Need Help/Advice! Please Help My Hen!

[AmyJane725]

Hi guys,

My 2.5 year old Silver Spangled Hamburg hen Ildi has been having a rough month. She had an abscess above her eye, which she had incised and cleaned out at the vet 3 times, and got 3 different antibiotics (just finished the last dose of the most recent one yesterday).

I'm glad to report that the infection has cleared up, but on Thursday (1/13) I noticed that she is deathly pale and her feet get cold (they never used to). She isn't eating or drinking much, and has been resting a lot (not moving around or vocalizing much). She is also really light, which might be from lack of water? She had a broken blood feather that morning I think? Everything is kind of blurring together now, but she didn't really lose that much blood. I'd imagine it to be about 10 drops? Probably 20 tops? If it was anemia or something from blood loss I feel like she would just eat and drink and replace the blood, not get all sick like this, so I don't know if it was a coincidence or not.

I'm really freaking out. I love her so much and I'm afraid she's dying. Vet isn't in until Tuesday, and even then they might not see her until Wednesday.

I think I might have to tube feed her in the meantime so she doesn't die from dehydration. I've never done it before, and am seeking any advice in general.

What is wrong with her, what can I do to help?

Pics attached to show color. First one was taken on 1/6, second one was taken on 1/15.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

That's definitely bad. I'm not sure what'd be causing it. Is her poop black or tarry? Any blood?

 

[AmyJane725]

The poop is dark green. No blood that I can tell. I have been giving her spinach for iron, but it was green before that too.

 

[AmyJane725]

@aart @casportpony @azygous @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

Green poop indicates very poor appetite and possible starvation. It's not at all uncommon following a series of health problems.

I suggest you look for the supplies needed to tube feed. It may be necessary to get her back on her feet. Do this in the meantime. Give her a cup of warm water with a teaspoon of sugar mixed in. Let her drink that for the rest of today and all day tomorrow. Often, elevating the glucose levels can give a chicken new energy and that can promote a return of appetite and eating. If she fails to eat on her own by tomorrow afternoon, you should plan to tube feed her for one or two days.

 

[AmyJane725]

Ok. I believe I have all the tube feeding supplies (catheter, syringe), I would just need to know how much to give her.

If she won't drink the sugar water should I syringe it in, because I keep putting her by her food and water but she doesn't touch them. I'm making her some scrambled egg right now, but I feel like I need to get water into her. I have a bunch of 1 mL oral syringes, and I've gotten pretty good at giving liquids (after all the antibiotics she had for the last 10 days). How much should I give her?

 

[AmyJane725]

She currently weighs 2 lbs 4 oz, which is down 2 oz from when she was at the vet 10 days ago. And down 3 oz from when she went for the first time about a month ago. I imagine losing nearly 8% of your body weight in a month isn't good (especially since she wasn't overweight to begin with)

 

[Eggcessive]

How does the left eye look? Did the vet know if that might be a respiratory sinus infection? Have you looked her over for lice and mites, under her belly and elsewhere on her skin? Since she is a bantam breed, blood loss could make her anemic. A vitamin electrolytes product such as poultry NutriDrench or poultry cell, or baby vitamins can help with iron supplementation. You would need to get a 35 ml syringe to tube feed.

 

[AmyJane725]

Also, I have a disabled roo who is in the house with us. It won't hurt him to drink sugar water for a day or two if I put it in the main waterer, will it?

 

[AmyJane725]

How does the left eye look? - All healed up. It was very puffy before, like a pea under the skin, but it has shrunk down almost completely now and is no longer hot or red.

Did the vet know if that might be a respiratory sinus infection? - I paid to have the pus cultured and it was an E. coli infection/abscess. I had her there three separate times and he never seemed to think it was respiratory. I mentioned that I would sometimes notice her breathing in (like I could see her sinus sucking in and out, and hear a really high pitched airflow noise, but he wasn't bothered about it, unless the nurses just didn't tell him?)

Have you looked her over for lice and mites, under her belly and elsewhere on her skin? - Yes, she 100% parasite free. Vet verified, and I check my own birds extremely frequently as well. Plus she has been indoors with me for the last month, so no chance for her to pick anything up inside.

Since she is a bantam breed, blood loss could make her anemic. A vitamin electrolytes product such as poultry NutriDrench or poultry cell, or baby vitamins can help with iron supplementation. - I just gave her 1 mL of sugar water while she was eating her scrambled eggs. I have Poultry Cell (400 mg Iron / fl oz)

You would need to get a 35 ml syringe to tube feed. - I have a 50 mL