More sick birds. *Necropsy Report!* (Now with IC, swollen eye...)

[Andora]

Wow. Those links were extremely informative, thanks. I hope the cancer was just a fluke and not something going through my flock!! Now we just have to wait a week for the full panel of tests to let us know...

I'm really nervous now.

On the positive side, I put GSE in the water (along with the Sulmet) and the birds all seemed active today. Two of them still have sticky/runny beaks but nothing major.

 

[little horse]

wow, i have been following your story and would not have thought of cancer. hope the rest of the girls are ok, surely they all wouldnt have cancer. i wish you all the best, keep us posted!

 

[Andora]

Still waiting the test results...but just thinking...do you think these symptoms could match Marek's disease? I read that it can cause cancer like symptoms. Squinty eyes (sensitivity to light) was also on the symptom list, and this bird who had a necropsy always squinted her eyes outside.

If it does indeed end up being Marek's, what should I do? Try to vaccinate everyone? Does that worsen the disease once they are exposed? Any thoughts...

I know I should just wait for the final results, but I can't help myself from worrying and wondering.

 

[Minx]

Hi there

I know what you mean, its bugging me too. I have been having a trawl around diseases for you and some that have cropped up but not really sure of... ive posted the links anyway for you to check out ....

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/99/mycoplasma-synoviae-infection-ms-infectious-synovitis

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/3/amyloidosis

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/

Still think that it leans towards this ...

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/11/avian-leukosis-lymphoid-leukosis-leukosis-sarkoma-group

As far as vaccinating for anything, I would really wait and see what the results come back as ....

 

[beautifulbirds]

FRESH WHEATGRASS JUICE given orally (straight down their throat) may help. Wheatgrass juice is not a medicine but a food and a disenfectant, it is natural - so completely harmless - will help and not hurt. I have saved my chooks and a wee chick. It's so good that I now give maintenance doses weekly to anyone with a mucky bum or purplish comb or anyone standing around looking sluggish and 'off'. One shot will last three days if kept in the fridge; give three squirts straight down their throat for three days and repeat if necessary. Need anymore info please email me, hope this helps.

 

[Andora]

Thanks for the links Minx! I've been looking around at them in my spare time. Hopefully I'll get the diagnosis early this week.

Where do you buy fresh wheatgrass juice? Do they sell it at Whole Foods? I've never heard of it! If I can find it I'll buy some and try it. Usually I use Grapefruit Seed Extract like that--I take it when I'm getting sick too...just this week my whole family came down with a bad head cold and my sore throat was gone in a few days with GSE.

I've been putting Sulmet and Grapefruit Seed Extract in the chicken water for about a week now, and all the birds are symptom free except one. She has always had a chest rattle (had it when I got her, not related to the disease in my flock), now she has a very crusty nose that was bubbling yesterday. She definitely seems on the downward spiral today following the path of Killer Snot. I desperately want to save her...I'm thinking about injecting her with Tylan in case she is sick from another infection besides the Killer Snot, because of the chest rattle she's had for several months. Is it alright to give Tylan while she's been drinking Sulmet? I asked the avian PhD guy I talked to a week or so ago and he said that it should probably be fine since they act in two different manners in the body, but I might not want to just to be safe.

Can you all think of anything else I can possibly do for her? Tylan didn't help any of my other sick birds, except for one hen who had a very runny nose and bubbly eye. Five days of Tylan 50 in the breast and she was healthy again.

 

[Lunachick]

So sorry you lost that poor little pullet. I hope things calm down for you and you get some answers.

 

[beautifulbirds]

Wheatgrass juice from any juice bar or healthfood shop. Your bird may have roup which is highly contagious; bubbly nose and watery eye? Wheatgrass juice - just start dosing her asap. Wouldn't use two treatments together they may wipe her out.

 

[Andora]

Thanks, I'll go to Whole Foods tomorrow and see if they have it! I bet they do.

Interesting tidbit...the guy I bought the sick chickens from told someone else who unknowingly also purchased his birds that one of his BLRW breeding hens had cancer but that it wasn't contagious or genetic.

Never buy chickens from a guy named David in the Richmond/Berea, Kentucky area, even when he says he has vet papers certifying his birds as healthy.

I'm still waiting for the necropsy final results. Do you think I should call tomorrow? I don't want to harass them. Everyone out in my coop is looking healthy now! I'm just battling a horrible case of scaly leg mites in one of the hens I got from this guy. I've been lubing them with unpetroleum. (Essentially vaseline.) Her toes are swollen, her feet are crusty and absolutely disgusting, and she has spurs that I actually thought were fifth toes. (She has very, very short and heavily feathered legs.) I'm going to try to take a picture of her feet tomorrow so you all can see them. I don't know what this guy did to his birds for her feet to have ended up like this. One toe is so crooked and stiff that the claw is almost facing upwards. This is the same hen who had the bubbly eye and nose forever, but the Tylan cured it several weeks ago.

 

[beautifulbirds]

Do a phone-around first and see who can supply you with fresh wheatgrass juice. Save your legs. Try juice bars and then health food shops, someone will know. I now have a juicer and juice my iwn grass on demand as well as taking a shot or two myself. Works wonders