Legality of hormone implant (or alternative treatment) for reproductive disease

[lulubird]

We have a 15 month old Rhode Island Red who has collapsed eggs in her reproductive tract (confirmed by ultrasound). The only legal treatment for this condition is, according to our vet, to surgically remove the collapsed eggs and the reproductive organs (so that she stops producing eggs). This procedure, however, has a mortality rate of 50% or worse. There appears, however, to be another common treatment, namely a suprelorin implant. From what I can tell, this is effectively a form of birth control that prevents hens from ovulating. While this treatment is legal for pets - e.g. dogs, cats, even ferrets - it seems to be illegal for chickens, on the assumption that they are destined to be consumed. So I have three questions:

1) Does anyone have any experience with this treatment method or any other non-surgical treatment method for this condition?
2) Does it work?
3) Is is possible to get the suprelorin implant (in the US) for a chicken who is a pet and not destined for human consumption?

Thanks - any advice would be very much appreciated. We love our hens, and just want to explore all possibilities.

 

[RonRonsMom]

Hi lulubird, I'm new here and I am researching the side effects of Suprelorin because I am taking my Rhode Island Red friend to the vet on Friday for it, and I am so nervous!

I did find this link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...tops-hens-with-egg-peritonitis-laying-anymore

I hope your little feathered friend is doing well? I noticed you added this question in June and wasn't sure if you already had the implant done?

Dee

 

[lulubird]

Hi, a couple of days after I posted the original message, my vet contacted me with the information for another avian vet would could do the implant, so we had the procedure performed on June 21 or 22nd.

In general, the symptoms that caused us to take Henrietta in originally (e.g. lethargy, lack of appetite, watery poo) have eased. The first vet had started her on a full course of antibiotics before she went in for the implant. Henrietta hasn't made a full recovery, but seems generally stable and might be very slowly improving. Her appetite is not what it used to be, but she is eating, and her activity level is ok as well. She is pretty active when free-ranging, but tends to stand somewhat hunched when in the run. She is not as well integrated with the flock as she was previously, mostly spending her time by herself or with the lowest ranking hen. She formerly was near the top of the pecking order, and I do still occasionally catch her pecking one of the other hens away, but for the most part, she keeps her distance. We started her on some bene-bac probiotic powder, which might be helping as well.

I haven't noticed any particular change in her since the implant, but she's not been herself since she first got ill, and it's hard to tell what symptoms might be residual from her condition, and which can be attributed to the hormones. She has some good days, and some days when I think she might be on her way out. So we try to make sure she has the things she likes most (yogurt, corn, mealworms, and plenty of time outside to forage).

A few things to note:
- when I made the appointment, the front desk did not advise me that they were going to use a local anesthetic, and therefore did not want my hen to eat anything for a few hours. They ended up keeping her for a few extra hours to allow her crop to empty before beginning the procedure
- both vets (the original, and the referred vet) advised me that a noted side effect might be a prolonged or severe molt. The one that performed the procedure had actually never done the implant on a chicken previously, but had done it several times on other birds, and said that she had never seen the implant induce a molt. Thus far, I've not seen any indication of molting.
- it's also apparently unclear how long the implant will last, and the expectation is that it should last about a year. She said there's no test to verify hormone levels, so I need to monitor for changes in behavior (she said particularly to watch for broodiness), and use that as an indication that the hormone is wearing off

Hope this helps; I found it discouraging how little I could find out, and the vets in my area also don't have a lot of hands on experience with this implant either, so much of the information they are passing along is through the research they've done. I was just happy to find someone that could do the procedure, since I felt that it was our only option for helping Henrietta.

Good luck to your little Red, and I'd be interested in how she fares.

 

[RonRonsMom]

Hi, a couple of days after I posted the original message, my vet contacted me with the information for another avian vet would could do the implant, so we had the procedure performed on June 21 or 22nd.
 
In general, the symptoms that caused us to take Henrietta in originally (e.g. lethargy, lack of appetite, watery poo) have eased. The first vet had started her on a full course of antibiotics before she went in for the implant. Henrietta hasn't made a full recovery, but seems generally stable and might be very slowly improving. Her appetite is not what it used to be, but she is eating, and her activity level is ok as well. She is pretty active when free-ranging, but tends to stand somewhat hunched when in the run. She is not as well integrated with the flock as she was previously, mostly spending her time by herself or with the lowest ranking hen. She formerly was near the top of the pecking order, and I do still occasionally catch her pecking one of the other hens away, but for the most part, she keeps her distance. We started her on some bene-bac probiotic powder, which might be helping as well. 
 
I haven't noticed any particular change in her since the implant, but she's not been herself since she first got ill, and it's hard to tell what symptoms might be residual from her condition, and which can be attributed to the hormones. She has some good days, and some days when I think she might be on her way out. So we try to make sure she has the things she likes most (yogurt, corn,  mealworms, and plenty of time outside to forage). 
 
A few things to note:
- when I made the appointment, the front desk did not advise me that they were going to use a local anesthetic, and therefore did not want my hen to eat anything for a few hours. They ended up keeping her for a few extra hours to allow her crop to empty before beginning the procedure
- both vets (the original, and the referred vet) advised me that a noted side effect might be a prolonged or severe molt. The one that performed the procedure had actually never done the implant on a chicken previously, but had done it several times on other birds, and said that she had never seen the implant induce a molt. Thus far, I've not seen any indication of molting.
- it's also apparently unclear how long the implant will last, and the expectation is that it should last about a year. She said there's no test to verify hormone levels, so I need to monitor for changes in behavior (she said particularly to watch for broodiness), and use that as an indication that the hormone is wearing off
 
Hope this helps; I found it discouraging how little I could find out, and the vets in my area also don't have a lot of hands on experience with this implant either, so much of the information they are passing along is through the research they've done. I was just happy to find someone that could do the procedure, since I felt that it was our only option for helping Henrietta.
 
Good luck to your little Red, and I'd be interested in how she fares.

Thank you so much for all of your great information! I really hope your girl pulls through!

My little red laid an egg yesterday. I was not home but someone was able to remove the broken up shell which seemed brittle. She eats them - when I can catch a whole egg (it's been a while) we boil it, mash it up and give it back to her, as she needs it more than we do and no one in my home eats eggs. Well, since yesterday she's had a loss of voice, it seems like her usual sounds are whispered, but I don't hear gurgling, no open-mouth breathing, no discharge in face/beak area, no wheezing or sneezing. This is the same thing I took her into the vet for 3weeks ago when she was given an oral antibiotic and anti fungal meds which helped her get better after the two week treatment. She was pooping, eating and sounding normal up to last night.

I have leftover medication and will call the vet to see if I should start her up on them now (he must love me because I call him more than twice a week..heh).

Thank you for all the great advice. She actually started to molt during her medication, which frightened me but it stopped after her med therapy was complete.

I love her so much, she's my little girl. I rescued her off a busy city road and have healed her up - she takes the dog beds for herself and I believe she's established a pecking order with the dogs - they move out of her way quick! She calms down to classical music haha this silly girl!

Thanks again for your informative response and well wishes. May your little Henrietta heal up and be a happy little fluff soon! I am incredibly nerve wrecked about this whole situation, and I hope this implant will help.

Dee

 

[ten chicks]

Implant is also used for male dogs,ferrets,etc.as a safe method of castration. I will checking to see if it can be placed in my roosters,to control their behavior towards my hens.