Need help! Very sick 4 week old chicks with strange symptoms. I need some ideas :(

[keesha63]

I will keep everyone updated. I hope that something miraculous happens and they pull through this.

 

[keesha63]

Just keeping every updated:

My vet spoke with the university pathologist this morning who said highly unlikely to be Mereks as well due to the lack of outside exposure. She said the symptoms are a strange combination as the gaping does not appear to have a resp disease component due to the lack of other resp symptoms. She asked it was possible that they had been exposed to a fungus. The vet has been here numerous times and knows how I keep my coops and brooders. The brooder cages are in my dining room I make sure they are always very clean. However this did make me think of something.

Other than the older polish that developed symptoms which were slightly different 6 weeks ago it's been isolated to the one brooder cage.
Because the brooder cages are fairly large (2 feet x 5 feet) I usually clean them with the birds inside. I scoop up the old wood shavings (soft wood not cedar) on one side and they all run to the other side. I wipe down the bottom and sides with water, dry it and replace shavings then I do the other side. I did the brooder on Tuesday but when I got about half way and they were tearing around the cage like crazy and flinging shavings everywhere so I took them out and put them in another clean brooder box while I finished. I know none of them had any issues when I did this Tuesday afternoon because I had to get them one at a time and put them back in one at a time. It was Wednesday night that I saw the first two with symptoms. About 28 hrs after cleaning. The third was the following morning.

I do not remember seeing any mold etc when I was cleaning it but I do distinctly remember when I had put those shavings because I moved them for the first time onto shavings and the bigger brooder. The bag of shavings seemed to have some damp patches that I had to keep moving to the side to get the drier shavings. The TSC store I got them from keeps them outside unprotected and it had poured rain the day before. I have complained about wet shavings to them before.
So now given the brooder cleaning time frame and the pathologist thoughts...is it possible they have a fungal type infection such as Aspergillosis? It causes gaping without other respiratory symptoms...it can cause paralysis of limbs. It can be found in damp shavings. Did they kick it up when I was cleaning and some were exposed?

I just gave them a dose of the antifungal medication and took them off Tylan.
The pathologist would like to do an autopsy on one of them if they don't get better and look like they are going to pass. The cost of the autopsy would be between $200 and $280 which is better than the $650 I was quoted last year.

If I learn more or anything changes I'll post updates.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just keeping every updated:

My vet spoke with the university pathologist this morning who said highly unlikely to be Mereks as well due to the lack of outside exposure. She said the symptoms are a strange combination as the gaping does not appear to have a resp disease component due to the lack of other resp symptoms. She asked it was possible that they had been exposed to a fungus. The vet has been here numerous times and knows how I keep my coops and brooders. The brooder cages are in my dining room I make sure they are always very clean. However this did make me think of something.

Other than the older polish that developed symptoms which were slightly different 6 weeks ago it's been isolated to the one brooder cage.
Because the brooder cages are fairly large (2 feet x 5 feet) I usually clean them with the birds inside. I scoop up the old wood shavings (soft wood not cedar) on one side and they all run to the other side. I wipe down the bottom and sides with water, dry it and replace shavings then I do the other side. I did the brooder on Tuesday but when I got about half way and they were tearing around the cage like crazy and flinging shavings everywhere so I took them out and put them in another clean brooder box while I finished. I know none of them had any issues when I did this Tuesday afternoon because I had to get them one at a time and put them back in one at a time. It was Wednesday night that I saw the first two with symptoms. About 28 hrs after cleaning. The third was the following morning.

I do not remember seeing any mold etc when I was cleaning it but I do distinctly remember when I had put those shavings because I moved them for the first time onto shavings and the bigger brooder. The bag of shavings seemed to have some damp patches that I had to keep moving to the side to get the drier shavings. The TSC store I got them from keeps them outside unprotected and it had poured rain the day before. I have complained about wet shavings to them before.
So now given the brooder cleaning time frame and the pathologist thoughts...is it possible they have a fungal type infection such as Aspergillosis? It causes gaping without other respiratory symptoms...it can cause paralysis of limbs. It can be found in damp shavings. Did they kick it up when I was cleaning and some were exposed?

I just gave them a dose of the antifungal medication and took them off Tylan.
The pathologist would like to do an autopsy on one of them if they don't get better and look like they are going to pass. The cost of the autopsy would be between $200 and $280 which is better than the $650 I was quoted last year.

If I learn more or anything changes I'll post updates.

I did not think of Aspergillosis. It would explain the "silent gasping" with no other respiratory symptoms.
Very possible indeed if your shavings were damp. Good call on looking at their environment.

How old are they now? 4weeks? Are they ready to be moved outside where they can get more fresh air and sunshine?

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/7/aspergillosis/

 

[keesha63]

Because I have other chickens I always do the same step down process. They start on my dining room table, then when they are off heat (Which these guys are for the most part) I move them into my sunroom into one of the larger 6 x 6 kennels out there. The windows are left open so they become use to the temperature changes. They stay in there for about 2 weeks then get into their outside coops. We just built a new triple room coop that I will be finished I think by Wednesday. There are two groups (Elvies...who was the first sick one..her siblings plus the silkies) which are a little over 3 month now and a second group of showgirls which are 9 weeks in two areas out in the sunroom right now. When the new coop is done they will each have a side and I can get them out. I am very hesitant to move the newest polish group out there just now in case it is contagious. I have a group of 22 free range chickens that I also don't want to risk exposing as I know they like to check out new comers. My hope is that if there was a fungus in those shavings, the change last Wednesday got rid of it. To be on the safe side I bought a bag of shaving from a place that stores them inside a warehouse. Tonight I'll get the other brooder and set it up for them using the new shavings. The sick ones are not on shavings. If I am concerned about any chickens I always initially put them on paper towels so I can assess droppings with their appearance and amount. Too hard to tell when they are going in shavings. So hopefully being in a room now away from the others and off shaving might work IF it's a fungal issue.

 

[keesha63]

Update:

The first case the oldest Polish hen died today. The other two are is about the same still. Still gaping and unable to walk. The second last one however was eating on its own when offered food for the first time in days.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss

 

[keesha63]

Ty Wyorp Rock...such a devastating thing. Thankfully it was very peaceful. When I realized she was not going to pull through this this morning I knew she was so tired of fighting. I carried her outside and sat with her in the sun. A few times she tilted her head up and just held it towards the sun. I hugged her and cried. Her breathing really started getting shallow after about 20 minutes so I brought her inside and make a nest in her little box with her blanket. She just put her head over her shoulder. She opened her eyes for the first time today and looked at me, I told her she needed to sleep we had both tried and it was time to go. As I rubbed her cheek she slowly closed her eye and stopped breathing within a minute. Broke my heart but I knew it was time for her. Being paralyzed was no quality of life and nothing we had tried has worked. We buried her in a pretty place we bury any pets we lose.
The other two are both more interested in eating on their own this afternoon. I am not sure what that means. Both still have movement in their feet and legs but can not weight-bear. I spoke with the vet today and got the info for taking them for the autopsy when and if the time comes. I explained why I didn't take Elvie because her symptoms were very close but the last three little ones all have had the exact same pattern. Elvie did not have the gaping until several weeks in and lost the complete use of her legs immediately. I will have to pay a couple hundred dollars for the autopsy I would like to give them one of the latest ones in case Elvie had something else.