Lash Egg (Viral Salpingitis)

[DHutchins]

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

No! That is WAY too much! You must dilute it first and give the chicken the correct dosage for weight. Two capsules lasts me for days!!!!!!!!! It's also a dose every twelve hours. That's twice per day.

You also need to make sure the strength of the antibiotics you get matches what I got or you have to change up the measurements. I suggest contacting Dr Jeanne. You don't want to kill your chicken trying to help her.

 

[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!

She was doing well and had stopped laying through the winter but started today with egg yolk peronitis. Do you know if she has an emergency number?

 

[DHutchins]

She was doing well and had stopped laying through the winter but started today with egg yolk peronitis. Do you know if she has an emergency number?

Oh no, I'm so sorry! Dr Jeanne has a form, it's not for emergencies, but she gets back to you right away. https://avianhealthservices.com/contact-us.html

 

[Gotalotofpetstoo]

No! That is WAY too much! You must dilute it first and give the chicken the correct dosage for weight. Two capsules lasts me for days!!!!!!!!! It's also a dose every twelve hours. That's twice per day.

You also need to make sure the strength of the antibiotics you get matches what I got or you have to change up the measurements. I suggest contacting Dr Jeanne. You don't want to kill your chicken trying to help her.

@DHutchins
So your picture shows the 250mg strength capsules and says to mix 2 capsules with the water and syrup and give .8ml 2 x day until a normal egg is laid. So since my capsules are 500mg, I would only use 1 capsule nixed with the water and syrup? And "if" she doesn't lay a normal egg by the time that is gone, should I mix another batch and keep going?
How was Tina's behavior before you started the cephalexin mix? Was she showing any signs of illness before or after she laid the lash egg? I'm hoping not to make Ethel feel sick/lethargic once I start it.
And how is Tina now? Any more lash eggs since your last post? I sure hope she is fully recovered and having no more lash eggs or other issues.

 

[Gotalotofpetstoo]

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!

Update on Tina?

 

[Gotalotofpetstoo]

So your picture shows the 250mg strength capsules and says to mix 2 capsules with the water and syrup and give .8ml 2 x day until a normal egg is laid

So I just reread what you said that Tina is 2.4 lb at her dosage is 8 ml every 12 hours. I'm guessing that should be about 10 doses since 1 tsp equals almost 5 ml and using one teaspoon water and one teaspoon syrup with 500 mg of cephalexin, lasted you 5 days ? Did you use it the entire 5 days? And since Ethel is just over 4 lb. Any thoughts on how to calculate the dosage for her? Did Dr. Jeanne give you a dosage per pound of body weight or just say .8 ml two times a day for her size? If I calculated correctly, 0.8 mL for Tina at 2.4 lb would be .333 ml per pound, multiplied by Ethel's weight of 4.2 lb, then she would get a dosage of 1.4 mL every 12 hours, does that sound about right?
@Wyorp Rock @azygous

 

[Wmaddox]

@DHutchins
So your picture shows the 250mg strength capsules and says to mix 2 capsules with the water and syrup and give .8ml 2 x day until a normal egg is laid. So since my capsules are 500mg, I would only use 1 capsule nixed with the water and syrup? And "if" she doesn't lay a normal egg by the time that is gone, should I mix another batch and keep going?
How was Tina's behavior before you started the cephalexin mix? Was she showing any signs of illness before or after she laid the lash egg? I'm hoping not to make Ethel feel sick/lethargic once I start it.
And how is Tina now? Any more lash eggs since your last post? I sure hope she is fully recovered and having no more lash eggs or other issues.

i did reach out to the vet mentioned on this post to get her recommendations which was similiar but she also asked i give chicken ibuprofen. the treatment didnt work.

 

[DHutchins]

So I just reread what you said that Tina is 2.4 lb at her dosage is 8 ml every 12 hours. I'm guessing that should be about 10 doses since 1 tsp equals almost 5 ml and using one teaspoon water and one teaspoon syrup with 500 mg of cephalexin, lasted you 5 days ? Did you use it the entire 5 days? And since Ethel is just over 4 lb. Any thoughts on how to calculate the dosage for her? Did Dr. Jeanne give you a dosage per pound of body weight or just say .8 ml two times a day for her size? If I calculated correctly, 0.8 mL for Tina at 2.4 lb would be .333 ml per pound, multiplied by Ethel's weight of 4.2 lb, then she would get a dosage of 1.4 mL every 12 hours, does that sound about right?
@Wyorp Rock @azygous

I'm so sorry to just be getting back to you! I hope Ethel is ok! Dr Jeanne gave me the dosage for her body weight. I would contact Dr Jeanne!

 

[DHutchins]

Update on Tina - 2.4 lb silkie

On May 16th I was finally able to get into my normal avian vet. She did a bunch of bloodwork and a fecal. Tina needed support for her kidneys. She also had tape worms.

I de-wormed the whole flock, including Tina. We took her off the antibiotics and did an implant on May 23rd.

After the implant she stopped eating (which is apparently relatively normal) so I had to begin tube feeding her.

• Tube feed: 2.4 pound silkie, 20 cc hand feed mixed as directed, 100-105 degrees F, three to four times per day. (For reference, my larger hens, 5-6 pounds are 30-40 ml per feeding)
• Cherry juice: 1 ml 3x per day, mixed into her hand feed for kidney support

As of June 8th she was still not eating so the vet suggested the addition of injectable antibiotics, as well as support for her liver:

• Antibiotic: 1 ml Zosyn, 2x per day, every 12 hours, injected into pectoral muscles, 7 days
• hepato support capsules: 2x per day mixed into her feed for liver support

Also still tube feeding - it's now been 3 full weeks, but I'm almost done the injectable antibiotics thank God. Tina also had to come on a camping trip with us so I could keep tube feeding her.

She will eat watermelon, fresh meal worms 5-10, 3x per day after a feeding, and kale!

How to Tube Feed

Tube feed video #1 Annie:

Tube feed video #2: Annie again (I like this method better)

Tube feed video #3: Big Hen:

Tube feed video #4: Tina:

 

[Talildas]

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!

View attachment 3349495View attachment 3349493 View attachment 3349494View attachment 3349508View attachment 3349510

This is very helpful for this hopeful chicken mama. I currently have a very unique situation with what I think is a prolapsed event that had a lash egg attached to the end of it and struggling with bacterial vent delete because of the clear liquid and diarrhea excreting around the area. The thing is, this chicken is acting entirely normal. Eating, drinking, pooping, scratching, dust bathing. I've kept her separate and a kennel and not until day 6 was I finally able to remove all of the last egg from her prolapsed vent gently guiding it back inside. I think I just need to get a hold of some antibiotics now. Because this chicken wants to live. And I don't mind if she ever lays again. I just love her and so do the rest of her flock. Thank you for sharing your story.