- Jan 4, 2014
- 10
- 13
- 69
i have a 3 year old orpington hen. She has had respiratory issues for The last year and a half. She would cough and mouth breathe. I have had her to the vet a couple of times and he just says it as a respiratory issue, he did not specify what exactly it is. She has always been healthy, except when she moulted she really lost weight. For about the last week and a half she is not herself. She is not laying, She is eating, but not as much. She still drinks water. She is dull and apathetic. We had a really unusual heat spell for 2 weeks which just broke on Thursday. She seemed really affected by that. She didn’t hold her wings away from her body but she mouth breathed continuously. The other 3 didn’t seem affected nearly as much. I kept ice water out for them and put a fan out for them. They have plenty of shade, and I clean the chicken coop every day I have cooked eggs for her and whatever I can get her to eat. I bought some oxine yesterday and I couldn’t get it to work in my vaporiser so I am getting a nebulizer today. I misted some in her face last night. She is no better this morning. In desperation I gave her an injection of Tylan. The fact she is not coughing makes me wonder if it is a respiratory issue at all. So when I picked her up to give her the injection I was so dismayed at how thin she was. The feathers hide so much. She has not moulted this year. I checked her for mites or lice but I did not see any. Her comb and wattles are pale and when I picked her up she started mouth breathing really bad. I found some wazine in the garage. I don’t know how old it is but I am desperate to help her. I put it in a gallon of water per directions. I don’t know what to do. I lost a much loved hen this past spring. I had her to the vet 3 times. He said her lungs sounded bad. He gave her an antiobiotic Gave me some to give her at home. He also gave her an injection for worms and I requested and got some for the other 4 . She seemed a little better for a few days but then got worse again. I took her to the vet and she died when I took her to the vet, in his exam room. Then my brother died in July and I had to have my sweet little cat euthanized 2 weeks ago. He was 14 and the vet thought he had cancer. He lost so much weight. 2 vets visits and euthanization cost me $495! I am still trying to get over that and now little Blossum. I don’t know what I will do if I lose her. I am widowed and on a fixed income and between vet visits for my buff in the spring and then my cat I have about depleted my savings. Is there any thing else I can do for her? I am so upset