Orange Puss in Poop & Egg Laying Pain

[BunnyChickenMomma]

Hello, All!

I'm hoping the amazing folks here can help. I took my girl, Thyme, to the vet a week ago because she was lethargic, not eating, and laying shell-less eggs. She is a 22 week old Buff Orpington and her issues started when she began laying about a week-and-a-half ago. She had a TON of grit in her crop and intestines. The x-rays also revealed quite a bit of swelling in her abdomen. The vet cleared out her crop and gave me antibiotics (she saw some plaque in her throat) and pain meds.

Since starting the meds, Thyme seems much better. She has more energy and is eating. She has laid two eggs with shells - however, she seems to be in immense pain and pants heavily each time she lays. This morning when I was cleaning the coop, I found poop with what looks like (orange?) puss in it. Her vent feathers are slightly dirty. I called the vet and sent in the pics I took, but I'm wondering if anyone has any insights or has dealt with this before.

Thanks in advance. Pictures of poop attached.

 

[Debbie292d]

As long as Thyme is healthy now, that orange in poop is probably just intestinal lining shedding which is normal. Here's a poop diagnosis link if you want to look and you'll find Thyme's poop in there. https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

I would also make sure Thyme is getting some oyster shell or another form of calcium as that helps make strong shells.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello, All!

I'm hoping the amazing folks here can help. I took my girl, Thyme, to the vet a week ago because she was lethargic, not eating, and laying shell-less eggs. She is a 22 week old Buff Orpington and her issues started when she began laying about a week-and-a-half ago. She had a TON of grit in her crop and intestines. The x-rays also revealed quite a bit of swelling in her abdomen. The vet cleared out her crop and gave me antibiotics (she saw some plaque in her throat) and pain meds.

Since starting the meds, Thyme seems much better. She has more energy and is eating. She has laid two eggs with shells - however, she seems to be in immense pain and pants heavily each time she lays. This morning when I was cleaning the coop, I found poop with what looks like (orange?) puss in it. Her vent feathers are slightly dirty. I called the vet and sent in the pics I took, but I'm wondering if anyone has any insights or has dealt with this before.

Thanks in advance. Pictures of poop attached.

The orange pus (which is not normal looking) looks like it may be lash material or it could be infection since your vet noted "plaque" in her throat. Not sure what she meant by "plaque", did she explain that at all - did she mean it was canker or perhaps yeast infection?

What antibiotic did she give you?

It's good that she's laying more normal eggs now.
Have you ever had respiratory illness within your flock?

 

[aart]

The orange pus (which is not normal looking) looks like it may be lash material

That's what I was thinking.
Might be good to pry that orange lump out and cut it in half lengthwise.

 

[BunnyChickenMomma]

The orange pus (which is not normal looking) looks like it may be lash material or it could be infection since your vet noted "plaque" in her throat. Not sure what she meant by "plaque", did she explain that at all - did she mean it was canker or perhaps yeast infection?

What antibiotic did she give you?

It's good that she's laying more normal eggs now.
Have you ever had respiratory illness within your flock?

Thank you for your insights! She didn't really explain much, except that it could be some kind of yeast infection (which is why she prescribed the antibiotic). She prescribed Doxycycline. We've never had any illnesses of any kind in my flock, though I knew it was just a matter of time. They are all 22 weeks old and we just got them (4 Buffs) in March.

 

[BunnyChickenMomma]

As long as Thyme is healthy now, that orange in poop is probably just intestinal lining shedding which is normal. Here's a poop diagnosis link if you want to look and you'll find Thyme's poop in there. https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=17568.0

I would also make sure Thyme is getting some oyster shell or another form of calcium as that helps make strong shells.

Thank you for the link! All the girls have free access to oyster shell and I've now been giving her yogurt every day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for your insights! She didn't really explain much, except that it could be some kind of yeast infection (which is why she prescribed the antibiotic). She prescribed Doxycycline. We've never had any illnesses of any kind in my flock, though I knew it was just a matter of time. They are all 22 weeks old and we just got them (4 Buffs) in March.

That's interesting to use an antibiotic for a yeast infection.

Have you heard back from the vet yet?

If she were mine and lethargic, then I'd work on hydration. Electrolytes for a few hours to see if she will perk up a little. Offer her some soupy wet feed, bits of egg or tuna to see if you can entice her to eat.

I'd make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Give her breath a whiff and look inside the beak for any lesions, pus or material that does not belong. If I suspected yeast infection, I'd treat with an antifungal - Nystatin, Fluconazole, Miconazole or Clotrimazole.

If you see any more poops or material like that, please do take some more photos. If possible, separate out the pus material and get a photo of just it and of course if you can cut it open that would be a bonus. Yes...I think me and @aart want a close up and dissection.

 

[BunnyChickenMomma]

That's interesting to use an antibiotic for a yeast infection.

Have you heard back from the vet yet?

If she were mine and lethargic, then I'd work on hydration. Electrolytes for a few hours to see if she will perk up a little. Offer her some soupy wet feed, bits of egg or tuna to see if you can entice her to eat.

I'd make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Give her breath a whiff and look inside the beak for any lesions, pus or material that does not belong. If I suspected yeast infection, I'd treat with an antifungal - Nystatin, Fluconazole, Miconazole or Clotrimazole.

If you see any more poops or material like that, please do take some more photos. If possible, separate out the pus material and get a photo of just it and of course if you can cut it open that would be a bonus. Yes...I think me and @aart want a close up and dissection.

That's interesting to use an antibiotic for a yeast infection.

Have you heard back from the vet yet?

If she were mine and lethargic, then I'd work on hydration. Electrolytes for a few hours to see if she will perk up a little. Offer her some soupy wet feed, bits of egg or tuna to see if you can entice her to eat.

I'd make sure her crop is emptying overnight. Give her breath a whiff and look inside the beak for any lesions, pus or material that does not belong. If I suspected yeast infection, I'd treat with an antifungal - Nystatin, Fluconazole, Miconazole or Clotrimazole.

If you see any more poops or material like that, please do take some more photos. If possible, separate out the pus material and get a photo of just it and of course if you can cut it open that would be a bonus. Yes...I think me and @aart want a close up and dissection.

Sorry I have been quiet for a few days. Thyme seems to be acting normal - eating food, energy, talking. She has not had any more poops with puss - like globs since Tuesday, so I haven't been able to dissect. I guess that's a good thing! If she does have more, I'll make sure to post more pictures. She had quite a few poops with orange or yellow globs in them Tuesday morning on the coop floor and out in the yard...and then back to normal. I should say that normal poops for Thyme are very dark brown (sometimes almost black) and very liquidy. She's been that way since she was a chick. The vet did not seem worried when I told her that, but maybe it is related?

The vet has no idea what's going on, either. I'm supposed to take Thyme back for another check-up September 22, but if she has any more concerning poops I'll take her in sooner. Honestly, the vet seems a bit flabbergasted (even though this clinic is supposed to specialize in chickens and exotics).

Her crop feels empty (as far as I can tell) and I haven't been able to catch a whiff of her breath yet. I'll keep trying! She gives me the strangest look.

She did have one heck of an odd looking egg today. It has a shell, for sure. And a tail? Anyone ever see something like this before?

Poor girl just seems to have no end of issues with egg laying.

 

[BunnyChickenMomma]

She also just had this poop. Looks like part of whatever was coming out of the egg?!? Anyone know what this could mean???

 

[aart]

She also just had this poop. Looks like part of whatever was coming out of the egg?!? Anyone know what this could mean???

Cut that in half lengthwise and take more pics.
Looks like lash material.