I have some young Emu (5-8 months) who are getting sick and I don't know why. The first one died so this is definitely serious. Another 2 have been sick but recovered; another is slightly sick now but not badly and we expect good things.
However this is occurring repeatedly, one at a time (and large periods of complete emu flock wellness) over now nearly 3 weeks since the first case. We still aren't sure of the cause as we removed the "long grass" possibility and still they get crook.
My apologies in advance this is long and detailed but detail in symptom diagnosis can be critical ...
The first, about 3 weeks ago, presented suddenly off his feed one morning, with signs of anemia in that the inside of his mouth was light grey instead of the normal salmon pink. He went downhill rapidly.
He showed small, infrequent, watery diarrhea with no fiber in it (say 2 Tbsp of brown stinky water per time, VERY stinky), and occasional vomiting usually about a half hour after drinking a similar amount. He appeared dehydrated (slow skin rebound times, and was thirsty but water made him sick).
We concluded that he likely had an impacted (blocked up) gizzard, and treated with castor oil and epsom salts, which was the old (and only) advice for gizzard impaction in chickens, dosed as per body weight. This did not help. By that night he was almost unable to stand, only doing so basically to eliminate.
The next morning another emu showed off his feed and anemic as well, and another with no symptoms experienced a poop that took several minutes to drop off due to long grass fibers. At this point we freaked and drove both sick emu to the vet. Unfortunately not one vet within 4 hours drive knew anything about emu. One should have but was away for a week. Before we found a vet who would agree to try and help the first young emu died.
The remaining sick Emu was lethargic, shaky, anemic, not eating and not pooping, and now with stinky belchy breath like the emu who had thrown up.
Finally a vet agreed to give him a saline drip at least (for the likely dehydration since he wasn't drinking either), and see where we went from there. They really went out of their way to help, with them and us ringing vets and zoos around the country for a solution. After an hour or two (parked in a van holding an Emu still with a IV line in, how can you tell time?) he passed a nasty liquid smelly poop, followed another interminable time later by a big grey stinky poop with long grass fiber in it. The vet said the extra liquid might have actually helped pass that but it's uncertain.
Finally after talking to a university they told us that although impaction was one possibility, they could not confirm it without a particular scan they have no equipment for, even an autopsy might not be conclusive and not worth the price tag, and even if it was they don't know what to do. They gave him a glucose infusion in his saline (which helped his lethargy and shakiness no end), and a shot of antibiotic.
When we got home we performed our own autopsy on the dead emu to determine what we could, which was that there was a big long twisted string of long grass (made of stringy grass swallowed at 150mm long) running through the intestine and gizzard, which later was distended and purplish at one end.
I noticed that there were no stones to speak of in the gizzard ... unlike in every other bird I've seen ... so on these findings we gave them all some epsom salt (laxative) and small gravel mixed in their feed, and moved them out of the drive/yard (which although generally short had some clumps they had not liked and left to grow long), to a short, recent regrowth paddock.
Rhaegar (the still living emu back from the vet) ate with the others and now showed a slightly better colour in his mouth, slightly pinkish again, and much more energy. We gave him some lactulose syrup (as being the mildest but surest laxative we could think of). He continued to recover, returning to normal within another day or two. In that paddock we found several weird large hard and smelly poops with long grass in them the next day (which could have been from any or all of the now 6 young emu).
However 2 weeks later (they have been in the short safe grass all this time) another emu showed off her feed and pale pink in the mouth. We immediately gave lactulose syrup and antibiotic, and within 2 hours (after dark) Suke looked much better and actually looked like she regretted missing dinner. She never looked back.
That was a week ago now. This afternoon yet another emu Daenerys showed up lethergic, standing around preening and snoozing when all the others were grazing, and allowing intensive cuddly handling which she normally doesn't. On leading her out into new exciting grass she wandered and picked half heartedly. We gave her lactulose syrup in feed (which she agreed to take, so she's not too bad, still eating and drinking), and are watching her now hoping to see her better in the morning. There are no strange poops and no other emu appear affected. We have let them back out into the drive as a fresh paddock (it has since been grazed by sheep and goats so it is short and sweet)
However we lack a diagnosis and this keeps happening. If the first one hadn't died I wouldn't be half so worried but I really am. What could possibly be causing this??
They appear totally healthy and happy at all other times. Their droppings although widely varying are usually of good medium texture without fibers more than 30mm long; in New zealand there are no internal worms that infect emu; and the vet agreed the symptoms are not consistent with cocci or giardia.
What could it be?? What can I do to stop this happening any more? I dread the thought of losing another baby and without knowing for sure what the cause is I really have no control over it ...
However this is occurring repeatedly, one at a time (and large periods of complete emu flock wellness) over now nearly 3 weeks since the first case. We still aren't sure of the cause as we removed the "long grass" possibility and still they get crook.
My apologies in advance this is long and detailed but detail in symptom diagnosis can be critical ...
The first, about 3 weeks ago, presented suddenly off his feed one morning, with signs of anemia in that the inside of his mouth was light grey instead of the normal salmon pink. He went downhill rapidly.
He showed small, infrequent, watery diarrhea with no fiber in it (say 2 Tbsp of brown stinky water per time, VERY stinky), and occasional vomiting usually about a half hour after drinking a similar amount. He appeared dehydrated (slow skin rebound times, and was thirsty but water made him sick).
We concluded that he likely had an impacted (blocked up) gizzard, and treated with castor oil and epsom salts, which was the old (and only) advice for gizzard impaction in chickens, dosed as per body weight. This did not help. By that night he was almost unable to stand, only doing so basically to eliminate.
The next morning another emu showed off his feed and anemic as well, and another with no symptoms experienced a poop that took several minutes to drop off due to long grass fibers. At this point we freaked and drove both sick emu to the vet. Unfortunately not one vet within 4 hours drive knew anything about emu. One should have but was away for a week. Before we found a vet who would agree to try and help the first young emu died.
The remaining sick Emu was lethargic, shaky, anemic, not eating and not pooping, and now with stinky belchy breath like the emu who had thrown up.
Finally a vet agreed to give him a saline drip at least (for the likely dehydration since he wasn't drinking either), and see where we went from there. They really went out of their way to help, with them and us ringing vets and zoos around the country for a solution. After an hour or two (parked in a van holding an Emu still with a IV line in, how can you tell time?) he passed a nasty liquid smelly poop, followed another interminable time later by a big grey stinky poop with long grass fiber in it. The vet said the extra liquid might have actually helped pass that but it's uncertain.
Finally after talking to a university they told us that although impaction was one possibility, they could not confirm it without a particular scan they have no equipment for, even an autopsy might not be conclusive and not worth the price tag, and even if it was they don't know what to do. They gave him a glucose infusion in his saline (which helped his lethargy and shakiness no end), and a shot of antibiotic.
When we got home we performed our own autopsy on the dead emu to determine what we could, which was that there was a big long twisted string of long grass (made of stringy grass swallowed at 150mm long) running through the intestine and gizzard, which later was distended and purplish at one end.
I noticed that there were no stones to speak of in the gizzard ... unlike in every other bird I've seen ... so on these findings we gave them all some epsom salt (laxative) and small gravel mixed in their feed, and moved them out of the drive/yard (which although generally short had some clumps they had not liked and left to grow long), to a short, recent regrowth paddock.
Rhaegar (the still living emu back from the vet) ate with the others and now showed a slightly better colour in his mouth, slightly pinkish again, and much more energy. We gave him some lactulose syrup (as being the mildest but surest laxative we could think of). He continued to recover, returning to normal within another day or two. In that paddock we found several weird large hard and smelly poops with long grass in them the next day (which could have been from any or all of the now 6 young emu).
However 2 weeks later (they have been in the short safe grass all this time) another emu showed off her feed and pale pink in the mouth. We immediately gave lactulose syrup and antibiotic, and within 2 hours (after dark) Suke looked much better and actually looked like she regretted missing dinner. She never looked back.
That was a week ago now. This afternoon yet another emu Daenerys showed up lethergic, standing around preening and snoozing when all the others were grazing, and allowing intensive cuddly handling which she normally doesn't. On leading her out into new exciting grass she wandered and picked half heartedly. We gave her lactulose syrup in feed (which she agreed to take, so she's not too bad, still eating and drinking), and are watching her now hoping to see her better in the morning. There are no strange poops and no other emu appear affected. We have let them back out into the drive as a fresh paddock (it has since been grazed by sheep and goats so it is short and sweet)
However we lack a diagnosis and this keeps happening. If the first one hadn't died I wouldn't be half so worried but I really am. What could possibly be causing this??
They appear totally healthy and happy at all other times. Their droppings although widely varying are usually of good medium texture without fibers more than 30mm long; in New zealand there are no internal worms that infect emu; and the vet agreed the symptoms are not consistent with cocci or giardia.
What could it be?? What can I do to stop this happening any more? I dread the thought of losing another baby and without knowing for sure what the cause is I really have no control over it ...
when they have a good pile (or bowl full) they gulp sideways! And then stop to lift the neck and try to jog it all down! Lol so funny to watch.
