On the mend, but still questions: UPDATE, 20 week old banty wormy as heck,

[Mtn Laurel]

mrs murphy was in a bad way last night, and I figured I would cull her this morning. I sat with her, and dribbled the water with duramycin in it on her beak, did it for about 30 minutes, using one of those plastic syringes that holds only one ml - very easy to control. she would swallow, close her eyes, rest. open, I would dribble, she would swallow....you can see how painstakingly slow it was. I got about 5 curds of cottage cheese into her. tried quinoa, she was very interested in the seeds, and at a few more groats.

Let her rest a half hour and dragged her out again and repeated the water and got 2 more curds of cottage cheese into her.

Had a dropping with water, an undigested groat, yellow bile, and a tiny bit of something red - intestinal lining or internal bleeding? first red I've seen.

So, of course, this morning she was up and waiting at the kennel door. Marched out! tail up! I had brought in a few clover leaves, and she snatched them up. Had eaten some of the food in her kennel, couldn't tell how much. She ignored the few crumbles and groats I tossed out for her and went straight to the container with the groats and started eating.

I brought in a big handful of clover, dandelion, and grass, and she was grabbing it out of my hands. She previously has not had the strength to pull a clover leaf off the stem, no problem this morning.

She went back to the kennel, scratched in the hay, sat down and snoozed. You have to understand that she didn't just fall into a sitting position, she lowered herself! and her tail is up.

so, this could be that final misleading improvement before death, or it could be a miracle of a wild guess at an antibiotic last ditch hail mary.

I am home today, so can frequently coax her to eat a little. Am making a scrambled egg for her to see if she will eat that - it was not accepted a few days ago.

Culling was scheduled for tomorrow, it is still on if she doesn't eat today a significant amount.

That's very encouraging and also interesting as I had the same response with my girl. I saw improvement after the first dose and thought it was either coincidence or that last rally before death. I was rather shocked when she continued to improve. Sure hope you have the same experience.

I will say my girl was drinking a good bit of the medicated water. Keep pouring that stuff down her and fingers crossed that she continues to rally!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thought I'd post this just in case it may be helpful in how to give the meds in such a way that it doesn't get into the lungs. Sounds like you are doing well, lala. Just thought other folks on the thread might find it useful. I saw it for the first time yesterday and I thought it was very helpful. It was on one of Leigh's blog posts.

 

[dawg53]

An easier way to administer liquids orally is to cradle the bird in your arm and pull the wattles down, the birds mouth will open. Then squirt 1/2cc in the mouth and immediately release the wattles so the bird can swallow the liquid on her own avoiding aspiration. Then repeat as necessary to get the required amount of liquid in the bird, 1/2cc at a time. The key is to release the wattles once the liquid has been squirted in the birds mouth.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks, dawg.

 

[lalaland]

Mrs murphy is continuing to make slow slow progress. She is still incredibly weak and can't go back to the flock yet.

It was nearly 50 and sunny today, so I brought her out and put her in a sunny grassy area with clover. she ate, sat in the sun, wandered over to a dirt spot and sat down and raked the dirt with her beak, eating some of it. I let the flock out and they pretty much ignored her, although happy to eat the egg she refused, the cottage cheese she refused, etc.

When I called the flock back into the run, she tried to come too - very very slowly but definitely coming in response to the treat call.

And today is the first time I felt like she had a semi -full crop in a week and a half. I wish she would go for the foods that I want her to eat that I perceive as more nutritious, and easier to digest, but at least she is eating!

I am starting to get my hopes up.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Wonderful!

 

[delisha]

It sounds like she is turning a corner..good for her!! and you.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Fingers crossed!!

 

[lalaland]

thanks everyone.

Friday was day 10, when she should have received a second dose of wormer. I didn't do it, as she seemed to be at deaths door and I was trying the duramycin.
thoughts on skipping a second dose of wormer? please weigh in!
it was so hard on her the first time, she definitely took a serious turn for the worse
she is getting daily garlic, eats maybe a teeny crumb
no acv as she is getting medicated water
worms could be interferring with her now still? or is it the newly hatching worm eggs to be worried about?
ignorant about whether she can continue her 5 day dose of duramycin and get the second dose of wormer

today there is a wind advisory but it will be half sunny and up to 53 degrees. I am hoping to put her in a second coop so she can spend more time outside. The run for this is all grass and clover, no dirt, she can be inside out of the wind....I have to run some errands this afternoon and this would be a way for her to be out.. She really can't move a lot in the kennel, and that has to be part of returning to health - moving around a bit.

Good poop, although the urates were tinted pale yellow. am looking for that white urate! I need to do some research on why yellow. The medicated water is yellow....
Not terribly hungry this morning. I just added a dish of groats tossed in cod liver oil and dusted with the mash to sneak in something good to eat. Am amost out of crumble - I had a little on hand for when someone else is doing chicken care when I am out of town.
.
going to see how much liver I can get into her.

ps: not going to cull her today, will reevaluate Wed. If she can't gain weight, then the worms and bacterial issues are not the source of the problem.

 

[aoxa]

thanks everyone.

Friday was day 10, when she should have received a second dose of wormer. I didn't do it, as she seemed to be at deaths door and I was trying the duramycin.
thoughts on skipping a second dose of wormer? please weigh in!
it was so hard on her the first time, she definitely took a serious turn for the worse
she is getting daily garlic, eats maybe a teeny crumb
no acv as she is getting medicated water
worms could be interferring with her now still? or is it the newly hatching worm eggs to be worried about?
ignorant about whether she can continue her 5 day dose of duramycin and get the second dose of wormer

today there is a wind advisory but it will be half sunny and up to 53 degrees. I am hoping to put her in a second coop so she can spend more time outside. The run for this is all grass and clover, no dirt, she can be inside out of the wind....I have to run some errands this afternoon and this would be a way for her to be out.. She really can't move a lot in the kennel, and that has to be part of returning to health - moving around a bit.

Good poop, although the urates were tinted pale yellow. am looking for that white urate! I need to do some research on why yellow. The medicated water is yellow....
Not terribly hungry this morning. I just added a dish of groats tossed in cod liver oil and dusted with the mash to sneak in something good to eat. Am amost out of crumble - I had a little on hand for when someone else is doing chicken care when I am out of town.
.
going to see how much liver I can get into her.

ps: not going to cull her today, will reevaluate Wed. If she can't gain weight, then the worms and bacterial issues are not the source of the problem.

I've read tinted yellow urates are the kidneys failing.

How yellow are they?