Lethargic Hen

[atxnatheart]

She is alert this morning but had very runny poop over night. I offered scrambled egg this morning and she didn't eat it. We will continue with some of the other foods suggested today. The pet store here in town is closed on Sundays so live mealy worms won't be possible today. We live in a very small town.

 

[atxnatheart]

I didn't write down her extended weight yesterday but today she is 2 lbs 365 oz and I believe that is higher than yesterday. With the new scales we will have a better idea.

 

[casportpony]

She is alert this morning but had very runny poop over night. I offered scrambled egg this morning and she didn't eat it. We will continue with some of the other foods suggested today. The pet store here in town is closed on Sundays so live mealy worms won't be possible today. We live in a very small town.

Her poop from from yesterday or the day before looked pretty good, right? I really think you need to switch antibiotics... stick with what was working. Of course keep up with the tubing and worming.

-Kathy

 

[atxnatheart]

Her poop from from yesterday or the day before looked pretty good, right? I really think you need to switch antibiotics... stick with what was working. Of course keep up with the tubing and worming.

-Kathy

Would duramycin or safeguard cause runny poop. I know antibiotics can cause stomach upset in humans. Would the runny poop be from the millet? I am asking because I am at a loss and trying to understand the possible cause of change.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I have not seen any runny poops when I have wormed, and I have wormed *hundreds*, but it's possible. Duramycin could, but her poop was better when she was on the amoxicillin, right?

-Kathy

 

[atxnatheart]

I have not seen any runny poops when I have wormed, and I have wormed *hundreds*, but it's possible. Duramycin could, but her poop was better when she was on the amoxicillin, right?

-Kathy

Yes it was better on amoxicillin. We are switching back today.

 

[atxnatheart]

For all of you amazing folks out there trying to help us, I am going to do my best to create a summary of symptoms and treatment starting November 2 when we brought her inside. I noticed she was sitting in the coop on a pretty day, all fluffed up, feathers not all in place, and lethargic, I picked her up and thought she felt light. We brought her inside using a dog crate and hay, providing water and her regular food. After researching on BYC, we thought she had coccidiosis so began treating her with corid on Monday or Tuesday November 3/4th. We held up a dish of treated water to help her drink and we were able to syringe feed human baby food but we felt she wasn't enough. In the afternoons that week, my husband took her outside and she was still strong enough to scratch around in the flower beds and eating a few bugs through Friday the 7th. We were not home most of that Saturday so she didn't get to go outside. On Sunday, I took her outside and she didn't really have an interest in walking around or scratching at the dirt. She just walked a little and chose to sit more than anything. We felt the corid would have been working by now, so we stopped that and got duramycin and began treating her with that in her water

Monday, the 10th I PM'd Kathy, brought her up to date on what we had done. We talked on the phone at length about tube feeding. That night I was able to locate everything needed to get her started including pedialyte and clear corn syrup. We hydrated her with pedialyte and corn syrup on the 10th with a total of 55cc that night. I bought a space heater to maintain a temperature of 80-85 degrees in her room. I have a pan of water in front of it so the room air doesn't get too dry. We called every vet in town and none of them treat poultry.

Tuesday the 11th we hydrated 30cc in the morning, offering her sips throughout the day and again with another 30cc that night. We added 30cc of Kaytee Baby Bird food mixed with pedialyte (2.5 parts pedialyte to 1 part Kaytee) on the 11th. She wasn't as alert this evening. I PM'd Kathy and she asked if we had any human amoxicillin. I searched around and found some amoxicillin for one of our dogs. We believe this is the day she stopped standing in her crate.

Wednesday, the 12th, when I woke up I thought she had passed during the night, she was on her side when I went in to check on her. We gave her 125mg amoxicillin 30cc Kaytee in the morning, offered sips throughout the day. Another dose of amoxicillin after lunch and 45 cc Kaytee that evening. Keep in mind all of this is tube fed.

Thursday, the 13th she didn't seem much better. Another dose of 125mg amoxicillin, 45cc Kaytee that AM. We went out on a local forum and proposed the scenario for help and most of the response was to check for egg bound. So my husband picked up some sodium gluconate and gave her 0.5ml. He set her up in a pan of warm water and she loved it. Helped to bring her around more and he did this 3x that day. He checked the vent with a glove and KY and didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. But we noticed she loved the warm bath treatments. She had another 45cc Kaytee that evening. Each time we were checking her crop to be sure it was empty before adding more.

Friday, the 14th my husband began communicating with an aviary vet online. Based on the communication the vet suspected Mycoplasma synoviae so we went back to duramycin since she seemed to have done worse the two days before on amoxicillin. She was drinking much better than she had the previous days. She was much more alert.

Saturday, the 15th she was looking at her water and saw a piece of hay in it and I guess she thought it was a worm and showed interest in food for the first time. I gave her millet with a pinch of grit and she loved it. Acted like she was starved! Such a great sign to us. Still drinking very well. We continued with tube feeding 30cc Kaytee in the AM, 20cc Kaytee that afternoon with 0.2 Safeguard and an additional 30cc Kaytee that evening. We picked up a kitchen scale and she weighed in at 2.3 oz. I did not make a note of the extension but I believe it was lower than today.

I removed the millet from the crate last night and only provided the duramycin treated water for her. She has been much chattier when I go in to tend to her.

Sunday, the 16th - She had a very runny poop last night. This morning her crop has liquid or food from the last feeding last night. I made scrambled egg, no interest, mush with layer crumbles, no interest. We believe it has been since Wednesday that she keeps her toes curled under. They will straighten out when I hold her for tube feeding. Wings are still droopy but she uses them to assist her with her balance when she moves in the crate. Her breathing seems fine, no mucus in her mouth. I will make some rice and try that for her. I was surprised her crop hadn't emptied during the night but don't know if it was due to drinking water (which I have not witnessed). We will go back to amoxicillin today.

Just checked her crop at 10:30 CT and there is still a small bulge. We have not tube fed her since 10PM last night

Still completely puzzled and looking for any additional thoughts/help. I am sure I have left something out so please ask!

 

[atxnatheart]

 

[atxnatheart]

I just took these photos of her eyes for some input on Marek's. To me (inexperienced) her eyes look good.

 

[casportpony]

I agree, her eyes look normal.

-Kathy