Lash Egg (Viral Salpingitis)

[DHutchins]

Posting in hopes of helping someone else with the same issue.

Last Wednesday I found a lash egg in the coop laid by my little silkie, Tina. After researching online I feared it was a death sentence and frantically tried to get her into our avian vet with no luck.

She laid a second a few days later. I considered going to Tractor Supply and getting some LA 200 (broad spectrum antibiotic) until I came across this helpful article that stated that there are two types of Salpingitis - viral and bacterial.

The bacterial is "malodorous" aka. smells bad, and there was nothing about the odor of the viral. This lash egg had no odor.

After reading through Dr. Annika's description I realized she most likely has the viral version so an antibiotic won't help. There is no treatment though I did three things.

1) a 10 minute Epsom salt bath
2) 1/2 cup oregano tea in the water for everyone for a week
3) some chopped raw garlic in some rolled oats soaked with water

It is not 7 days later and she has no other symptoms. She's running around with all the other chickens, eating and drinking normally and appears to be totally fine. My understanding is that she may never lay again and that many people slaughter their chickens when they discover a lash egg. This is very disappointing as chickens have many other great qualities. I use the chicken poop for my permaculture garden, they help me keep the insect population at bay and also help spread mulch when needed.

I'll try to keep you updated and I hope this helps someone else have hope!

 

[nuthatched]

It's not a death sentence, necessarily. Many birds get it, get over and continue laying. And if it's the bacterial one, which is likely, since both would smell bad as its an infection, it can be treated.
Did you see Tina lay it?

 

[DHutchins]

This did not smell bad. It had no smell. I did not see Tina lay it but noticed her feathers around the area.

 

[DHutchins]

Update on Tina. She has laid one normal egg and then I believe she may have laid an egg without a shell - but I'm not 100% positive it's her. So we're not out of the woods yet.

 

[Jhs51684]

Keep us posted. I just got my first lash egg this morning. Wondering if it has to do with the weather. We dropped under 20 degrees this week and the weekend looks even worse. Never had a lash egg in 8 years. I'll let you know if I see another. Best of Luck!

 

[DHutchins]

Keep us posted. I just got my first lash egg this morning. Wondering if it has to do with the weather. We dropped under 20 degrees this week and the weekend looks even worse. Never had a lash egg in 8 years. I'll let you know if I see another. Best of Luck!

Good luck! Hopefully she will get past it.

 

[Benshensct]

Any update on Tina?

 

[DHutchins]

Latest update. She started laying lash eggs every day so I knew I had to do something. My avian vet is not taking chickens because of bird flu so I stumbled across this vet who will do virtual consults: https://avianhealthservices.com/dr-smith.html

I reached out to her and said I'd purchased LA 200 from Tractor Supply.

Dr Jeanne said:

"I can give you a dosage for LA 200 based on lb body weight. I do want to warn you that LA200 isn't likely to work for the oviduct infection that causes lash eggs, however. LA 200 is given at 0.1 cc per pound body weight orally twice daily.

See if you can order fish cephalexin or find it locally at stores that sell fish medication (some feed stores, some pet stores).

Oviduct infections are 99% E coli from the hen's own GI tract or contaminated nesting materials. E coli is rarely susceptible to oxytetracycline. Cephalexin is highly likely to work."

I sent her what I found on Chewy:

Dr Jeanne said this is what I need to do for Tina, silkie, 2.4 lbs:

"Empty the contents of 2 capsules. Mix with 1 teaspoon water then add 1 teaspoon syrup (agave, pancake, simple). Sore in fridge. Give her 0.8 cc orally every 12 hours until she lays a normal egg. Egg withdrawal is 30 days (don't eat her eggs until 30 days after ending medication)"

How it's been going:

I have been putting this dosage on bread or oatmeal twice per day and Tina eats it right up. I started Tuesday night and it is now Friday afternoon. Wednesday she was lethargic and wouldn't come out of the coop but she did eat the bread with the morning dose. I cooked her some eggs and soaked some oatmeal and fed it to her where she was hiding in the coop and she ate it all up. She seemed to quickly feel better after the meal and has been running around with the other girls like normal.

No more lash eggs so far!

 

[DHutchins]

Any update on Tina?

Yes! Things seem to be good! See my comment below about how a vet is helping me use fish antibiotics!

 

[Wmaddox]

Latest update. She started laying lash eggs every day so I knew I had to do something. My avian vet is not taking chickens because of bird flu so I stumbled across this vet who will do virtual consults: https://avianhealthservices.com/dr-smith.html

I reached out to her and said I'd purchased LA 200 from Tractor Supply.

Dr Jeanne said:

"I can give you a dosage for LA 200 based on lb body weight. I do want to warn you that LA200 isn't likely to work for the oviduct infection that causes lash eggs, however. LA 200 is given at 0.1 cc per pound body weight orally twice daily.

See if you can order fish cephalexin or find it locally at stores that sell fish medication (some feed stores, some pet stores).

Oviduct infections are 99% E coli from the hen's own GI tract or contaminated nesting materials. E coli is rarely susceptible to oxytetracycline. Cephalexin is highly likely to work."

I sent her what I found on Chewy:

View attachment 3388070

Dr Jeanne said this is what I need to do for Tina, silkie, 2.4 lbs:

"Empty the contents of 2 capsules. Mix with 1 teaspoon water then add 1 teaspoon syrup (agave, pancake, simple). Sore in fridge. Give her 0.8 cc orally every 12 hours until she lays a normal egg. Egg withdrawal is 30 days (don't eat her eggs until 30 days after ending medication)"

How it's been going:

I have been putting this dosage on bread or oatmeal twice per day and Tina eats it right up. I started Tuesday night and it is now Friday afternoon. Wednesday she was lethargic and wouldn't come out of the coop but she did eat the bread with the morning dose. I cooked her some eggs and soaked some oatmeal and fed it to her where she was hiding in the coop and she ate it all up. She seemed to quickly feel better after the meal and has been running around with the other girls like normal.

No more lash eggs so far!

I don’t have a syringe. I’m wondering if I just put two capsules on eggs once a day if this would help ?