Nutri Drench

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Thanks for the info. All of my hens stopped laying in September when they started molting and have not yet started laying again.. I have found several soft shelled eggs on the poop board when I let them out in the morning and could never figure out which hen laid them. Sadie had begun sitting in the nesting box early Dec as had one of my RIR, the red in the morning and Sadie in the evening. I checked for egg binding but didn't find anything so will be sure to ask the vet.

 

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Well, we saw the new vet today. He isn't an avian vet but sure knows his poultry,even has a flock of his own. He checked Sadie over from beak to tail and everything in between and didn't find a thing. No parasites, no cocci, felt no tumors, no egg peritinus, not egg bound, respiratory, heart, ears, throat ok. Weight down to 1.9 lbs, said she is feather over bone. He drew blood and is sending it to Mizzou (Univ of Mo) School of Vet Medicine lab. He said some things that might be causing her weakness and inability to take more than a couple steps is a vitamin deficiency, cancer, a disease that causes joint weakness and Mareks. I told him all my flock were vaccinated. He said he has seen several cases of Mareks in chickens who came from the hatchery where I got mine, very disturbing!!! So, we wait until this Friday or early next week. In the meantime she is staying inside, getting Nutri Drench, scrambled egg, mash, a few meal worms and tons of TLC. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is something as easily cured but I am worried sick.

 

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Today Sadie isn't eating or drinking on her own (in the cage). I made scrambled egg mixed with nutri drench and a mash of pellets and plain yogurt then sat with her on the couch and held the food and water in front of her. In two settings, about one hour each, she ate everything and drank some water. Then I offered her meal worms - she gobbled them up so I gave her more. My question is, can I give her all the meal worms she will eat, after the egg, mash and water? I am just trying to keep her alive until we get the lab results back. After eating she sits beside me on the couch and sleeps.

Regarding the tuna, does it make a difference if I give her tuna in water or tuna in oil?

She cannot stand at all today. She tries, with her left wing down, then sits back down in the corner and puts her head down. She is a little worse each day.

Thank you so much for all the help.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would use either type of tuna, especially low sodium. It sounds like she is just wasting away, and that can be hard to watch. Especially when you are fighting so hard to help her. I would be contacting your state vet in case you need to get a necropsy done on her if she dies. It is hard to do that to a loved pet, but it can help to explain why she was so sick.

 

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Thank you. The vet and I talked about a necropsy. I don't want to admit it will most likely come to that, she is such a sweet girl. I hope the lab results come in tomorrow,this waiting is so hard.

 

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Vet received chemistry and CBC results today. Sadie has low calcium, low phosphorus and low white blood count. A friend is picking up antibiotics for me that are given orally with a syringe for five days,I don't have it yet so don't know what it is. He told me to get a good supplement for the calcium and phosphorus. Can someone tell me what supplement would be best. Most likely I will have to order it, we are very limited on anything in this town. I am feeding her mash, scrambled egg, tuna and nutri drench. She gobbles up anything I offer her.

Still waiting for results on Marek.

She seems to be depressed when she is in the cage, she literally wilts. And, she enjoys sitting on the couch with me so, I have been putting the tray from the cage, covered in newspaper, on the couch during the day. She sat there from 10:00 this morning until around 4:00 this afternoon. I swear she was watching TV. You would never know she is sick until she tries to walk, which she cannot do. Very interesting.

Thank you!!!

 

[Eggcessive]

You don't want to overdo the phosphorous since that can cause a lower calcium. Phosphorous is found in tuna, salmon, ground lean pork, beef, and seeds such as pumpkin. Your Poultry Nutri-drench has most of the nutrients needed, and calcium is found in plain yogurt. You can Google poultry Nutri-drench to read ingredients. Does she like to watch soaps, talk shows, or CNN?

 

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I see that my last post isn't here. It's odd but when I use my cell phone, most times the posts don't make it through. So, I'll dispense with my last message because the vet called several hours ago and I've been madly reading on the internet (between tears) and am devastated. The lab results show a high amount of Newcastle antibodies. The only symptom Sadie has is neurological, the weakness and inability to walk. She is still bright eyed, eating, drinking, pooping normally and chattering away. And yes, still watching TV - football yesterday! The vet said I should continue to give her additional nutrients, that she might be OK, but it's doubtful. Of course, I am keeping her inside and away from the rest of the flock. None of them show any signs of illness -yet. The vet said to eliminate the disease it is recommended that I get rid of all my flock, sterilize, use lime on the soil and wait at least 90 days before getting more chicks. I won't do that, not now anyway. I won't let any of my girls suffer, will deal with that when necessary and I won't get any more. I'm too old for the heartbreak.

My son is going to build Sadie a nice wooden home with a perch and all the comforts of a coop. The big, wire dog crate sitting on a ratty, old card table in my bedroom isn't too aesthetically pleasing.

I wonder about Annie, the hen that became so sick when she was six months old.Took her to an avian vet out of town who checked everything possible and found nothing. Annie was weak and had awful diarrhea, constantly, violently shook her head. The vet said she was trying to clear her crop but I never did think that was the cause. She still shakes her head but not as often or as violently. She lost a lot of weight but was eating and drinking fine. She finally got better but never did regain all the weight she lost. I wonder now if she didn't have a mild strain but surely that would have shown up in the labs that were done.

I don't understand how this could have happened. I keep strict bio-security with my chickens. Absolutely nobody but me and my brother has been in the run or coop. I keep a separate pair of shoes for that area only and have booties for my brother to slip on his shoes when I'm away and he takes care of them for me. I thoroughly clean the coop weekly and use a pooper scooper daily, sometimes more often, in the run. I sterilize their feeder and water bowl weekly. They free ranged until summer 2015 when I had to re-home my rooster and then a large family of hawks moved into the neighborhood.I enlarged the run to 24'X40' and all but 10' are under a roof.

I would appreciate any suggestions of things I can try. I'm willing to do anything at this point. I suppose it can't hurt.

Thank you so much.

 

[Eggcessive]

There are 3 different forms of Newcastles Disease, and the worst kind is not found in the US, thank goodness. The other two forms are less serious. Your kind might not be that bad. The velogenic form or exotic Newcastles is the most serious and lethal form found in foreign countries, is lethal and very contagious. Is this your state vet who did the necropsy, or your local vet? I don't know a great deal about Newcastles, except that the bad kind found in some foreign countries, is pretty fatal to most chickens. I would read some info on the types of Newcastles, and then question the lab findings as to which form they found. There is no treatment. Here are some articles to read:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/68126/newcastle-disease-in-poultry
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...virus-infections/newcastle-disease-in-poultry
http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/FastFacts/pdfs/newcastle_F.pdf

 

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Update on Sadie. First, I have called the vet's office three times asking if the lab report indicates the strain but they don't call me back so still don't know. I'm going to stop by the office Monday - don't want to be a pest but would like an answer. I don't see my last post so will repeat, the blood was sent to the University of Missouri School of Veterinary Medicine Lab. Seems like posts from my phone disappear into cyber space. Sadie is no better and no worse. I am still giving her Nutri Drench, yogurt, scrambled egg and a little tuna. She eats layer pellets and drinks lots of water. She spends the day trying to walk in the house or sits on a perch we made for her. I think she becomes depressed when she walks then can go no further. She takes one step at a time, very slowly, she stops, ruffles her feathers and plops down. When I put her in the cage for the night she ruffles up, drops her tail and head and plops down. She can walk a little further now. She has gone from not walking at all up to 15 steps. Three or four is more normal. I know she is lonely. I have several ceramic hens sitting on the floor, she will manage to get close to one and sit beside it. It is so sad and I feel so sorry for her and don't know what to do. I spend as much time as I can with her and always make sure she is in the same room I'm in. She likes to talk when I'm near. I wish I knew things to do for her for entertainment. I keep hoping she will one day be able to enjoy doing chicken things again but also know she will always be lonely and is that being fair to her. This is so hard.