Need emergency help--chicken can't breathe

[Keet]

Our 1.5 year old Buff Orpington is fighting for her life. She didn't put herself to bed, and after 3 hours of searching in the dark, we found her gasping for breath. She is routinely stretching out her entire neck, wheezing very loud, and every 30 seconds or so actually coughed violently. We have her inside on a heating pad.

Please any thoughts or suggestions, from a very very worried chicken mom.

 

[Chickengal505]

hmmmm mabie gape worm... search it quick... Try mouth to beak resitaion. Can you fation a oxigen pump to keep her alive untill you can find out more? OHHHHH I have an exersise ball it came with a squishy acaurdean (spellings wrong) Style pump with a hose. Do you have somthing simailr? Try fixing it over her beak and nostails and slowly pumping air into her and make shure you release SLOWLY as you might breathe... Thats all ive got... BUMP

 

[Imp]

The symptoms are kind of vague for a diagnosis. Here are some sites with disease info:

http://www.colchesterpoultryclub.com/health.htm

http://www.welphatchery.com/poultry_health.asp

Bringing her in and keeping her warm are good first steps. Do you have any meds available? I'm guessing it's too late where you are to go to the feedstore.

If you can vet first thing in the morning. If vet isn't an option then feedstore in the morning for meds. There are lots of different respiratoy issues with chickens.

Good luck

Imp

 

[aubreynoramarie]

could she have something stuck in her throat or gullet?

 

[stryeyz]

Quote:
Could she have inhaled water or other liquid? I just rescued one of our Khaki Campbell baby ducks on Friday night and we did mouth to beak rescussitation, brought him inside with a heat lamp, and he is doing quite well. Without more details it's hard to make too much of a suggestion, but maybe she either got into something (ate something bad like a mushroom or something?) or else inhaled water? Could she have been bitten by something that may have given her an allergic reaction?

 

[Chickengal505]

Gape Worm or Syngamus Tachea

Saturday, 06 June 2009 14:17
The Gape Worm also called Syngamus Tachea mainly affects chickens, turkeys and game birds, especially pheasants but can affect other wild birds as well which makes eradication difficult. Infestation offen occurs when there are wild pheasants close to your birds. Gapeworm infestation can occur either directly by birds eating eggs that have been swallowed or coughed up by infested birds, or indirectly by intermediate hosts such as earthworms or snails. Young birds up to 8 weeks of age are particularly susceptible to gape worm. Gapeworms normally live in the tachea (windpipe) but are also found in the bronchi and lungs.

Typically, eggs are picked up from the ground or intermediate hosts such as worms or snails. The eggs hatch and the larvae penetrate the intestine walls and move to the lungs and bronchi. It is here they go through a larval moult, before travelling up to the trachea. Male and female gapeworms attach to one another once they arrive here. This process takes around 7 days. Gapeworm lay eggs that get coughed up onto the ground or swallowed and passed out in the faeces.

Signs and Symptoms
Infestation causes respiratory distress. Gasping for breath or 'gaping' as it is known is the biggest sign of gape worm. Shaking of the head and neck stretching are common. When birds are held, gurgling or a 'tracheal rattle' can often be heard. This can often be confused with respiratory infection, if in doubt, check for other signs of respiratory disease. If a heavy infestation occurs, death by suffocation will occur. Fully grown gape worms are 'Y' shaped and vary in size between 1 and 2cm long.

found this on google hope it helps​

 

[Cetawin]

I had a hen that got grass or something stuck in her throat and was acting like that. I made a soupy mash she could drink and I put olive oil in her beak and massaged her throat and crop, I did the olive oil thing several times per day and even fed her with a syringe...she worked it on through and was fine 4 days later.

Look down her throat if you can...gape worms you should be able to see if they are affecting her that badly.

Good luck with your girl.

 

[jjthinkagain]

Given the emergency here, if you can race her to an avian vet that may be her best shot. That said, I do worry about the stress of it so if you do it, place her gently in a comfortable covered carrier for transport......

JJ

 

[Keet]

I'm very sad to say that she passed not even 45 minutes after I made this post. Thanks for the suggestions, but she was really on her last legs. I was scared to put anything down her throat fearing she may aspirate.

 

[Imp]

So sorry you lost her. All too often, by the time you realize something is very serious it is too late. They are so good about hiding sickness.

Sorry again

Imp