- Apr 16, 2015
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Hey guys. A few weeks ago I posted about our buff orpington hen, Bellina, who had suddenly stopped walking and presented with long leg scales and toenails. After a thorough cleaning of the coop, and a dusting of DE, we treated both our hens with ivermectin (1/4-1/2 ml on the affected hen initially, then retreated 11 days later) suspecting scaly leg mites.
She has not really walked in about a month. She kind of scoots around and flaps, but won't get up and walk in earnest. Last week I started giving her tart cherry extract, suspecting gout (1-2 425mg capsules daily, which I've been sprinkling on cut up cantaloupe because I read vitamin A deficiency can be a contributing factor, plus I figured extra fluids in the fruit would be good). We have placed a ground level waterer near the spot where she spends most of the day so she has access to water. We feed lay crumbles (low protein during the warm months) along with cooking scraps (mostly vegetables that I've checked are safe, and occasionally a crust of bread or some cooked pasta dishes, being careful to limit sodium).
She seems alert and otherwise relatively normal. Eats, drinks (though I would imagine not as much as she should), her eyes are clear, her comb is pink to red, she clucks when we come up to the coop... But today she has diarrhea, and she just doesn't seem to be getting better.
I called all the local vets I was told might treat chickens and none will help. I'm worried about her sleeping on the ground as the cold moves in, but I have stopped moving her to the roost at night because it seemed to be adding to her stress/discomfort.
I think I'll try mixing apple cider vinegar into her water when I refill it this afternoon because read that urine acidification can be beneficial in treating gout, but is there anything else I can give her without a more specific diagnosis that *could* be helpful and won't otherwise be dangerous? Something like Turmeric? I'm feeling like I don't have any good options because I don't have a clear diagnosis and I don't really know how to get one.
I've attached a photo I took of her foot, when she was adjusting her position. She had been sitting in a frog-like posture, but now, he often looks more like she's lounging with her legs out to one side. I'll try to attach a photo of that as well, but it's not working at the moment.
She has not really walked in about a month. She kind of scoots around and flaps, but won't get up and walk in earnest. Last week I started giving her tart cherry extract, suspecting gout (1-2 425mg capsules daily, which I've been sprinkling on cut up cantaloupe because I read vitamin A deficiency can be a contributing factor, plus I figured extra fluids in the fruit would be good). We have placed a ground level waterer near the spot where she spends most of the day so she has access to water. We feed lay crumbles (low protein during the warm months) along with cooking scraps (mostly vegetables that I've checked are safe, and occasionally a crust of bread or some cooked pasta dishes, being careful to limit sodium).
She seems alert and otherwise relatively normal. Eats, drinks (though I would imagine not as much as she should), her eyes are clear, her comb is pink to red, she clucks when we come up to the coop... But today she has diarrhea, and she just doesn't seem to be getting better.
I called all the local vets I was told might treat chickens and none will help. I'm worried about her sleeping on the ground as the cold moves in, but I have stopped moving her to the roost at night because it seemed to be adding to her stress/discomfort.
I think I'll try mixing apple cider vinegar into her water when I refill it this afternoon because read that urine acidification can be beneficial in treating gout, but is there anything else I can give her without a more specific diagnosis that *could* be helpful and won't otherwise be dangerous? Something like Turmeric? I'm feeling like I don't have any good options because I don't have a clear diagnosis and I don't really know how to get one.
I've attached a photo I took of her foot, when she was adjusting her position. She had been sitting in a frog-like posture, but now, he often looks more like she's lounging with her legs out to one side. I'll try to attach a photo of that as well, but it's not working at the moment.
