ISA Brown, 3rd Summer, Heading for a Natural Death?

[ChickenCanoe]

If low oxygen is an issue, it could be a broken bone. Some of the hollow bones in the skeleton are connected to the air sacs and lungs becoming part of the respiratory system.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have some old clindamycin capsules (2019) 150mg. That's all I have.
Our Tractor Supply carries various antibiotics - are they available w/o a prescription? (Assuming she makes it through the night)

It would be best to know what bacteria is infecting the bird before resorting to antibiotics.

 

[Wendy Bee]

If low oxygen is an issue, it could be a broken bone. Some of the hollow bones in the skeleton are connected to the air sacs and lungs becoming part of the respiratory system.

She walked around fine yesterday and hasn't indicated discomfort as we've handled her. She's in my daughter's lap right now getting some fluids.

 

[Wendy Bee]

It would be best to know what bacteria is infecting the bird before resorting to antibiotics.

Agreed.

 

[Wendy Bee]

Her wings are down a bit, not tucked up like usual, if that's anything.

 

[azygous]

That's a great antibiotic. Put one whole capsule directly into her beak right now, even if she's asleep. Wake her up. It's crucial to get it into her system immediately. Give her another tomorrow. If she shows signs of improvement by day after tomorrow, continue with that dose. If her condition remains unchanged, then give her two capsules a day, twelve hours apart.

Keep a check on her crop as yeast infections from this drug is a possible side effect.

It's always good to be able to know what bacteria you're dealing with, but even if you have a vet who is willing to send a sample off to a lab, you'd be losing valuable time that could mean the difference between her living or dying. Selecting an antibiotic that works on gram positive and gram negative bacteria is what I do when I'm not sure what bacteria I'm dealing with. Clindamycin is such a drug.

 

[Wendy Bee]

That's a great antibiotic. Put one whole capsule directly into her beak right now, even if she's asleep. Wake her up. It's crucial to get it into her system immediately. Give her another tomorrow. If she shows signs of improvement by day after tomorrow, continue with that dose. If her condition remains unchanged, then give her two capsules a day, twelve hours apart.

Keep a check on her crop as yeast infections from this drug is a possible side effect.

It's always good to be able to know what bacteria you're dealing with, but even if you have a vet who is willing to send a sample off to a lab, you'd be losing valuable time that could mean the difference between her living or dying. Selecting an antibiotic that works on gram positive and gram negative bacteria is what I do when I'm not sure what bacteria I'm dealing with. Clindamycin is such a drug.

The capsule in her mouth? Will she be able to swallow it? It's people sized

 

[azygous]

She will swallow better than you can.

Here's my tutorial on pills and chickens:

We think chickens must have a problem swallowing a large pill just because we do. But their digestive process is different from ours. We begin the digestive process by chewing first, then swallowing. We aren't meant to swallow large chunks. We naturally choke.

Chickens don't have teeth for a good reason. They don't need them. Their digestive process begins after they swallow. The food goes directly into their crop without passing "Go", and then it trickles down into their gizzard where the "chewing" action goes into full swing.

Therefore, chickens can amaze us by swallowing things that we think would choke them, large pills included. But they actually have no problem. Slip the pill into the beak and you'll see it disappear like magic. Unless you don't get it far enough back on the tongue. Chickens can rival dogs and cats at firing a pill across the room like a guided missile, but it's not because they aren't able to swallow it easily.

 

[Wendy Bee]

She will swallow better than you can.

Here's my tutorial on pills and chickens:

We think chickens must have a problem swallowing a large pill just because we do. But their digestive process is different from ours. We begin the digestive process by chewing first, then swallowing. We aren't meant to swallow large chunks. We naturally choke.

Chickens don't have teeth for a good reason. They don't need them. Their digestive process begins after they swallow. The food goes directly into their crop without passing "Go", and then it trickles down into their gizzard where the "chewing" action goes into full swing.

Therefore, chickens can amaze us by swallowing things that we think would choke them, large pills included. But they actually have no problem. Slip the pill into the beak and you'll see it disappear like magic. Unless you don't get it far enough back on the tongue. Chickens can rival dogs and cats at firing a pill across the room like a guided missile, but it's not because they aren't able to swallow it easily.

I'll give it a go - I've pilled lots of dogs and cats, and we just treated another chicken for sour crop with Monistat suppositories (quartered), so yeah, the spitting out I'm familiar with!

 

[Wendy Bee]

Chicken successfully pilled