Hen with runny poop died after vet treated; three others have poopy butt now

[Callender Girl]

One of my 3 1/2 year old Sapphire Gems had white, runny poop on her butt feathers last Friday. As I used to have an RIR who CONSTANTLY had a messy butt, I cleaned the poop, made sure Vanna was eating and drinking, and put her in a coop by herself so no one bothered her since she seemed a bit lethargic.

On Saturday, she seemed more lethargic, and there was lots more runny white poop. I added some ACV to her water and hoped she would hang on until I could get her to a vet. On Sunday, she was pretty lively and I thought she was on the mend. On Tuesday (first day I could get her to the vet; it's 30 miles away and he's a lone practitioner who also sees livestock), the vet diagnosed her with worms, gave her Enrofloxcin for the diarrhea and a dose of dewormer (can't read the handwritten name of that). I was to give her more of the dewormer the next day and continue the diarrhea meds for four days.

She was dead in the coop the next morning.

The other Sapphire Gem and two Easter Eggers who live in the same coop showed no symptoms and the vet said there was no reason for Vanna not to go back into that coop, where she at least died surrounded by the birds she'd grown up with.

Tonight, I noticed the other Sapphire Gem has a poopy butt, as do the two Cochin Bantams in an nearby coop. All my chickens, ducks and geese free range together during the day.

The weather lately has been psychotic, warm one day, cold the next, and rainy most of the time. There have been some issues with cloudy well water (I am waiting for the county sanitarian to tell me why).

Did the vet probably get it right, and if so, what is my best approach now? Aside from the poopy butts, the other hens aren't acting sluggish, none are hunched over like Vanna was. All are eating and drinking with vigor.

I've looked up several possibilities, but the more I read, the less I'm sure I know what to do. Thanks for any and all help.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Her worm load may have been really serious and treating with the dewormer may have compromised her system severely. It's why they say not to deworm sick birds.
Have the other birds been wormed? They will probably be fine if they were if they are active and seem healthy.
I'm not an expert on poop though...
@casportpony

 

[azygous]

When you have all of the elements that point to parasites that you do, warm, wet weather, a bird that has diarrhea and is lethargic, it makes sense to treat for them. The vet should have instructed you to set up a waterer with amprolium (Corid in the US) to treat for coccidia, as well. Chickens can die very quickly from coccidiosis, and you would be wise to treat your other chickens with amprolium to be safe.

 

[Callender Girl]

Thanks so much! There used to be a second vet in that practice, an avian expert, and I suppose the remaining vet didn't know NOT to deworm her. And, neither did I; I feel badly that I gave Vanna the dose that likely killed her.

None of my birds have ever been de-wormed; I try to hold medications to a minimum (for all my critters and myself).

I thought coccidiosis usually was accompanied by bloody poop? Or, are you just saying that could ALSO be an upcoming concern because of the weather and circumstances?

I am a bit overwhelmed this week. I've also had to take two cats to another vet, one cat for an open wound that wouldn't heal and one for a UTI. I'm a bit "vetted" out. Thanks for helping me!

 

[azygous]

Only some strains of coccidia will eat the intestinal lining and produce bloody stools. There are nine different species of coccidia targeting chickens. Not all cause bloody poop.

The worming med didn't cause the death of your chicken, being relatively benign. A heavy worm load can cause shock when they all die and clog the intestines, also which causes a slowdown of crop and gizzard functions. No one was at fault for her death. It's a risk associated with worming. It's why some folks worm on a regular schedule to avoid heavy loads.

Another way to approach worming is to have a random flock stool sample tested for the presence of worm eggs. If they aren't present, no need to worm. That way you aren't worming needlessly if your chickens don't have them.

 

[Callender Girl]

Again, thanks so much!! Sounds like good advice, and I appreciate the reassurance that I didn't kill Vanna. I had raised her and her sister since they were just a few days old.