New to veterinarians, what to expect?

[IncognitoMode4723]

I had a flock of three hens previously. Two died. One died of, I suspect, reproductive issues. The other died of respiratory illness last night.

I have only one hen left now - Percy. She does not have any specific symptoms, but she is acting differently. She is just not as active as she was before, and she is quieter also. After Bertha died, she has started sitting down more often. She also stopped laying eggs about 2-3 weeks ago.

I will try taking her to the veterinarian soon to see if anything is wrong with her. But I have never taken my hens to a veterinarian before, so I was wondering what can I expect?

What kind of documentation/papers or information do I need to provide the veterinarian? Will my chicken be kept longer so they can run tests? What kinds of questions will the vet ask?

I would also like to ask about euthanasia. Is it possible that they can put her down without my consent? Or do they only put chickens down after test results show that they have a really bad disease?

 

[GodLovesU]

Idk anything about the vet,but she might just need some friends.Chickens are social animals.

 

[pennyJo1960]

You do not say where you live or how old.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

They can only put an animal down at the owner's request.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

In fact, no treatment can be done without the owner's consent, because you have to agree to be financially responsible for everything.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You do not say where you live or how old.

They do not have to give that info.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What kind of documentation/papers or information do I need to provide the veterinarian? Will my chicken be kept longer so they can run tests? What kinds of questions will the vet ask?

I'm sorry, I can't seem to answer all your questions at once. I don't think any documentation is needed. The vet will discuss with you whether they need to keep your chicken for tests and/or treatment, same as with any animal. They will ask the same kinds of questions as you answered here: how old is it, how long have you had it, how is it acting, what happened that made it act different, what do you want to do about it, what kind of care can you provide, etc. Good luck, I wish her well, and please keep us posted here in this thread.

 

[AntiqueB]

I also suspect she may be simply lonely and grieving. How old is Percy?

 

[texsuze]

In addition to doing a thorough physical exam on Percy the vet will likely want to know the details of the other hens' conditions before they passed. Depending upon whether the office has the equipment "in house" to run lab work, they might need to send off blood and/or feces samples from Percy to get a full picture of her situation. You'll probably be asked to fill out the standard paperwork for new clients and include info on Percy's breed and age and symptoms, if any.

If Percy tests positive for a reportable disease (you'll need to ask about which ones) it is likely to affect your plans for her going forward.

Euthanasia is performed under consent of owner, so be sure to discuss the options and circumstances under which you may elect to consent to or decline euthanasia depending upon how things are going.

Hope you have an appt. soon for some professional assistance. Best of luck and please keep us posted.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Since @texsuze mentioned euthanasia: (hoping it doesn't come to that) they might ask, how you'd want to dispose of the body. There should be no charge if you take her home with you for burial. If you leave her there for them to dispose of, there will be additional charges depending on your choices and they will discuss those with you. But hopefully it won't come to that.