Legarthic pullet

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

I noticed her hunkered and fluffed up in the coop last Tuesday. Brought her in the house. She doesn't move much, eyes are closed most of the time, shows absolutely no interest in food but does drink from time to time. She is very skinny (breast bone feels sharp like a keel of a boat, and weighs almost nothing (compared to her sisters).
She has a green, very watery diarrhea.

What do you make of it?

 

[kiara0927]

Where she is drinking more than eating may be the reason to the watery poo..Try to give her some scrambled eggs and see if she will eat it.

 

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

@kiara0927 I gave her mashed hard boiled eggs. She won't touch them.

 

[azygous]

Have you examined her for impacted crop? That's one of the most common causes of appetite loss, weight loss and lethargy. The crop will feel hard and lumpy. It's treatable.

 

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

Have you examined her for impacted crop? That's one of the most common causes of appetite loss, weight loss and lethargy. The crop will feel hard and lumpy. It's treatable.

Her crop is squishy.

 

[azygous]

That could be her problem - sour and or impacted crop.

I would treat for both. Begin with oil and massage. I like coconut oil for its ease in handling. Given in its solid for it's far less likely to cause aspiration into the lungs than liquid oils, although olive, castor, or mineral oil will also work. Try to get a teaspoon down her, and follow with very gentle crop massage for a minute or so.

The objective is to see if you can get the crop to start emptying. Follow up a half out to an hour later with another teaspoon of oil and massage. The crop should start to empty. If it doesn't budge, I would then begin to treat for sour crop.

The treatment is miconazole twice a day for seven days. This is the vaginal yeast treatment found in the women's hygiene section of the pharmacy. Give about a half inch of the vaginal cream into her beak. This will counter the yeast and she should begin to feel much better after a day or two, but continue the treatment for a week.

 

[Mrs. Light Sussex]

That could be her problem - sour and or impacted crop.

I would treat for both. Begin with oil and massage. I like coconut oil for its ease in handling. Given in its solid for it's far less likely to cause aspiration into the lungs than liquid oils, although olive, castor, or mineral oil will also work. Try to get a teaspoon down her, and follow with very gentle crop massage for a minute or so.

The objective is to see if you can get the crop to start emptying. Follow up a half out to an hour later with another teaspoon of oil and massage. The crop should start to empty. If it doesn't budge, I would then begin to treat for sour crop.

The treatment is miconazole twice a day for seven days. This is the vaginal yeast treatment found in the women's hygiene section of the pharmacy. Give about a half inch of the vaginal cream into her beak. This will counter the yeast and she should begin to feel much better after a day or two, but continue the treatment for a week.

I tried treating for impacted crop but didn't see any improvement.
Then I treated for sour crop, and lo and behold, the lady is feeling much better, although she still has a long way to full recovery.

btw, Regarding Miconazole, I figured an oral version would be better than a vaginal version, so I looked for Daktarin Oral Gel (Miconazole is the active ingredient). Unfortunately, the pharmacy I went was out so I got Nystatin Ready Mix which is an oral suspension for treating yeast infections in the mouth and throat. As I mention, one dose and a night later and she is a different chicken, walking around, pecking and showing some interest in food.

Thanks for your amazing advice, it most definitely saved her life

 

[azygous]

You're very lucky to be able to get Nystatin oral suspension there. We don't have access to it here in the US without a prescription. It's the best thing you can use for sour crop. It's amazing how quickly a sour crop patient responds to treatment.

After years of trying to get Nystatin, I finally found a source in Australia, and it's now on a slow boat being shipped to me as we speak. I'll finally have some in my first aid kit for the next time sour crop rears its ugly head in my flock.

So glad the patient i feeling better!

 

[azygous]

In case others wish to order some Nystatin, you can find it here. It's called Medstatin. https://www.canadavetexpress.com/pigeons-treatment/medistatin-for-birds/p263.aspx

1-800-279-7001

They are temporarily out of stock, though, as of this moment.