My cockerel is getting worse--- Help please
- Thread starter mustangrooster
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #42
mustangrooster
Songster
Thank you, everyone, for your help and advice and kind words, you really don't know how much it is helping. 
His beautiful blue eyes are more of a grey now...but he's still eating and drinking like a pro. I rigged him up in a new comfy sling with a fan on him, and he has finally stopped panting and is finally taking little naps. Which is better than panting like he's suffering from heat exhaustion all the time. His legs feel...sorta hot, he might have been overheating somehow, but he seems happier with a fan on him.
I have been watching him all day, providing him with plenty of water and food.
Unfortunately, a trip to get what he needs was unable to be made today. So, I have been providing him with foods that have natural probiotics eg. blueberries, little bits of vanilla sugar-free yogurt etc. He's still having garlic. Garlic has helped many of my sick birds towards recovery.
I'm not going to put him down just yet. He's still alert, eating, drinking, and sometimes chattering. He's still got a 'spark' in his eyes, so I'm going to try my best and help him to recover.
I will keep you all posted.
His beautiful blue eyes are more of a grey now...but he's still eating and drinking like a pro. I rigged him up in a new comfy sling with a fan on him, and he has finally stopped panting and is finally taking little naps. Which is better than panting like he's suffering from heat exhaustion all the time. His legs feel...sorta hot, he might have been overheating somehow, but he seems happier with a fan on him.
I have been watching him all day, providing him with plenty of water and food.
Unfortunately, a trip to get what he needs was unable to be made today. So, I have been providing him with foods that have natural probiotics eg. blueberries, little bits of vanilla sugar-free yogurt etc. He's still having garlic. Garlic has helped many of my sick birds towards recovery.
I'm not going to put him down just yet. He's still alert, eating, drinking, and sometimes chattering. He's still got a 'spark' in his eyes, so I'm going to try my best and help him to recover.
I will keep you all posted.
Good to hear! Yes plz keep us updated I hope he pulls throughThank you, everyone, for your help and advice and kind words, you really don't know how much it is helping.
His beautiful blue eyes are more of a grey now...but he's still eating and drinking like a pro. I rigged him up in a new comfy sling with a fan on him, and he has finally stopped panting and is finally taking little naps. Which is better than panting like he's suffering from heat exhaustion all the time. His legs feel...sorta hot, he might have been overheating somehow, but he seems happier with a fan on him.
I have been watching him all day, providing him with plenty of water and food.
Unfortunately, a trip to get what he needs was unable to be made today. So, I have been providing him with foods that have natural probiotics eg. blueberries, little bits of vanilla sugar-free yogurt etc. He's still having garlic. Garlic has helped many of my sick birds towards recovery.
I'm not going to put him down just yet. He's still alert, eating, drinking, and sometimes chattering. He's still got a 'spark' in his eyes, so I'm going to try my best and help him to recover.
I will keep you all posted.
Enjoy and cherish each day he'll allow.
Well, I'm facing euthanizing my pullet this morning. She was alive on her roost this morning, but she refuses to drink or eat. She's barely mobile, and is mostly in eyes-closed mode. If you wish to know my method in case you need to euthanize your boy, send me a private message.
I’m so sorry
- Thread starter
- #47
mustangrooster
Songster
Well, I would love to say how well he is doing, how much better he is, and that he is on the road to recovery. I would love to say that, but that would be lying. He's the worst I have seen him.
He was doing so well yesterday, his pale face went back to a normal red when he sat under the cool shade on the grass outside, he ate and drank again like a pro, and seemed to be doing well. That night, I noticed things were changing in him. He was dozing off and on whilst eating, struggling to gobble down food like before, and didn't really want water. This morning, the poor baby is worse.
His neck seems to be giving out, I'm not sure if its because he's gone stiff in the neck from keeping it still in a sling for so long, but I think its because of the Marek's disease. When he's sleeping, his head/neck is in a very un-normal position against his body, sort of like how a wry neck would look like. And it's limiting his movement in the neck, he can put his head into a normal position against his body but he cant move it forward to eat. He wants to---He keeps trying, but he can't seem to. He's drinking and eating willing out of a syringe, and is still alert but I know his time is coming to an end...soon. I have cherished every day spent with him. He's been by my bed in his sling, and he has loved 'chattering' to me.
A vet trip will be made tomorrow. If they cant help him I think by then this little brave boy will be put to rest. If they can do a necropsy, it will be done too.
I feel like he has been hanging in for me, eating and drinking because he wants to live. But, I can tell he is uncomfortable and he is losing his spark, I hate seeing him like this...so I feel like I'm making the right decision, as hard as it is.
Thank you for all your help everyone.
He was doing so well yesterday, his pale face went back to a normal red when he sat under the cool shade on the grass outside, he ate and drank again like a pro, and seemed to be doing well. That night, I noticed things were changing in him. He was dozing off and on whilst eating, struggling to gobble down food like before, and didn't really want water. This morning, the poor baby is worse.
His neck seems to be giving out, I'm not sure if its because he's gone stiff in the neck from keeping it still in a sling for so long, but I think its because of the Marek's disease. When he's sleeping, his head/neck is in a very un-normal position against his body, sort of like how a wry neck would look like. And it's limiting his movement in the neck, he can put his head into a normal position against his body but he cant move it forward to eat. He wants to---He keeps trying, but he can't seem to. He's drinking and eating willing out of a syringe, and is still alert but I know his time is coming to an end...soon. I have cherished every day spent with him. He's been by my bed in his sling, and he has loved 'chattering' to me.
A vet trip will be made tomorrow. If they cant help him I think by then this little brave boy will be put to rest. If they can do a necropsy, it will be done too.
I feel like he has been hanging in for me, eating and drinking because he wants to live. But, I can tell he is uncomfortable and he is losing his spark, I hate seeing him like this...so I feel like I'm making the right decision, as hard as it is.
Thank you for all your help everyone.
I know this has been a difficult journey for you for I've traveled the road a few times, the most recent today when I finally euthanized my pullet.
When the time comes, you know it, and you just do it. The relief far outweighs the grief, believe me.
I called a friend from a few miles down the mountain ridge from me and asked her to come over and help me do a necropsy since she's a nurse and between us, I figured we could search out the cause of my pullet's sickness.
Trina my friend carefully opened up the chest of the chicken and we began to examine one organ after another. Nothing was normal inside that one-year old pullet except for her eggs, every future egg perfect and on display like jewels. Everything else was a nightmare. Tumors on the heart, enlarged liver, gizzard petrified and it's a wonder it worked up until this week, and hanging on every surface was fat like so many cobwebs in a haunted house. This is the devastation an avian virus wreaks. It was no surprise since I knew my flock carried it. My pullet, being from an egg produced and fertilized by carriers of the disease had a much greater chance of becoming symptomatic. It happened to another chicken hatched in my flock at around the same age as this one.
I hope it will be possible to get a necropsy as it will be useful information. You should not let the results discourage you. It does not necessarily mean a death sentence for every chicken in your flock if it turns out to be an avian virus. And please let us know how things turn out.
When the time comes, you know it, and you just do it. The relief far outweighs the grief, believe me.
I called a friend from a few miles down the mountain ridge from me and asked her to come over and help me do a necropsy since she's a nurse and between us, I figured we could search out the cause of my pullet's sickness.
Trina my friend carefully opened up the chest of the chicken and we began to examine one organ after another. Nothing was normal inside that one-year old pullet except for her eggs, every future egg perfect and on display like jewels. Everything else was a nightmare. Tumors on the heart, enlarged liver, gizzard petrified and it's a wonder it worked up until this week, and hanging on every surface was fat like so many cobwebs in a haunted house. This is the devastation an avian virus wreaks. It was no surprise since I knew my flock carried it. My pullet, being from an egg produced and fertilized by carriers of the disease had a much greater chance of becoming symptomatic. It happened to another chicken hatched in my flock at around the same age as this one.
I hope it will be possible to get a necropsy as it will be useful information. You should not let the results discourage you. It does not necessarily mean a death sentence for every chicken in your flock if it turns out to be an avian virus. And please let us know how things turn out.
@mustangrooster
I'm so sorry that he has deteriorated and I think you are right to consider ending it for him, difficult as that decision is. When the neck starts twisting as well as all the other stuff, it makes quality of life very poor.
State agricultural facilities and veterinary universities are probably the cheaper option for a necropsy, so check with your vet regarding cost and if it is going to be a silly amount, I would recommend refrigerating his body and sending it off to one of those instead. Those organisations also have the facilities for testing tissue samples whereas the vet will not, which can be an important aspect of diagnosing Marek's. There are details of how to package and send a carcass off for necropsy and lists of state facilities that do them on the forum.
Or, if you feel able to open him up yourself and investigate further, take lots of photos of everything you see, all the organs etc and we may be able to help diagnose.
@azygous
Sad to hear that you lost another one to that horrible disease. Do you get some that rally with it like I find with Marek's or is it always a slow and steady decline once they exhibit symptoms? I am pleased that you had a friend to help you do a post mortem examination. So poignant that you can see the beauty of her reproductive system highlighted against the ravages of the disease in her other organs.
I'm so sorry that he has deteriorated and I think you are right to consider ending it for him, difficult as that decision is. When the neck starts twisting as well as all the other stuff, it makes quality of life very poor.
State agricultural facilities and veterinary universities are probably the cheaper option for a necropsy, so check with your vet regarding cost and if it is going to be a silly amount, I would recommend refrigerating his body and sending it off to one of those instead. Those organisations also have the facilities for testing tissue samples whereas the vet will not, which can be an important aspect of diagnosing Marek's. There are details of how to package and send a carcass off for necropsy and lists of state facilities that do them on the forum.
Or, if you feel able to open him up yourself and investigate further, take lots of photos of everything you see, all the organs etc and we may be able to help diagnose.
@azygous
Sad to hear that you lost another one to that horrible disease. Do you get some that rally with it like I find with Marek's or is it always a slow and steady decline once they exhibit symptoms? I am pleased that you had a friend to help you do a post mortem examination. So poignant that you can see the beauty of her reproductive system highlighted against the ravages of the disease in her other organs.
- Thread starter
- #50
mustangrooster
Songster
@azygous I'm so sorry about your pullet, that sounds terrible. Yes, I will certainly keep you guys up to date. The way you described her reproductive system and then how the rest of her body was smothered in the disease was saddening. @rebrascora Thanks, the euthanizing part is what gets me the most I think....thinking over it now I will probably do a necropsy on him myself if/when he dies, and I will take a load of photos.
I hate to bring in more bad news....but there is more.
My silkie cross pullet 'Star' (I think its Star anyway...I have three who look identical) is now walking around all puffed up. She is having trouble walking, although she can still run (she wobbles away right before I can grab her). She is much preferring to sit down.
This pullet is the frizzles sister. Well...the pullet is my Silkie hens chick and they were all brooded and raised together by Topaz (my bantam silkie hen). Has she got what my frizzle has? I think the chances are high that she has....especially since she is apart of my bantam flock, he has mingled with all my bantam flock.
This is what she is looking like:
Is it likely that their mother might come down with the symptoms too?
If so, this is devastating. I was going to be selling their chicks/eggs. No way I can do that now.
There are also more birds in my bantam flock, are the chances high that they might slowly start showing symptoms too?
Sorry for all the questions.
I hate to bring in more bad news....but there is more.
My silkie cross pullet 'Star' (I think its Star anyway...I have three who look identical) is now walking around all puffed up. She is having trouble walking, although she can still run (she wobbles away right before I can grab her). She is much preferring to sit down.
This pullet is the frizzles sister. Well...the pullet is my Silkie hens chick and they were all brooded and raised together by Topaz (my bantam silkie hen). Has she got what my frizzle has? I think the chances are high that she has....especially since she is apart of my bantam flock, he has mingled with all my bantam flock.
This is what she is looking like:
Is it likely that their mother might come down with the symptoms too?
If so, this is devastating. I was going to be selling their chicks/eggs. No way I can do that now.
There are also more birds in my bantam flock, are the chances high that they might slowly start showing symptoms too?
Sorry for all the questions.
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