Panting, lethargic, wings drooping, suddenly...What is it?

[Bocktobery 10]

I put oregano essential oil on the sides of the plastic tub, but I didn't use it internally... I heard its very tough and can burn. I figured just her smelling it might help a bit. ? Just tried it, that's all.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Just an update... she's eating a bit more.. not a whole lot, and standing with a bit more energy. She also passed a VERY VERY VERY stinky sticky mass of poop this afternoon- on the large side (I think this is good as she has not pooped in a while and has not eaten that much since I found her sick- not enough to have passed that amount) . Really, the smell was just incredible and seemed to soak up the small room I have her resting in. I think she must have eaten something that backed up her whole digestive system, OR she has some sort of ailment that is stalling it.

How do you get things moving again?

Her crop is again filled with liquid. It goes from liquid to solid (as in something impacting it).

My vet appointment for her had to be canceled this afternoon and I don't know if I'll get a chance to make another soon. Luckily, she is sipping on the denugaurd water (I think that is helping) and eating little bits. I'm going to keep trying with her.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Ok, this may sound weird, but it's what I did for my chick that seems to be laying funky eggs/not laying eggs.

I soaked her bum her epsom bath for 10 minutes. Some stuff voluntarily came out. And she appears to have had healthy bowel movements when she's in the yard. So stuff coming out with the epsom salt bath was a surprise...but she relaxed and seem to enjoy it. The bath. Maybe the BM. Who knows?

Epsom salt soakings help detox the body part/the body. It will probably help the chicken too.

I am hoping she continues hanging in there and gets better!

ps - oregano. I put dried oregano and garlic powder in their bedding and mixed in with the food.

I have fresh oregano growing in the garden that most birds can access, if they want.

 

[rebrascora]

The blood on her beak suggests to me that she has eaten something that has cut her inside. That would perhaps tie in with the digestive blockage.... there have been quite a few posts recently about chickens eating foreign objects like pins, screws and earrings and unfortunately none have turned out well.
The other option that comes to mind is possibly gape worm.... I don't know much about it but respiratory problems and perhaps coughing up blood would be symptoms and maybe feeling too ill to eat. Just something else for you to research and consider....

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Thank you both so much for responding..

Rebrascora, Its possible that she ate something foreign, I felt some strange hard bits in her crop that felt not organic... but she wasn't bleeding from the mouth at first when I found her, so I think that swollen tissues in the sinus cavities from some sort of pathogen is likely the cause. ? I'm not sure. I've researched here on BYC that some others had very similar symptoms, and that their bird recovered. There are things like fowl poxes and other really nasty things that could have caused the bit of blood. She thankfully has stopped bleeding in any way... Thank God... I was horrified.. what these birds suffer from! May God help us all in our hours of need!

To update a bit more since my last post... She's pooped again, and it was smelly , and very thick and sticky... I can understand how this would make her constipated or blocked up. To make things more interesting- she laid an egg late last night! So at least I know she is not blocked there- at least not anymore. The egg looked normal in every way.

I examined her fecal matter- and there were what I believe to be undigested bug parts in them- green wing like from a beetle- they were hard and I'd imagine they were sharp. Other contents were stringy squiggly bits- so my direction now is to get her system moving, though the sour crop is an issue for sure. I'm wondering if my vet can give me some fluids to give her in some sort of IV to rehydrate her. I have a feeling the very hot weather we had here last week did not help her condition but rather dehydrated her. I think it would help a lot since she is not drinking. Does anyone know how to give fluids to chickens? Or can only vets do that?

Sara, yes.. Last night I had the idea to do another epsom salt soak, as that seemed to me to be a good idea- like you said, helps clear out toxins and also the magnesium might help get any blocks cleared by loosening up the bowels. I was not able to do it last night- so I got some magnesium 'oil' spray and misted her on her skin. I'm not sure that was a good thing but I heard its as effective as taking an epsom salt bath. I want her to clear that gunk out! I'll try and fit in a soak for her today. It can't hurt!

She is standing up better now- though not eating. (a big problem) and her crop is still full of liquid that never emptied. That's about it. Before, she would not stand up or could not.... she'd keep her legs close to her chest, and also her feet would slip out from underneath her. She would not stand at all the first day. This also makes me think she's eaten something she should not have as it reminds me of symptoms of poisoning. I was also reading last night about what could cause crop stasis in chickens and there were a few things that seem to go along with what I've got here. The medicines for which I don't have. Someone once said to give a chicken monostat (for vaginal yeast infections) orally to the chicken, but it says online not to be taken by mouth... there has to be a good reason not to and I don't want to cause more problems with my hen that necessary, but I feel tempted to go get some and use it.

And of course, never fails... this is one of my favorite hens. Which makes is more difficult to treat. :-/

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Just an update again.. She seems better, but is still not eating a whole lot. I say she seems better because she has had several more bowel movements and they seem normal, except for a bit of yellow/white stuff that tells me she's got infection possibly. She is standing, but she limps slightly when walking. I put her outside today and she walked around with the flock -no other chickens are showing signs and I wanted to see if she'd perk up. Well she did, and she even ate when I gave my flock some treats, so it did help her a bit. She did not go to the coop though this evening, so she is back inside.

The only thing wrong it seems now is that she is limping and she does not have her appetite back yet. Nothing in crop at all, no liquid, no bad smells, no rancid fecal droppings that look abnormal except the yellow/white goo that is mixed in with normal droppings. (She must have been backed up for a long time? I don't understand how she is having normal bowel movements when I know she has not eaten much of anything at all the past four days.)

Going to continue what I"ve been doing for her. Hope she will overcome this with the help of normal over-the-counter meds.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Oh will do some tube-feeding this evening. First with water, then wait a few hours to see how its moving, then I will tube feed her some liquid food. *fingers crossed*

 

[sawilliams]

I don't know if its relevantat this piont but just thought I would pass on some thoughts.

I know a friend of mine that lost quite a few chickens to pesticides last year. Really unfortunate they were spraying wasps and didn't even think about the girls running behind then to clean up the dead bugs.

Second, I added a rooster to my flock this week and his first day he got so stressed he started to dehydrate. Very similar to your first symptoms weak wobbly difficulty standing. Fortunately I was able to get him drinking water quickly and on him own.

It does sound lilt you had a multitude of issues and i would guess the impacted crop probably contributed to the dehydration. I would guess the blood was likely from an infection from the impacted crop. I'm glad she's starting to feel better and hour she continues to improve.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Thank you sawilliams,

I am concerned about poisoning and the wasp spray. We have people staying with us in a camper, and they didn't even think about my chickens. He sprayed it at night though- wondering if my girls would eat dead wasps? I did find it coincidental that it was about a day and a half later when she fell ill. Its so hard to know without lab tests.

When I first found her she looked so out of sorts... stumbling, off balance, looking weak. I was certain it was heat stroke. But cooling her down did not seem to improve her. Then the blood and gurgling!

I'm hopeful that since many of these dire symptoms have subsided that she is pulling through, but I think I'll need to start tube feeding for certain. I probably should have started that earlier, but with her crop being full and not moving, I didn't think that would be wise. I wanted to get that issue taken care of while I had the time (thinking birds can live a few days without food).

Thanks again for your input. Every little bit helps. She seems to be more of herself today, but just not eating! ???

 

[OG Anomaly]

I hope you're girl got better.