Please help with diagnosis

[Eggcessive]

Watermelon is a great way to get fluid in them. Or other types of melon. I'm glad to hear her problem has not progressed.

 

[Waterfaery]

Thanks,

I don't have any melon but I'll definitely get some tomorrow.

 

[Waterfaery]

Féileacán is worse this morning. She can just about stand up, but barely. She's sitting with the bad leg out in front of her. She's leaning slightly to one side and her toes are starting to curl. She's pecking at the ground but not eating anything. She has tried to walk a couple of times but the bad leg keeps failing and she ends up just sitting down again. We've held food and water directly in front of her and she hasn't taken it. We tried all of the things she ate yesterday and we made scrambled egg with garlic but she won't eat it. What else can we try? I was going to go and buy some melon but it's a 40 minute round trip to the shop and I don't want to leave her.

I'm so scared now that it is Marek's after all. If it was botulism, I don't think it would be just on one side. Also, it's been over 48 hours now and she's worse. I'm still confused about the other two, though.

Please help. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[casportpony]

You could tube fluids, then fluids and food and hope she gets better.

-Kathy

 

[BigECarter]

It doesn't sound good. If it was one of my Marek's birds, I would cull. (Well, I'm a wuss. I would tell hubby to cull or I would take her to a vet and have them do it.)

I wouldn't worry about her not eating but it is critical that she stay hydrated. Will she drink if you dip her beak in water? Or put drops in her beak? Also, try to keep her warm - 85°F/28.4°C is what I've heard.

Sending hugs your way.
E

 

[Nambroth]

I have not had direct experience with Botulism, perhaps someone else here has and can better direct you than I can. From what I understand, only time and passing the toxins from her body will heal her. If she is doing poorly and not eating or drinking, especially drinking, she may need supportive care. At this point perhaps you can bring her indoors or somewhere you can monitor her closely, and keep her in some sort of confinement very close to food and water.
If she will not eat or drink on her own, her only hope for survival is if you are willing to tube or force feed (tube feeding is actually safer). Placing water or liquid food into her beak can cause her to aspirate and can suffocate her or cause pneumonia. Tubing is putting liquid food directly into the crop so that she cannot choke.

If it is Marek's, there is a good chance she will not survive if she is at the point where she cannot walk AND she is disinterested in feeding herself. Some birds do come back and live for a while longer before passing away, but usually when they get to this point they have aggressive lymphomas.
If you want to try to support her to see if she will survive, again, your option is to tube feed... It will help keep her hydrated and keep the nourishment flowing. If she does have visceral Marek's, though, the cancer will eventually start to shut her organs down even with the tube feeding, so it is not a cure... it is just supportive care in case she does not have the lymphomas.

Some tube feeding links, in case you want to try:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...h-my-bird-pics-for-visuals-very-detailed-post
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

Just as a thought-- this isn't likely but I have to ask, have you checked your feed for mold? Look for 'clumps' of feed or any discoloration or unusual odor (might smell musty, might not). Again I am not experienced enough to offer good advice here, but if you find mold it is something to consider, as many mold toxins can cause neurological distress in birds.

If you lose her, do you have any diagnostics labs for agriculture/poultry, or vets, etc, that you can send her for analysis and necropsy? It might afford you some answers so that you know what to do for the rest of your birds, long-term.

 

[Waterfaery]

Thanks for the replies,

She has been in a confined area outside and we've been sitting with her constantly since Friday (apart from overnight) but we've moved her indoors now, as it's not very warm out today. She has eaten about half of the scrambled egg now but she still hasn't drunk anything. I'm very anxious about forcing fluids into her throat or beak. Is it easy to harm her doing it? We tried grating the apple and she's eaten a small bit of that. Are there any other foods I can try that have lots of fluid in them? Or any way to encourage her to drink? I've tried putting the water right up to her beak.

We got a reply from the avian vet that we contacted. He said the sudden deaths sound like botulism but this one isn't consistent with that, so he was a bit confused. We sent a reply asking about the cost of a necropsy and if it's too late to do one now on the other two. They are in our spare fridge. We'll see what he says about that.

 

[ten chicks]

Do you have a heat lamp? If so check to make sure it is not teflon coated or anything surrounding lamp is not teflon coated. Teflon toxicity does kill birds. Birds are found dead or gasping for air. Mild symptoms include,incoordination,weakness,seizures,depression and anxious behavior. These symptoms may not fit all that you have described,but they do fit enough that it is worth looking into.

 

[Waterfaery]

Thanks, no I don't have a heat lamp. We have looked into the food, too. It's dry and it looks and smells normal.

 

[Eggcessive]

If it is botulism, she still could possibly recover. The link I read said if they live 48 hours they are likely to recover, but that doesn't mean she will recover soon. It may take some time. If you have any time to spare with all that is happening, watching the tube feeding videos may help if you have to tube feed her. Aquarium tubing and a large 35 or 60 ml syringe is all you need to start.