More trouble. - noisy breathing, lethargic not really eating

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. This is terrible. I'll help you look.

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Could it be CRD(Chronic Respiratory Disease)? It says to treat with antibiotics, and someone added elderberry to the water to give their chicken an immune boost. I'll look for more symptoms on this.

 

[LaFleche]

If she were mine I would end her misery.

 

[azygous]

Your hen is in the late stages of organ failure. About all you can do now is to keep her comfortable. Or you can end it now for her. She's dying. It's just a few more days left for her.

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

 

[MandS]

I've realised that she needs 50 - 100ml per day. Not going to get it at 2ml per hour, so I'm seriously behind. Problem was she was not drinking herself. It's just gone 4pm here and will be dark in 2 hours, so I'll be pushing fluids into her until about 8 or 9pm tonight just to catch up.

One thing I forgot to mention was I also have her an antibiotic (which I had left over from one off the other girls). It's broad spectrum so I'll need to give her the other half before bed.

I'm realistic about this. I'm expecting this not to end well. If it does, I'll take that as a miracle - and we should never discount the possibility that miracles do indeed happen.

Thanks for looking.

Our US friends will be online soon. They are incredible, particularly the ones you've seen interacting with this thread. They've helped me many times over the last 8 years. (Edit: they are here!)

 

[LaFleche]

She's not interested in food or drink.

She's not laid an egg for many months and as she's nearly 4 years old,

her breathing was terrible, but it's crossing my mind as an explanation of panting (pain) and suddenly sitting down despite being on her feet so night.

Her abdomen is now quite swollen, harder and bigger than it was yesterday,

All this tells me that there is nothing more to do than end the suffering.

 

[MandS]

If she were mine I would end her misery.

I do understand but that's not me. Mine is about trying and then making her comfortable. I'm not disagreeing, it's just I would struggle more with that psychologically.

 

[azygous]

Tubing fluids into your hen is much easier and less stressful for the both of you. Can you find a small animal tube feeding kit? Vets usually have them. Or you can make your own out of oxygen tubing or aquarium tubing. You would then need to find a large volume oral syringe that would fit the tubing. I can give you instructions on how to do it.

 

[LaFleche]

I do understand but that's not me. Mine is about trying and then making her comfortable. I'm not disagreeing, it's just I would struggle more with that psychologically.

I understand that you do not want to give up on her as for some this can feel like betrayal, taking the easy way out.

But when an animal is suffering and nothing one can try will help but only prolong the misery, I feel it my duty as an owner to help them out and stop the useless suffering.

Believe me, organ failure is no easy death as the rather sudden release of bodily fluids builds up quickly and the animal will desperately try to breathe while drowning in its own fluids