need major help please-i've got a severe molting/illness issue*UPDATE*

[jjthink]

Kelly, You're smart to keep her warm and comfortable right now as she can't afford to spend energy trying to keep warm. Her difficulty walking is worrisome. So...warmth, rest, great nutrition - the best foundation for starters. As to the loneliness without her feathered friends, is there one she really likes that could keep her company indoors?

Re: your question on brand of cat food if you do end up getting some, I would use the highest quality you possibly can because the good stuff tends not to be full of chemicals and has lots of good grains and veggies. I have a lot of reservations about grocery store cat and dog food (no matter who is eating the stuff). I don't think I saw anything in your posts about what state you're in, but many stores now will offer a high end food - most health food stores now also have food for furries. My guess is that Wally-world brand is not so good.
I've used the dry cat crunchies. I have also fed scrambled eggs back to them, with some organic oatmeal flakes scrambled in, as well as a little sprinkling of Avia Charge 2000.

Hope she gets well soon!
JJ

 

[Kelly FG]

thank you again, she's in the house-on my lap right now. she just had scrambled eggs & oats for breakfast & water with avia charge. her breathing is normal ,eyes are bright, her comb is pretty red considering how badly she's moulting & her poops are normal looking. she walks fine & then takes a few stagered side steps. i know she's had trouble with vitamin defiencies before(crook neck) , so i'm conident if i pump her up with protien & vitamins she'll be fine. Bringing another girl in to keep her company is a great idea!. Thanks!

 

[dlhunicorn]

This sounds severe and I would urge you to keep her inside and give her aviacharge 2000 (order online from McMurray ) AND three drops of a liquid B supplement WITH THIAMINE (vit B-1 which is not in Polyvisol) twice a day in beak each day for a week then taper off the next.

 

[Kelly FG]

She had a bit of avia charge this morning, she doesn't seem to have a very big appetite. Right now I've got her in the house in a dog kennel with a box of hay & food & water. she seems pretty annoyed to be in there & isn't settling down. she keeps pacing around in circles, i know she's warm but i can tell she's stressed. the kennel isn't really big enough for her & another girl. i'm going to get the b vitamins when i go out now.

 

[jjthink]

Hi Kelly, I don't know if this is a possibility where you are, but when I've had one feathered one indoors recuperating and brought another in to keep them company (this really make a big difference), I set them up in a small ceramic tiled bathroom. There was plenty of room for 2 but not so much room that they could get hurt or lost or lord knows what! I piled fresh straw everywhere and they were quite comfy.
Note: 1. ) It did take quite a while to clean said bathroom when everybody when back out :| and 2.) I had another bathroom that could be used for humans, so that the situation was not untenable. Not a set up that is doable for everybody but it worked for me - (not to mention that it was handy to have a sink in their room for changing their water or cleaning in there...). Hoping she'll be alright. JJ

 

[Kelly FG]

thanks jj, she has actually settled into her new spot, it should be familiar to her I used it as part of their brooder. I tried putting another girl that is docile in with her & Sunny my patient just pecked the heck out of her. I know she's probably a little lonely but the only time she seems upset is if the other girls are at the backdoor hollering to her. Also when the sun was setting she got really restless because I think she knew it was time to get in the coop. Now its 7:20pm, she had a few bites of cat food & a couple of grapes & she's sitting in the box of straw in the kennel fixing it the way she likes it. she actually seems quite content.
She'll stay inside again tomorrow while DH & I go to work & I'll reevaluate her when I get home. Just staying warm has got to give her more energy to grow those feathers back & absorb some of her nutrition.
I'll give you guys an update then

only you guys understanding how upsetting it is when a chicken gets sick!

 

[Kelly FG]

bump for update in original post

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Glad she is doing better Kelly....

 

[silkiechicken]

On a note with cat food and protein levels... I picked up a cheap bag as my normal bag wasn't there... my cat ended up meowing like mad... turned out the first ingredient was corn and second was soy beans! only 37% protein cat food!!! My normal cat food had poultry by products as one and corn as second... with soy beans further down on the list, with protein at 42%min... Some of the really nice cat foods have 58% protein in them.

 

[jjthink]

So glad she's doing better Kelly!

JJ