Poisoned Chicken?

[yrivergirl]

This has been going on since the beginning of February. Started out limping on the left side. That was her only(?) symptom until about 2 weeks ago when her limping changed to not walking at all!

1). Hen is listless. She will sit on my lap for hours barely moving. She barely moves around at all in her 15'×45' chicken run.Just lays in the same place for hours. I take her with me everywhere I go, to make sure that she's getting water hourly.

2) I've been giving water/vitamin electrolyte water for the last week, via a little syringe at least hourly!. It seems to work well as long as you don't have anything else to do all day until she goes to bed.

2) A. - She's been limping since the beginning of February. She just started limping on her right leg too. Progressed to being lethargic. Now she barely moves.
She might take 1step before plopping down because her foot won't support her.

C). She's been keeping her toes all curled up unless she's trying to move out of her own feces (which I clean up ASAP when it happens),, or while trying to stand.

B) Her head just hangs wherever.

C). Her crown seems to be dehydrating? And it has a few new black spots. Her tips are darker too.

D). She seems to keep her feet/toes all curled tight.

E). She barely stands

F). She's not chirping or making any noises.

G). No eggs in 10 days.

H). She uses her wings for balance.

I). She barely eats or drinks all day. So I am offering her the things she likes the most to eat, & she is eating a bit of it.

J). She seemed to develop diarrhea about 3 weeks ago?

She now has really super watery diarrhea this past week.

3). She's been limping since Feb 1st, 2021. Approximately 1&1/2 weeks - 2 weeks ago she began going down hill, & quickly. Not walking at all, getting more & more lethargic, not eating or drinking except tiny amounts, she stopped barreling out of the coop in the mornings with the other 2 chickens. Nothing excites her.

4). I have 2 other chickens who seem just fine, Not Sick.

5). No signs of anything broken, fractured, mites, or anything.

6). Nothing happened..., EXCEPT building a new chicken run.

7). She's been eating a small amount of meal worms (like 1-4). a fruit & nut blend for birds (a few pecks), Fancy Feast Grilled wet cat food, (she eats maybe 1/5 of a 3oz can, & a few layer pellets (like 1-4) Daily! She wants to do dirt baths, she wants to scratch but can't now.

8). SUPER WATERY, with black & white parts mixed in.

9). So far I took her to the VET, Roseville Bird & Pet in California. And for about the last 3 weeks I give her 1-3 long empson salt soaks/ baths in warm water Daily. A process that usually takes from 1&1/2 - 2 hours.

The vet couldn't fine anything wrong with her. Nothing wrong with her feet, legs, or joints. Kept her overnight giving fluids & something for pain & inflammation, took an x-ray, & a Mereck's test. The x-ray showed screws, nuts, etc. Vet said that we might look into heavy metal poisoning? And we're still waiting for the results of the Mereck's test. $735 later & NO ANSWERS! I gave my hen a week of antibiotic's (gone now), & a week of Meloxidyl for pain & I inflammation.

10). I don't mind going back to the vet if it will save my hen.

11. She has a new coop (we purchased) inside a 15×45 foot run fenced area. She has a thick bed of Pine Shavings. That's it.

12. No pics

All opinions & help will be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Valerie

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@aart

I Would think it sounds like mereks

 

[Banana01]

You saw screws and nuts in the xray? What else did you find that was the etc? May I ask where in the anatomy were they? Here is a reference if you aren't sure. I hope someone knows a procedure that can save her so do not give up hope.

 

[Banana01]

I'm sorry to reply to my own post, but here is another anatomy view if you can locate where was the metal inside of her? As you said her condition has rapidly deteriorated recently and you do not have a lot of time. If the metal has not passed the gizzard you may have a chance to rig some kind of magnet on the end of a catheter to pull the metal out. The vet may or may not desire to even try it, but maybe he can sedate her. If the metal is in the intestines, I'm so sorry. I am sure there are chicken surgeons in this forum and I hope they can help you, or use the search function for surgery to seek out an experienced member to help.

As you can see in the anatomy, metal past the gizzard will not be able to extract through the mouth with a catheter.



But if the metal is clogging up the gizzard, you may be able to rig a magnetic retrieval device using a feeding tube like this and go into the beak to retrieve it.

Maybe I hope I read your post wrong and there aren't screws and nuts in your hen.

 

[yrivergirl]

You saw screws and nuts in the xray? What else did you find that was the etc? May I ask where in the anatomy were they? Here is a reference if you aren't sure. I hope someone knows a procedure that can save her so do not give up hope.

View attachment 2662110

The vet didn't specify what the "etc" is. And I can ask the vet to be specific answering your questions. My hen Bossy, has a vet appointment tomorrow afternoon. I'm really concerned about her & don't want her to suffer needlessly, especially if typically chickens don't recover metal poisoning. I'll be heart broken if she needs to be put to sleep. Thank you for helping.

 

[Banana01]

You are looking at a sophisticated operation to remove the metal, and it would take a very special vet to try an operation on your chicken. Whether it is feasible to remove through the beak with a catheter and magnet depends on the location of the metal shown on the xray and how compacted the gizzard is. If it is even theoretically possible to save her, the vet would have to be a bit eccentric to be willing to try it, or a specialist in surgery. Beg her to try under sedation instead of just putting her down. I know you love her and hope she will be willing to help. It may be the first time anyone pulls off this type of operation, I found nothing on the internet about similar past procedures.

Injesting metal is unfortunately survivable only if the metal will stay in the gizzard and not interfere with digestion. But a nut and screw, it sounds like her gizzard has finally gotten clogged up with fibrous food and those metal objects. She is in pain and I will be surprised if she makes the appointment because it depends if food is passing through or if her system is clogged. I guess I should have mentioned just stop feeding her and give her water and nutrients before the vet can see her, but probably limit even water that she intakes because she is in pain and the clog is what is killing her.

Beg him to try to save her. I hate to hear that you got your new coop and the builders probably left some debris laying around. As a PSA in her memory, keep the coop clear of debris because you never know what a chicken will inhale. Good luck. I never imagined a chicken would eat such things. Styrofoam and plastic maybe, but metal? That is a tragedy and it is not your fault.

 

[Banana01]

Can you find a very small and round, but strong, magnet at a store before your appt? Check like a Lowe's or other hobby store. Better if you can find one that can be cut to size, like a disc magnet. Take it to the vet appointment with you in the afternoon. Maybe also buy a latex tubing or feeding tube like in the image above, where the magnet can be secured inside the tube near the end. The vet may not have feeding tubes, but a small diameter tube about 12" long would work. You can beg the vet to rig it to the end of a catheter and attempt the procedure, which should take 5 minutes if it works, depending if the metal is in a convenient location based on the xray. Tell the vet they would be a hero and possibly pulling off a miricle.

I know this post sounds ludacris, but I know how you are feeling about your bb and even a desperate attempt is worth it. If it were my chicken and the vet refused to help, I would attempt this procedure myself, hopefully under anasthetic and using the xray as a guide, and already have the catheter rig built before the appt. It will take two people, one to hold the neck straight, and another to keep the tube from pulling the magnetic objects against the curved proventriculous.

Stay positive you can save her!