Please help with diagnosis

[casportpony]

Some labs listed by State:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

How to send a bird for necropsy
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

-Kathy

 

[Waterfaery]

Thanks Kathy,

Can you please tell me about the timeframe involved with Marek's? Would it happen so suddenly with no symptoms before death? Would it kill two birds within a couple of hours of each other?

 

[casportpony]

Thanks Kathy,

Can you please tell me about the timeframe involved with Marek's?  Would it happen so suddenly with no symptoms before death?  Would it kill two birds within a couple of hours of each other?

Weight loss is what I usually what I see first, but I have had a couple that were fine one day, down the next, so I brought them inside and treated them very aggressively, but they still died and would have died that same day had I not brought them in. It really could be anything, that's why you should have a necropsy done.

-Kathy

 

[realsis]

Yes mareks can. May I make a suggestion? I suggest learning as much as possible about the mareks virus. As I understand it they can have the virus and remain without symptoms until periods of stress or weakness and then become symptomatic.so the birds could have actually been infected with the virus for a long period of time then for whatever the reason became symptomatic. If a flock member has mareks it does not mean they will all be symptomatic . But it does mean they can still spread the virus to other birds even without having symptoms themselves.its recommended that any new birds brought in be vaccinated and kept from exposure (exposure would be the outside because mareks can live on land for years and is airborne, and adult birds) for at the very least 14 days to give time for the antibodies and immunity to build. If this quartine time is not given they can catch the virus although vaccinated because time was not given to build immunity. I hope this is helpful and wish you the best. Basically I'm saying the birds could have caught the virus at a young age and remained without symptoms until now.that is possible. It's also possible to have the virus and be a carrier. And remain without symptoms but spread the virus.with mareks your best defense is knowledge.the more you research the better.mareks is litterly everywhere. Our best defense is vaccination and time given for antibodies to develop. Although vaccination is NOT 100% effective it's all we have as of now.i hope this helps and wish you the best.

 

[BigECarter]

While Marek's is a definite possibility, I suspect that something else is going on, especially given how sick half of your flock became in such a short period if time. With no recent additions to the flock, I would guess something they ate.

I highly recommend that you get a necropsy done if you have any more losses. Refrigerate any dead chicken that you want to send to a lab. Don't freeze!

E

 

[Wyandottes7]

While Marek's is a definite possibility, I suspect that something else is going on, especially given how sick half of your flock became in such a short period if time. With no recent additions to the flock, I would guess something they ate.

I highly recommend that you get a necropsy done if you have any more losses. Refrigerate any dead chicken that you want to send to a lab. Don't freeze!

E

X2


Though Marek's can come on this quickly and kill this quickly, I'd lean towards Botulism being the cause. Is there any place where they could have gotten into moldy food, wet leaf litter, wet, dirty bedding, or an animal carcass? Botulism can kill quickly, and causes most of the symptoms you are describing.

 

[Waterfaery]

Thanks everyone,

I'm really hoping it's not Marek's. I spent the whole day yesterday researching and I'm so confused about all of the different things it could be. There are so many overlapping symptoms.

Poisoning does seem likely due to the sudden onset. As I mentioned, they did have access to our compost heap and there was a dead hedgehog in there, so botulism could be possible. They are totally free ranging birds and we have a huge amount of different plants around the property so we are going out again now to check if any of them could be poisonous ones.

If it was poisoning, the fact that Féileacán didn't die at the same time as the other two must be a good sign for her, mustn't it? Can botulism or similar poisoning still kill her slowly or should she pull through since she's made it so long now? What can I do to help her?

 

[casportpony]

Call a lab and ask to speak with an avian pathologist.... The one I send my birds to is always willing to talk with me and they have been very helpful.

-Kathy

 

[Waterfaery]

It's Saturday morning (We live in New Zealand) and it's more than 24 hours since Isis and Ruairí died. Féileacán has just had her second dose of Baytril and we're just about to give her the Metacam and Baycox.

She is still limping. It seems a little bit worse than yesterday, although maybe it's just stiff from not moving it overnight? We'll try and get her to move around over the day and watch her and the others closely for any changes. It's so upsetting watching her. I don't know what to do for her.

The others still seem totally fine and normal.

 

[Waterfaery]

Thanks Kathy,

There is not much avian expertise here. I've emailed the one place I can find, which is on the other side of New Zealand from where we are. I'll try ringing them later if I don't get a response, although I don't know if I'll reach them on a Saturday.