Lame RIR pullet with video (probably malnutrition)

[casportpony]

My vet called me with the UGA results -- no sign of lesions, no evidence of Marek's based on necropsy results.

DId they find anything? Will they be sending samples off for histopathology and cultures?

-Kathy

 

[Sonya9]

DId they find anything? Will they be sending samples off for histopathology and cultures?

-Kathy

They did a necropsy and say they didn't find any lesions to indicate Mareks. This was done at UGA ( University of Georgia Athens) the leading poultry diagnostic place in this area.

I spent $130 to have the necropsy done and yes I specified Marek's was suspected.

I have a small backyard flock, I wouldn't have made any changes even if the results came back positive. My vet said they could test a section of her brain at UGA if I wanted, but I declined.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: In California they do a gross necropsy, which is when then find the obvious cause of death is there is one, then they send tissue samples for histopathology and they also send samples off to grow bacteria and other testing.

Did they say what the cause of the illness was? Or would that require further testing and more $$$? Just curious, not trying to give you a hard time.

-Kathy

 

[Sonya9]

In California they do a gross necropsy, which is when then find the obvious cause of death is there is one, then they send tissue samples for histopathology and they also send samples off to grow bacteria and other testing.

Did they say what the cause of the illness was? Or would that require further testing and more $$$? Just curious, not trying to give you a hard time.

-Kathy

She was euthanized so cause of death was pretty apparent.

No they didn't say what caused the illness, I asked them to test for Marek's and they did. Apparently since it was a necropsy they looked for lesions. No blood samples were taken before she passed over, if that would make a difference.

I had the necropsy done, like I said I just have a small backyard flock, I don't breed or sell birds or eggs. Even if the results were positive that would only have possibly impacted the breeder, I would not have made any real changes regarding flock management (i.e. I would not have culled any of my birds). I did buy some high end supplements which the flock is now receiving and I will likely keep supplementing them.

Please understand I am not running a commercial operation, I am not profiting from having these birds, spending $130 on a necropsy and not having a real compelling reason to spend more do to contagion that may harm my other birds is enough.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Okay, so the necrospy you had done was just a gross necropsy, which confuses me, because the website says it's $60 which *includes* the necropsy, histopathology and cultures. You should ask your vet about this discrepancy, I think you got ripped off.

http://216.105.189.138/LabsPortal/webportalCatalog/show/474
Agent, Disease, or Service Necropsy - Food Animal
Synonyms/Keywords
Test Necropsy
Samples Whole body (up to 3 animals)
Test days or Turnaround Time 7-21 days
In-State Price $60.00
Out-State Price $75.00
Additional Test $25.00
Performing Lab and Price Lab Section Testcode
Tifton Diagnostic Laboratory Pathology PNECROPSY
Comments Includes gross pathology, histopathology, and cultures. All other tests (including but not limited to: IHCs, PCRs, and toxicology) will incur additional charges.

-Kathy

 

[Sonya9]

I put my email address on the form that I filled out but I have not received the results via email (yet).

My vet just called me and gave me the results and said if I want the next step could be sampling the brain (or some such thing).

I know my vet wouldn't rip me off (he didn't even charge me when I took her in 3 weeks ago, he "officially" doesn't see chickens as patients but because I use him for my 6 dogs exceptions are made, this is a rural area where folks don't take their backyard chickens to a vet).

I will get the actual report at some point, if UGA doesn't email it to me I will stop by the vet office and ask for a copy.

 

[casportpony]

I put my email address on the form that I filled out but I have not received the results via email (yet).

My vet just called me and gave me the results and said if I want the next step could be sampling the brain (or some such thing).

I know my vet wouldn't rip me off (he didn't even charge me when I took her in 3 weeks ago, he "officially" doesn't see chickens as patients but because I use him for my 6 dogs exceptions are made, this is a rural area where folks don't take their backyard chickens to a vet).

I will get the actual report at some point, if UGA doesn't email it to me I will stop by the vet office and ask for a copy.

Okay, so maybe they are doing more tests and maybe those tests will determine the cause of her illness. mAybe the extra cost was in shipping? If you ever have another necropsy done, call the lab and ask if you can use their FedEx account, then shipping will be much less.

-Kathy

 

[Sonya9]

Okay, so maybe they are doing more tests and maybe those tests will determine the cause of her illness. mAybe the extra cost was in shipping? If you ever have another necropsy done, call the lab and ask if you can use their FedEx account, then shipping will be much less.

-Kathy

I will admit I was surprised at the cost. It is a teaching hospital, so they get animals shipped to them for the vet students to diagnose.

Shipping could not have been that high, it is only about 50 miles from me.

Regardless I notified the breeder that the results came back negative for Marek's. I had a bad feeling about the situation for the last couple of weeks, I was thinking she wasn't going to improve. I am glad it is over for her and for me.

 

[MichStep]

Sweet Sad Story

 

[sssharon]

So a chick could die just from being lame then? My chick is 6 weeks old and has been lame from the start. She has never gotten around good but has gotten worse. Over the last 2 days she looks like she's on deaths door. I feel bad, I had to put my chick down. She was suffering so much that it was just awful watching her. She couldn't keep up with the other chicks and I think she just wore out. I just decided to end it for her.