Need immediate help to save juvenile roo

[casportpony]

I'm pretty good at SC fluids with dogs and cats, and thought I was okay with birds until the last one I did.... Must have gone too deep or something, 'cause he got some in his air sac. The fluid there resolved on it's own, so that was good. I definitely need more practice. IMO, tubing fluids is the way to go.

-Kathy

 

[Kyzmette]

I don't know her, but I've read a LOT of her posts, and Casportpony knows chickens.

 

[casportpony]

Wow. That's a lot of good info. Thank you. My husband is the medical procedure guy so I'll have him read all that over. It sounds to me like under the skin will be the most non-invasive and he's not critical so actual venous fluids don't sound proper. I read the info below posted by an ICU Nurse on another thread here:

Now, on the Subcutaneous (SC) fluids. I won't be as in depth here because most people who are likely to try this are probably healthcare people already (nurses and EMS folks are the ones likely to have random IV stuff hanging around the house). My vet told me (this was before we started doing tubefeeds) that if the chicken looked listless and wasn't eating I could give 60 ml of sterile saline into the loose skin under her wing using a syringe and a 22 FR butterfly needle.

Have someone restrain the chicken (or tuck her under your left arm). Have the saline-filled syringe attached to the needle and let it dangle. Seperate the feathers under the wing and look for a spot of loose skin. Insert the needle just enough that it pierces the skin (no deeper). Then depress the syringe to allow the saline to fill the space under the skin. The chicken will absorb the saline into her body. Of course, be careful with this. If you give too much you could over-dilute her blood and (potentially) kill her. So stick to once a day administration.

My husband was going to try that. Since Elvis has been refusing to drink on his own and we're stressing him by using the syringe we thought this would be more beneficial for him since it's only once a day.

So he WAS getting:
scrambled egg mixed with chick starter moistened with buttermilk in the AM and yogurt in the PM
electrolyte solution
orange for Vitamin C
anti-inflammatory/pain reliever
antibiotic
steroid
infant vitamins
Vitamin E oil

NOW he is getting - just starting today
scrambled egg coated in coconut oil
Sav-A-Chick
anti-inflammatory/pain reliever
antibiotic
steroid

I'm figuring the Sav-A-Chick covers some of the other things he was getting before and trying to get less items into him is less stressful for him. The eggs have selenium in them so he can absorb the Vitamin E in the Sav-A-Chick. My husband's question is whether he needs the starter for grit? We fill his crop and when we feed him again it's empty so I'm thinking no but thought I should ask.

His nose is still clear. He's eating and drinking tiny bits on his own today and then we take over when he nods off in his food. I keep telling him it isn't dignified to fall asleep with your face in your food. He's fighting being fed and hydrated a lot more too. Fighting is good. I've also trimmed around his vent so he doesn't get urine/feces burns.

Tube feeding will take you less than one three minutes 3-4 times a day and that will keep him fed and hydrated.

-Kathy

 

[Anela]

Elvis actually decided to eat and drink a little on his own today. He also stood unassisted several times.

At breakfast he kept kicking so I put my hand under his feet. He wrapped his toes around my hand and proceeded to perch there and started eating. When I went to put him back in his enclosure he didn't want to get off my hand. He settled into the roosting position. He neck was straight and he was looking around. He didn't nod off in his food at all. He was extremely alert. He was also very talkative.

Several times throughout the day he was moving around and making noise. When we checked on him he had moved his location but he was still in the roosting position. Once he stood straight up without supporting himself on the sides of his enclosure.

This evening he was much more lethargic and nodded off several times.

 

[Kyzmette]

That's fabulous! I'm so glad to hear he's making progress! I can't wait to see pictures of him out scratching in the grass and herding his ladies around.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oh Anela: That all sounds like good progress. I'm sure he gets tired trying to hold up his neck by the end of the day. Sounds like he gets stronger every day though....Good news. Slow and steady wins the race!

 

[Anela]

Well, I think the dehydration issue has been resolved. 72 hours ago his poop was like soft modeling clay with little to no smell - hence my concern about his fluid intake. I held off on either the tubing or the SC fluids since he drank a little on his own yesterday. I was just getting ready to post an update when my daughter came and told me Elvis had made a really big mess and needed me.

It was a perfectly normal, wet, stinky chicken poop. I got all excited and my kids are like EWWWW, over poop mom? I laughed and did the happy dance. hahaha Then we bathed him.

 

[memphis]

LOL!! Did you ever think k you'd be so excited over a big wad of chicken poop? Way to go Elvis!!

 

[Sunflower3628ac]

Is elvis any better?

 

[Anela]

LOL!! Did you ever think k you'd be so excited over a big wad of chicken poop? Way to go Elvis!!

Never in a million years! Even my husband just shook his head at me.

Is elvis any better?

I think Elvis is WAY better than when he got here. My husband has been very skeptical and keeps telling me not to get my hopes up, but even he had to admit tonight that Elvis is showing definite improvement. He ate some of his dinner on his own, didn't nod off during it, is fighting like crazy being hand fed and is being very vocal about his displeasure.

He gets stronger by the day. He was balancing on my hand today flapping his wings.

I caught him standing earlier this evening and when he started to fall over he put his wing out to steady himself until he could sink down into a roosting position. If he gets just a little more balance I'll give him a roost to see what he does. I also noticed that he leans forward until he somersaults and when he completes the somersault he's on his feet. It's a very controlled thing he does until he gets where he want to be.

Just a couple minutes ago he was making a huge ruckus and my husband came with me to check on him. He was standing with his head in the corner and couldn't roll any further. My husband changed his direction and he moved to where he wanted and settled in.

We'll keep our fingers crossed for more progress tomorrow.