I'm pretty good at it after keeping a hen with chronic crop issues alive for almost two years, and Rusty was not breathing.

She didn't vomit, but the motion must have relieved the pressure momentarily because she caught her breath.

She wants to live. She is digesting food, but too slowly and not enough of it. Her liver is still working -- her poop has dark green bile in it -- not yellow or yellow green. I think the antibiotics are knocking back the infection, but the crop yeast looks really dangerous right now.

I have Clotrimazole cream and Nystatin in addition to ACS. I've not had good results with Nystatin on my other hen in the past, but I'm willing to try it on Rusty.

I'm all ears if anyone can advise. Thank you @azygous @TwoCrows @Wyorp Rock

Poor girl, but she sounds like she is still pushing to survive!

When the crop is full, even with air, it definitely fills the cavity where the heart beats and expands. It can definitely put strain the heart. I have had the best luck with Clortrimazole for yeast, 1 ml 3 times a day, you can use this with or without food. The Nystatin must be given without food, so Id use this first thing in the morning, after any vomiting, don't offer any food for about an hour. Nystatin works on contact only and much of the yeasts are in the crop lining. You want the drug to reach all parts of the crop for as long as possible without being absorbed by food.

Sounds like she is in good hands with you, I wish I had more ideas for you.