Old age, heat, chicken menopause?? Help!!

[specklesmom]

Thank you jjthink! If you have time I would appreciate hearing more detail about your experience. Right now I don't know how Speckles can possibly be improving because the crop impaction was preventing her from eating more than just a bite or two. The vet's asst. said when I called this morning that Speckles passed only a couple of small droppings last night. They are wanting to check these and are still hoping she can get the stuff from her crop to digest naturally, but I just don't see that happening. I wish they could just do surgery and clean out her crop as well as doing the other stuff. I've read that chickens can recover from all sorts of terrible conditions and she was in such terrific shape just a few weeks ago.

I'm still waiting impatiently for the vet to call. They said I can go into the office and visit with Speckles in an exam room this afternoon, so at least I will get to see her and maybe I can get something out of the vet who is working today. They said he is the husband of the vet we saw yesterday and if surgery is done, he would actually be the one to do it. I just hope they don't put it off so long it is too late to give her a fair chance to make it. I appreciate your message , jjthink, and am sorry your situation did not end well. It is very hard that so few people can understand that I really LOVE this chicken. If she were a dog or a cat, most people would "get" it, but they think a chicken is just something you throw in a frying pan and they think I am nuts to care like this.

 

[specklesmom]

Well, we got to bring Speckles home tonight. She looked pretty bad when we picked her up. She had been given antibiotic injections both days and they did x-rays and took blood for lab testing today. I'm sure she was very stressed about being there overnight with all the dogs barking and parrots squawking. When we got her home she seemed like she was asleep on her feet, but I was able to get her to wake up enough to eat about half a scrambled egg. They told me at the vet's that she had passed droppings and the crop issue seemed to be working itself out. Yay! I was worried about how bad she looked when we picked her up, but very encouraged that she ate part of the scrambled egg and drank water.

We are supposed to take her back to see the vet and get the results of the tests and recommendations tomorrow afternoon. I do so hope she will be able to recover and return to her usual sweet and funny self!! It would be worth so much to see her happy and running about again.

Thanks for all good thoughts and suggestions,

Debby

 

[annek]

Sure hope she recovers for you, now that she can eat maybe she will start to do better, she probably didn't sleep a wink last night. Keep us posted!

 

[specklesmom]

Thanks so much annek. I am trying to think of all the questions I should ask the vet. The main thing I guess I want to know is whether or not she will ever "recover" as long as she has parts of a broken egg inside. Can that be absorbed or taken care of some way by her body, or is surgery the only way to get it cleaned out so she will truly get rid of the infection? Also, what should I feed her to try to help her recover? I feel that I contributed to this problem unknowingly by letting her eat all kinds of bugs and grubs and things she would dig up in the yard with us. It never occurred to me that she could get sick from any of that, or that her calcium level could be affected to the point that an egg would break inside her. I wonder if I can feed her fish oil gel tablets, or liquid calcium supplements? Right now I just need to get her to eat anything healthy, but as she gets better how do I handle her diet?

I asked one of the intern/assistants we saw when we went to visit Speckles at the vet yesterday afternoon if surgery to stop her from laying was possible and she said they can give her a hormone shot once a month that will tell her body not to lay eggs. I need to find out more about this and what side effects that might have on her. She seemed fine with regular egg laying until this broken egg situation. Which would be worse-to risk another broken egg inside her or to subject her to hormone treatment? Having had it myself I know it can be awful.

Anyway, right now she is sleeping in her crate in our laundry room. I am so glad to get her home again since last night I thought we might never see her alive again. I was thrilled to see her eat some scrambled egg and drink some water. It could definitely be worse.

I had to call my parents last night and tell them we needed to reschedule our Father's Day lunch out because of the vet appointment for Speckles. They know how crazy I am about my chicken and, even though both grew up on farms and saw chickens only as a source of eggs or meat they are sympathetic and supportive of whatever I can do to help her recover.

Thanks again for good thoughts!!

Debby

 

[SangaChicken]

I would try to find a solution that would let her go back to laying naturally. You didn't mess anything up by letting her eat the bugs and grubs. I have many chickens who eat many bugs and grubs and they're fine. This is a unique situation that could have happened to any one of us, you didn't do anything wrong! Chickens know what they need for their bodies for the most part, and maybe you should make more calcium rich foods (Oyster shell for example) available to her in the future.. but if digging in the compost pile makes Speckles happy, let her dig!

I will keep you and her in my thoughts and prayers!

 

[specklesmom]

Thanks for trying to help me deal with the guilt of not being a good chicken mom! She has always had pullet sized oyster shell available as well as poultry grit to help with digestion, but I'm afraid she is like me--prefers to eat goodies instead of that nasty healthy stuff!! Give me a banana split any day compared to a bowl of oatmeal.

This vet is supposed to really know about chickens and have pet chickens of her own, so I'm hoping she will give us the best advice about what will be the most appropriate treatment for Speckles. Anyone who sees her sitting in my lap and making her little trilling sound, almost like a kitten purring, would have to realize how much she means to me and how much I want to do what is right for her.

You are very kind to be so supportive and I appreciate it very much!! Debby

 

[specklesmom]

An update on Speckles: Well, she has been on Baytril antibiotic for 8 days now. Also we started Reglan liquid 5 days ago to help with emptying her crop. Yesterday morning her crop did seem to be better and she seemed more interested in pecking at the corn on the cob I gave her. The vet said she could eat anything soft, but she is totally uninterested in most everything. She is still obviously very ill--seems to just fall asleep on her feet. I'm trying to be encouraged by the fact that she is eating a bit and I've been hoping to keep her from getting dehydrated by using the Reglan syringe to squirt some water down her throat now and then. She is so thin and so lethargic. I am still massaging her crop, as directed by the vet, and she doesn't seem to be in pain and I think she likes being cuddled. The vet has been out of town since Monday, which hasn't helped because I'm not sure if Speckles is making expected progress. Pecking at the corn encouraged me, but everything I read about egg yolk peritonitis online makes me think she is just going to slowly die. I don't think she is in pain and I will take her to the vet when she is back in her office on Monday to see what she says. She had mentioned draining off fluid as a possibility. It has been so hot here. Speckles is supposed to be encouraged to walk around and hopefully this will help her digestive system begin to function better so her body can absorb the fluid as the antibiotics kill off the infection. I have her outside in the mornings until it gets too hot, then bring her inside to the den which is now set up as a chicken emergency ward. I put a plastic drop cloth over the carpet and made kind of a pen and she does walk about a little. I have overnight company coming tomorrow and I warned them that they'll be entering the "chicken zone". Everyone who really knows me, understands that I am crazy about my chicken. She is such a sweetheart; it hurts so much to see her this way and not know if she really has a chance to recover. The vet assured us that she has cured chickens of egg yolk peritonitis and when she saw Speckles on Monday said that her droppings showed no parasites and that they didn't look "too bad". Also she has said that Speckles may have to be on the antibiotics for 6-8 weeks so maybe I am expecting her to be better before the medicine has had a chance to work. Just wanted to give everyone an update. I have been so upset about my baby Specks that it has been hard to sleep. I told my husband, (after being outside in the 101 degree heat, trying to interest Speckles in walking or eating or drinking) that I wasn't sure who was going to bite the dust first--Speckles or me. We will see what the vet says on Monday. Maybe by then Speckles will have improved a bit more. Thanks for any good thoughts. Any advice is welcome.

Debby

 

[caralouise1974]

Oh poor Speckles. I really hope she makes it. She sounds completely adorable and you clearly love her very much.

I am sobbing my heart out right now reading your story, and have to admit that I have a much younger hen in a similar position to Speckles. I haven't slept well since she started having laying troubles either, so I know exactly how you feel. She's strong right now and not having problems, but putting off the risky ovarian surgery our vet has reccommended (she HATES the vet - the stress alone almost killed her last time she was in the surgery) means I may be in the same awful position as you at some point in the future. I do hope both your girl Speckles and my Bella can have happy endings.

Sending lots of good wishes your way

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

Oh poor Speckles

I know what it's like to pour your heart and soul into a chicken- having only one myself. Only he is a roo so I can't help you with the peritonitis.

Sorry. Sometimes I think that having only one chicken makes it more difficult, because you have only one feathered friend to get attached to.... REALLY ATTACHED TO! (though I know people who have tons of birds and still have their favorites- and I'm not saying people with an entire flock love their birds any less, either) I cannot immagine how you're feeling right now. I wish you the best, and I will be praying that poor Speckles can pull through this. Best wishes,

Terrah

 

[jjthink]

Debby, Thinking about you and Speckles and sending lots of good wishes for her to feel better soon. Hopefully the antibiotic starts to beat back any infection she may have (oh, that reminds me, make sure she gets probiotics - plain yogurt (you can add bits of yummy fruit if that entices her) and if she won't take the yogurt you can sprinkle probiotics from a capsule onto whatever food you can get her to eat....)

JJ