Older hen diarrhea, laying down, smells like ammonia, etc. Please Help

[mschickiemama]

@mschickiemama How is your girl today?

same pretty much

 

[mschickiemama]

Hey, thought I'd do an update. She's still eating all the foods I've given her. Yogurt, bugs, fruit, wet cat food, etc. Not sure if I should give her the regular chicken feed because it's whole grains & she has a bit of crop distension although it's gone down. I took her to the vet today. They agreed there's probably something underlying going on and that she has lived a long good life. They could do several tests, antibiotic, etc. for $827 (it's more because she's an "exotic" pet) but even then they said it's probably not curable. Or I could do euthanasia for like $150. I was in there trying to decide for like 1.5 hours, and crying. Finally decided to just do the fecal test and take her back home. Should get results in a couple days. Idk if they'll find anything, but it'll be interesting. Couldn't bring myself to let her go...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Awwww....I'm so sorry.

I'm glad you were able to consult a vet. I'm sure the news you received was upsetting, but I agree, she has had a good life and is so lucky to have had a keeper that has loved and taken such good care of her.

Hopefully you will get the results back soon so you can make an informed decision as to whether there is hope to try another treatment or to let her go. It won't be easy, but sometimes it does give us little comfort to know that we have explored every reasonable avenue.

 

[LittlePip21]

I'm terribly sorry! This must be Such a hard decision. Either way though, I'm sure she knows how much you care, and that if you choose euthanasia she will go peacefully. It is possible to flush the crop out yourself, but it is up to you to decide what is best for her. If you decide to let her go, you could ask the vet to do a nerocropsy, that way you could know what happened. I'm so sorry, it's so tough when our dear pets get sick, I'll continue to pray that you have wisdom to do what's best for her

 

[mschickiemama]

Thanks for the support everyone.
The vet finally got back to me...after a week...

They called and said her poop tested positive for heterakis (cecal worms) which are usually not a problem in chickens, so there could be something else going on like histomoniasis (blackhead). Her symptoms don't match blackhead though. She doesn't have sulfur yellow droppings.

I guess the vet can give me some de-wormer (I think she said fenbendazole), but I think they're closed today. All I get is their answering machine.

I have some Valbazen in the cupboard which I could use instead. Expires Dec 2017. I think I'm going to try it. Hopefully it's ok to use on a chicken who already doesn't feel well?

I don't know if I'm helping or just making things worse.

 

[LittlePip21]

I think at this point, I would go ahead and give it a try, is her crop still backed up? Just try and keep her comfy, so sorry she's doing so badly

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the support everyone.
The vet finally got back to me...after a week...

They called and said her poop tested positive for heterakis (cecal worms) which are usually not a problem in chickens, so there could be something else going on like histomoniasis (blackhead). Her symptoms don't match blackhead though. She doesn't have sulfur yellow droppings.

I guess the vet can give me some de-wormer (I think she said fenbendazole), but I think they're closed today. All I get is their answering machine.

I have some Valbazen in the cupboard which I could use instead. Expires Dec 2017. I think I'm going to try it. Hopefully it's ok to use on a chicken who already doesn't feel well?

I don't know if I'm helping or just making things worse.

Personally I would use the Valbazen that you already have. Dosage for Valbazen is 1/2 ml orally and then repeated in 10 days.
Offer her about 1tsp of yogurt and some vitamins for a few days after each dosage of the Valbazen to help restore the gut.

I agree with you, I don't really think the symptoms match Blackhead. While chickens can contract it, it's not that common and is mainly seen in Turkeys.

 

[mschickiemama]

Personally I would use the Valbazen that you already have. Dosage for Valbazen is 1/2 ml orally and then repeated in 10 days.
Offer her about 1tsp of yogurt and some vitamins for a few days after each dosage of the Valbazen to help restore the gut.

I agree with you, I don't really think the symptoms match Blackhead. While chickens can contract it, it's not that common and is mainly seen in Turkeys.

Thanks for the tips. I gave her Valbazen yesterday. She's not doing well though. Sounds like she's in pain when she goes to the bathroom & she lays down with her eyes closed almost 24/7. Vent area looks swollen probably from all the diarrhea. She finally ate some stuff today (pomegranate seeds) which gives me hope (at least for a few moments), but I think she's just going through the motions. Maybe the wormer just made her even worse. Feel like I should let her go. Hard seeing her this way.

 

[LittlePip21]

I'm so sorry, I'm afraid all I can offer are my prayers. Please know I'm still thinking about you guys, and praying you have wisdom to do what's best. I hope someone more experienced will be able to give you insight.

 

[Engine823]

I'm sorry friend. I know how hard it is to let go of a hen ( family member ), but I will be honest, I believe it may be better to let her go. If she is in pain she is just suffering. I find it hard to believe the vet said $150 to euthanize her. I would check other area vets and ask them about it. I would think $25-$30 here in Kentucky