Internal Layer - what to do now?

[Saborucci]

Hey all,

I’ve posted a couple of times previously on the health journey of Ruby, a 2.5 year old Rhode Island Red. The first sign of problems was back in January or February when she abruptly stop laying. Then in June she took a nose dive and would barely move. After doing some research I suspected she was internal laying and developed peritonitis. I took her to the vet, and he said she actually had pneumonia, and put her on .2ml of Enrofloxacin twice daily for 15 days. It worked like a charm and she sprang back to life. After a few weeks she started laying again, but shelless eggs. It was an every other day occurrence for a total of 3 “eggs.” Then she stopped. A few weeks later she showed symptoms of being sick again. I took her to the vet and he confirmed she had fluid build up in her and it was infected. He drained 100 ml of fluid, and put her on .2ml of Enrofloxacin once daily for 30 days. We’re 22 days in and she is back to her normal energetic, loving self. No eggs of any kind.

My question if we learn how to drain her and keep her on antibiotics how long can she keep going for? She’s seems to be a fighter, and is definitely a pet at this point. It would be very sad to lose her, but I’m not sure I want to spend hundreds more on her, and I care that she isn’t suffering.

Is there another antibiotic that I could use that is effective but I don’t need to get from the vet?

Any other ideas? I’ve read about hormone implants but that seems to be a bridge too far for my finances.

 

[Eggcessive]

Enrofloxacin which is banned for poultry is sometimes prescribed by vets to help with internal laying problems if you do not eat eggs. You can get enrofloxacin from here, and dosage is 0.05 ml per pound (0.25 ml for a 5 pound chicken) of the 10% liquid:
https://www.jedds.com/shop/enro/
Many pharmacies will give you a 1 ml needle-less syringe for giving medicines to infants, Ascites and internal laying infections are eventually fatal conditions. But you may be able to extend her life with treatment. Repeated draining could introduce infection. I recently lose a bantam hen who had ascites and EYP. Unfortunately reproductive infections are a common cause of death.

 

[Saborucci]

Thank you for the response and link. How often should I give her a dose? Only when she shows signs of being sick, or every day even if she seems normal?

I doubt I'll eve get an egg out of her again, but if she does lay, we'll be sure not to eat it. Her egg color is different from the other hen so it's easy to tell.

 

[Eggcessive]

The dosage is normally given twice a day orally for 5 days, but you can compare it to the dosage your vet was giving and decide for yourself. I would not put it in her water because it tastes bad and the oral dosage would be more accurate. If she takes a treat like scrambled egg, it may be hidden in that. @casportpony is more familiar with how long to treat certain problems.