Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[schnebbles]

Ya, I'm going to have to figure something out for her and I won't put her out any too soon with them. I was kind of thinking along those lines. I was just surprised how quickly they seem to have forgotten she is part of the group!

No bloodwork was done. He didn't really know what was wrong, he sees birds, but not Avian per se'. That's why he gave both steroids and antibiotics kind of to cover both bases. I may call them before I go. They did a poo sample for coccidia but it was negative, they did that while I was there. I don't mind going back but I seriously doubt he will know what it was. I wish I thought he would. Someone else recommended another vet who is closer should I need a vet for the chickens again. She lives in OH and I got my silkies from her.

 

[seminolewind]

I pray she continues to get better. Don't rush to move her outside to live. I know when I added back 3 at different times to the flock, it didn't go well, and they ended up living with the silkies. Eventually, 2 were Polish and 1 was an EE, and they did well with the other Polish.

salt and pepper, my Marek's birds either got paralysis, moved up the wings, some had a slow gasp, most couldn't aim at their food and pick it up. My older ones looked normal while they wasted away. It all depends where the tumors attack first. Or what nerves they inflame .
I'm sure I haven't seen it all. But I share what I see.

 

[seminolewind]

Haunted, can't any vet draw blood and send it to Texas A&M ? It doesn't look hard to find a vein under a wing.

 

[schnebbles]

I do think that blood can be drawn and sent to Texas A&M. I saw that somewhere on here.

She is eating like a piggy tonight.

I hope that she recovers 100%. Her wings work just fine. It's when she loses balance she lands neck down to the floor. She's been standing some here on the couch. She had another bunch of mealworms too.

Ok, so lets say it is Mareks, the steroids would make the inflamation go down and once they are gone from her body, the problems could come back? I hope that isn't the case. I have to say I'm looking for full recovery now based on her improvement.

I feel like I was lucky that it was late enough Saturday morning that I couldn't get into a vet to put her down.

ps - seminole - thanks for the ovation

 

[PoultryPedia]

Rooting for your hen, & very glad to hear she's doing better & eating well!!! I also hope she'll continue to 100% recovery.

 

[PoultryPedia]

Some of the tests you can get done by Texas A&M are listed at the link below. There might also be other tests available?
http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests_services/index.php

I once got some helpful diagnostic counsel on the phone from one of the Texas A&M labs. They could perhaps help you figure out appropriate tests, if you want to try them.
http://tvmdl.tamu.edu/about-tvmdl/agency-information/locations-and-hours/gonzales-laboratory/

 

[Shabana]

So pleased for you and your little girl ! Hope she continues to get better x

 

[Haunted55]

Haunted, can't any vet draw blood and send it to Texas A&M ? It doesn't look hard to find a vein under a wing.

Of course, but finding one that will do it is another thing all together at least for me anyways. The blood has to be sent in the purple top vial, overnight, cold, just like necropsy. Some one is going to teach me how to take the blood myself so I'll be able to do it. Well...if I can get over the fear of needles that is. Don't they do the feather testing there as well? I thought I read that on their site, or maybe they told me on the phone when I talked to them....I don't know, too many things going on here to think clearly.

 

[hogster160]

Good morning everyone! It's been a couple weeks since I've checked in. So an update it is. My ee girl is doing great, preens daily, eats like no tomorrow, and lays an egg every other day. I do notice if she doesn't get her vit b complex for a day, she's on shakey feet. So she gets it daily.

Now good news and bad. I finally got my poop board. It's just really to hard to see the poop when it's all mixed in with the bedding. It's not that I want to see that dreaded green color of poop, more like if its there I have a heads up.

So since we were working in the coop a little later, one of my BA decided she was going to roost on my fence, and no sooner did she land, my dog got her. It was over very quickly. Not much damage but two puncture wounds, I believe she punctured her heart. All my fault. So I went out last night to buy more fencing and get to install that today.

Now a question. Can they do a necropsy on her and test for mericks? I have her in the fridge, just in case and bought what I needed for insulating the box. Just not sure if they will since it was a dog attack.

Also I have another BA who has gone broody. I am going to set some eggs under her. She's been broody now for 2 weeks. She sleeps in her nest box and only goes outside to eat and poo only if I take her. So I will have 3 weeks to get done what needs to be done before the eggs hatch. Now another question. What do I need to do to ensure I have healthy chick presuming I have mericks in the flock. I know it's different than a clean flick. Any and all help is appreciated.

 

[Haunted55]

I do think that blood can be drawn and sent to Texas A&M. I saw that somewhere on here.

She is eating like a piggy tonight.

I hope that she recovers 100%. Her wings work just fine. It's when she loses balance she lands neck down to the floor. She's been standing some here on the couch. She had another bunch of mealworms too.

Ok, so lets say it is Mareks, the steroids would make the inflamation go down and once they are gone from her body, the problems could come back? I hope that isn't the case. I have to say I'm looking for full recovery now based on her improvement.

I feel like I was lucky that it was late enough Saturday morning that I couldn't get into a vet to put her down.

ps - seminole - thanks for the ovation

Whoa....the steroids will not get rid of the tumors. It may help with the inflamation or it could go the other way, steroids are a iffy proposition at best, to my mind. The reason...let's for giggles say you do in fact have Marek's, early stages. Some swelling has gone down, but the tumors are still there and getting bigger even on the steroids. If it is Marek's, #1 the antibiotic is doing nothing, #2 the steroids are only masking what is going on in the body. Stop the steroids, and the symptoms are going to come back with a vengence, fast. I read something a while back about the testing of different steroidal compounds being used in testing to see how Marek's would respond. The results were not good and seemed to make the production of tumors increase. These tumors are not pockets of inflamation and fluid, rather they are cancer's fibrous masses, because that's what this crap is..chicken cancer. Steroids don't cure it and in fact beyond the masking of symptoms, can make the tumors grow and spread at an alarming rate.

If your bird is showing positive results from the antibiotic, steroids and B vitamins....I wouldn't be thinking Marek's. In an earlier post you mentioned going to the fair. You are absolutely correct in your final thoughts. Even if you do not have it, you do need to think as if you did. Everyone should if their birds show any type of Marek's like symptoms.

One last thing, Seminolewind, Casportpony, Nambroth, myself and so many others have seen symptoms all over the place. As we have told you, it depends on what strain or strains infecting the flock. It also is controled by mutations because of individual circumstances and or region. One thing fairly consistant is the happy birds until the end. Do some get sick? Of course, but that's not the Marek's, that's a secondary issue. For me the true heartbreaking ones are mine that get the occular form. For the short time they have left, they want to be with their flock and will do anything to do so. If they are lucky, a 'friend' will help them with soft clucking and guiding. Sometimes not. These make me cry everytime. Here, if the eye form sets in, they have a very limited life expectancy, maybe a few days to a week. It's always deadly here and I believe the blindness is just the final symptom of the Marek's having taken over the brain with it's tumors. The decline is just too rapid for me to think anything else.

Please keep updating. As they steroids and antibiotic leave the body, you will know better what is going on. Keep up with the vitamins. I cannot give you any better advice than that.