NewFlockOnTheBlock
Songster
I have an older, sick girl, named ChronoHen, who I know is declining... I've posted about her in another thread. Our vet did an exam and an x-ray on her at the beginning of this week and said she had pneumonia, an egg (likely without shell) that she can't pass, and digestive issues including reduced motility and accumulation of fluid in her belly that may be caused by a tumor or another underlying issue.
The vet sent us home with some pain meds, and said the best thing we can do to keep ChronoHen comfortable in her last days is to keep her hydrated. However, this has been a challenge. ChronoHen refuses to drink from a bowl. She also barely swallows any water when I use a syringe (needle-less) to place droplets on the side of her beak; she shakes most of the water off. The only way that she will drink is when I put her outside on the lawn where she will proceed to spend hours drinking small droplets of water that are dripping from the hose spigot or have collected in the grass. If anyone has any thoughts as far as why she will drink this water, but not water from a bowl or from a dropper, I'd love to hear.
Another way that ChronoHen is hopefully staying somewhat hydrated is through food. She eats very small amounts of chick starter, which I make into a mash for her with water. She has no interest in protein treats like eggs or ground beef that could give her energy, but she willingly eats cooked green beans and especially apples, probably at the rate of an apple a day. So I know she is taking in some fluid through the mash, the veggies and the fruit, but she still appears somewhat dehydrated. Her comb is pale, deflated, and flopped over to the side, which is not normal for her. It could just be because she is so sick, but I figure dehydration is playing into it.
Is there anything else we can do to keep our girl hydrated? I'm reluctant to force water down her throat. I've never been successful at giving water or meds this way, and don't want to cause her any extra stress, let alone squirt it down her trachea.
The vet sent us home with some pain meds, and said the best thing we can do to keep ChronoHen comfortable in her last days is to keep her hydrated. However, this has been a challenge. ChronoHen refuses to drink from a bowl. She also barely swallows any water when I use a syringe (needle-less) to place droplets on the side of her beak; she shakes most of the water off. The only way that she will drink is when I put her outside on the lawn where she will proceed to spend hours drinking small droplets of water that are dripping from the hose spigot or have collected in the grass. If anyone has any thoughts as far as why she will drink this water, but not water from a bowl or from a dropper, I'd love to hear.
Another way that ChronoHen is hopefully staying somewhat hydrated is through food. She eats very small amounts of chick starter, which I make into a mash for her with water. She has no interest in protein treats like eggs or ground beef that could give her energy, but she willingly eats cooked green beans and especially apples, probably at the rate of an apple a day. So I know she is taking in some fluid through the mash, the veggies and the fruit, but she still appears somewhat dehydrated. Her comb is pale, deflated, and flopped over to the side, which is not normal for her. It could just be because she is so sick, but I figure dehydration is playing into it.
Is there anything else we can do to keep our girl hydrated? I'm reluctant to force water down her throat. I've never been successful at giving water or meds this way, and don't want to cause her any extra stress, let alone squirt it down her trachea.
