Issues breathing in almost 10 year old hen

[Eddie12109]

I'm just now seeing your thread, somehow, I missed it!
I'm sorry to hear about Eddie, I hope she's doing a little better.


I agree with @coach723 about the dosing on your bottle of 7.5mg of Meloxicam, your instructions say to give 1/2 tablet.

Also just to clarify a bit - reread the instructions on your suspension bottles too. While the suspension is 1.5mg/ml, your dosing instruction is to give 0.50ml once daily, so if you are giving 1.5ml, then you are giving too much.

I'll follow along, I see that you have been given great suggestions as always and have the medications ordered. Hopefully she will come around for a little while longer.

Sorry, I do give only 0.5 ml. Do you still think the higher dose is too much? But either way she has not gotten metacam in two days and got a lighter dose three days ago and her breathing fits are still bad.

 

[NanaK]

I'm so sorry she is struggling.

 

[azygous]

Set up a mister or vaporiser for her put a couple drops of peppermint oil in the water. It will ease her struggles to breathe. I am of the opinion she is in heart failure. Her parts are reaching old age.

 

[Eddie12109]

Set up a mister or vaporiser for her put a couple drops of peppermint oil in the water. It will ease her struggles to breathe. I am of the opinion she is in heart failure. Her parts are reaching old age.

I think I will try the oxine nebulizer now. My nebulizer is very small, it only holds 5 ml. If I remember correctly I only put a single drop of inactivated oxine in the 5 ml of water. Is that good?

 

[Eddie12109]

This is the measurement I did last time. I’m going to do it again

 

[Eddie12109]

Will oxine react to the amoxicillin?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sorry, I do give only 0.5 ml. Do you still think the higher dose is too much? But either way she has not gotten metacam in two days and got a lighter dose three days ago and her breathing fits are still bad.

I would follow the vet's directions on the medications.

I'm sorry that she's not doing a lot better.
I too feel that her age is catching up to her, so medications and treatments may not work very well.

 

[azygous]

A drop of Oxine should be okay. No, the Oxine and amoxy are two completely different things and won't interact. The mist should help her breathe easier, while it may not cure her.

Your goals, to be realistic, should be to make Eddie comfortable, not expect to cure her. If she does end up improving, you need to accept it may just be temporary.

I was pondering you and Eddie the other night. I realize Eddie has been your chicken since you were a small child. That's some powerful bond you two have. When you both have literally grown up together, it's very, very difficult to wrap your mind around the possibility that Eddie might not be with you into the years ahead, being as she's been a constant feature in your life as far back as early childhood. It's really tough, and I really feel for you.

 

[Eddie12109]

Thank you, that means a lot.

Eddie started today with being nebulized with oxine. Sadly she has not eaten at all really. She ate some watermelon and salmon but quickly became uninterested in those treats which is very odd.

I have a vet appt tomorrow but I’m still just so hesitant. I don’t need to lose Eddie and Dev due to them believing she has avian flu. Eddie has developed no other symptoms though that I am aware of. She sneezes out liquid sometimes and is having breathing fits. Her comb and wattles have turned white and also darker but no purple. Her poops have been one of a hen who is not eating. It’s urates with some green little poops. She’s closing her eyes a lot and has no motivation. She’s still making her noises to me but it looks like she is giving up.

Do you think I have ant risk of taking her to the vet tomorrow?

 

[azygous]

No risk. Eddie doesn't have symptoms that would cause a vet to think she might be infected with avian flu. Besides, influenza usually kills so quickly, Eddie wouldn't be alive to test for it.

Eddie does have all the symptoms of her heart losing its function very gradually. I believe she's been in heart failure for months. Talk to the vet about the possibility of a diuretic helping her. It could draw the fluid off her lungs and from around her other organs, maybe buying her extra time or at least making her last days more comfortable.