Multiple ailments sick bay

[member 158781]

OK. So in sick Bay today are: Olive Egger "Sweet Olive" and Wellsummer cross "Big Red", aka "mean little heifer". Olive was put in sick bay yesterday and we immediately started treatment. She also has a respiratory infection and is treated with amoxicilline for that.

Both have vent gleet. Olive had diarrhea but deworming and anti-fungal cream in her vent solved that. Her butt is still very red and gets treated with both anti fungal cream and triple antibiotics.

Big red is a MEAN chicken and can attack with her spurs. Yes, she has spurs. So it took me the entire morning to first separate her from the flock, drive her into the garage, catch her with a big beach towel and starrt treating her.

Previously, both chickens had had bumblefoot on both feet. Yesterday and today, I found they still had one foot with bumble foot and I opened them up, removed the puss, applied a dot of triple antibiotics and bandaged with fabric band aids.

Big Red's diarrhea is being treated the same way I did Olive's runny feces. Anti-fungal in the vent and deworming.

This time, since I have them both "prisoner", I intend to keep them in sick bay for a full week or longer if necessary.

"Prison" appears to have a positive effect on Big Red, who is not attacking me and now subjects to treatment. Amazing. I hope that both will return to their former "glory".
Yes, they're old. No, they haven't put an egg in their coop for a year now; but I still want to give them a fighting chance at a happy old age.

If anyone feels they can give me more advice as to what to do for their ailments, any remarks are welcome.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Olive was put in sick bay yesterday and we immediately started treatment. She also has a respiratory infection and is treated with amoxicilline for that.

Both have vent gleet. Olive had diarrhea but deworming and anti-fungal cream in her vent solved that. Her butt is still very red and gets treated with both anti fungal cream and triple antibiotics.

Big red is a MEAN chicken and can attack with her spurs. Yes, she has spurs. So it took me the entire morning to first separate her from the flock, drive her into the garage, catch her with a big beach towel and starrt treating her.

Previously, both chickens had had bumblefoot on both feet. Yesterday and today, I found they still had one foot with bumble foot and I opened them up, removed the puss, applied a dot of triple antibiotics and bandaged with fabric band aids.

Yes, they're old. No, they haven't put an egg in their coop for a year now; but I still want to give them a fighting chance at a happy old age.

LOL Is red giving you the stink eye or is her eye partially shut due to respiratory illness? Love your description, I like her already!

Can you post some photos of the poop, feet when you unwrap them and their vents too?

You mention respiratory infection - what symptoms are you seeing/hearing? Have they had respiratory illness before? If something like Mycoplasma, Amoxicillin is not that effective. You would do better ordering some Tylosin or since they both are not laying eggs at all, Baytril could be used.

Since both have vent gleet, are their crops empty first thing in the morning before eating/drinking? Any sour smelly breath (sour crop does not always mean a crop is not emptying). Sometimes a crop issue is at play with vent gleet. If it doesn't clear up with your normal treatment of application of anti-fungal and bathing, the I would consider treating like Sour Crop. You can use Nystatin or some use vaginal yeast cream (given orally).

I would encourage both the drink well. If they have any swelling of the eyes, clean those out with saline and remove the pus. Poultry vitamins for a couple of days too.
Eating their normal feed would be good, but I think Sweet Olive may need a nice treat of a bit of egg to help her cope with being stuck with that mean heifer.

 

[member 158781]

LOL Is red giving you the stink eye or is her eye partially shut due to respiratory illness? Love your description, I like her already!

Can you post some photos of the poop, feet when you unwrap them and their vents too?

You mention respiratory infection - what symptoms are you seeing/hearing? Have they had respiratory illness before? If something like Mycoplasma, Amoxicillin is not that effective. You would do better ordering some Tylosin or since they both are not laying eggs at all, Baytril could be used.

Since both have vent gleet, are their crops empty first thing in the morning before eating/drinking? Any sour smelly breath (sour crop does not always mean a crop is not emptying). Sometimes a crop issue is at play with vent gleet. If it doesn't clear up with your normal treatment of application of anti-fungal and bathing, the I would consider treating like Sour Crop. You can use Nystatin or some use vaginal yeast cream (given orally).

I would encourage both the drink well. If they have any swelling of the eyes, clean those out with saline and remove the pus. Poultry vitamins for a couple of days too.
Eating their normal feed would be good, but I think Sweet Olive may need a nice treat of a bit of egg to help her cope with being stuck with that mean heifer.

Yep. STINK EYE. Red has no problems with respiratory illness. Only Olive does. Red's a notorious B-----. Has always been that way. When everyone else was eating from my hand, she would peck at me and twist my skin. Later on she would attack me. She just always hated me and my rooster has actually whooped her a-- for it.

I'll try to take pictures of their vents. That will be tonight at its earliest. Red has to be wrapped in a towel. Olive looks horrible. I have cut her feathers around her vent in order to be able to treat everything. It already looks better but the ENTIRE area was Fire Truck red.

About the respiratory infection: I also have Metronidazole capsules if the breathing doesn't get better. Her only symptom really is that I can hear her breath too well and she seems to have more audible breathing than the others. Also more chest movement.
I will research Tylosin and Baytril both. And order some if a week of amoxicilline doesn't help. (or before, just to make sure I have it on hand)

Crops are empty in the morning, full at night.

I'm trying to make sure they drink enough. To that effect, I have opened up their cage/prison to give them the run of the guest bathroom. Water is at hand.

Yes, they already get poultry vitamins.

Believe it or not, butsweet Olive is good with me but bosses mean Red around. Another reason to make sure they have the entire bathroom.

Their treats are Mealworms. Red refuses them when I try to give them. I only get the stink eye.

Thanks very much. Great advice I'm off to find the other meds online. If necessary, I can drive to my vet.

 

[member 158781]

View attachment 1978398

Can you post some photos of the poop, feet when you unwrap them and their vents too?

This is Olive. Believe it but this is already better than it was. It's absolutely horrifying. I hope I get it under control soon.
Her poop has actually completely returned to normal within one day. (see picture below)
View attachment 1978398
Tomorrow I'll try to take a picture of Big Red's vent and poop. They've bedded down for the night now.
I'll also try and take pictures of their feet.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You've checked well for lice/mites?
Wormed them recently? What did you use?

 

[member 158781]

You've checked well for lice/mites?
Wormed them recently? What did you use?

Yes. Absolutely no lice/mites or coccidia They get Zyfend-A in their water and twice a year, I worm them with Safe-guard for goats orally.

 

[member 158781]

UPDATE: Working on pictures this morning. As promised, here are the pictures of Big Red's fluffy butt. In the close-up, it does seem that there has been some kind of injury right next to her vent. I have applied triple antibiotics and she also has medication orally for her diarrhea. One is older and wetter, has less definition. The other one is 2 hours "younger" and seems to have a little more solids to it. I'll have to see how that develops. What do you think of the wound by her vent?

 

[member 158781]

OK. And now the pictures of the feet. They're definitely not done being treated (triple antibiotic and fabric band-aid. But they are enormously better than when I treated them for the first time several weeks ago. It's only one foot now on each chicken. There was a small amount of puss coming out of one foot yesterday but today nothing cam out. And most important: they do not limp anymore.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The vent looks fine. The small place may be where a feather was plucked out, the triple antibiotic ointment is fine to use on that if you wish.
I was expecting a crusty/yeasty looking vent due to vent gleet, but she looks good.

I would continue to work on the feet, the ointment and wrapping may soften those up enough where you can press out the core of pus that is in there.

 

[member 158781]

The vent looks fine. The small place may be where a feather was plucked out, the triple antibiotic ointment is fine to use on that if you wish.
I was expecting a crusty/yeasty looking vent due to vent gleet, but she looks good.

I would continue to work on the feet, the ointment and wrapping may soften those up enough where you can press out the core of pus that is in there.

Thanks Wyorp Rock, Yes, I'm very surprised that her vent looks this good with all the nasty diarrhea she always has. She always acts normal, does not act sick but the droppings are nothing but loose. Would it be possible that it's like that on account of age? (liver, kidneys???)

As for the feet; yes, I'll go on with that.

And as for OLIVE the olive egger: Her breathing is not good. Still heavy breathing when exerting herself. I'm wracking her poop with the amoxicillin so I'm going to ask the vet for subcutaneous and or intramuscular antibiotic injections. Her NSOB (Not So Fluffy butt) is starting to look better. She always has me puzzled too. Never diarrhea but always a horrendous NSFB.