Polish pullet - 5 months, lethargic, hunched over, not her lively self

[zengrrl]

Any suggestions? How do i check & see if she has worms, mites or what? i'm clueless, will a bath, warm dryer & some vits help her feel better?

 

[mljohnson05]

Worms u will usually see come out in her poop. Lice and mites can make them feel down too. check at the base of the feathers for white clusters of eggs, best seen on the neck , belly, under wings and near the vent..also look for tiny red/brown mites moving around on the skin.Is she scratching? Is there signs of bleeding in her poop, or on the feathers? is her crop swollen? does she have drainage coming from her nose, mouth or eyes???

Also to give her a boost, feed her scrambled eggs with buttermilk mixed in them. The Scrambled egg provides extra protein to rebuild her strength and buttermilk is a probiotic to help rebuild her immune system. You can also crush a Vitamin B Complex tab up and mix it in well, to help boost her immune system. also use vitamin water (in a pinch you can use gator aid).

I would also issolate her to make sure she is eating and drinking ok and help keep her warm and dry. If you find mites or lice, let me know and i will tell you how to get rid of them.

EDIT: Has she started laying eggs yet...she is right around the time....Check to see if she is EGG BOUND!! check her bottom for straining and firm object. But DO NOT stick your finger in the vent...feel from outside !

 

[zengrrl]

I can't seem to find anything, but she is quickly going downhill. She won't open her eyes and it pretty lifeless but still slightly moving/breathing.

If its any of those things I'm afraid it may be too late. Thank you for the swift answers. I'm trying to get some vits into her but so far not much luck.

 

[mljohnson05]

I am sorry to hear that.....did you check for egg bound...and is there a vet you can get her to?

 

[zengrrl]

I did check for egg bound as I thought that could be why she was hunched over. I can't feel anything, and this being a holiday there is not a vet open near me. She does have some diarhea in her tail feathers but no eggs or worms that I can see. We were out most of the day today and I come home to her like this. So sad, she was truly my favorite. She has severe scissorbeak and I make her special food everyday. I just had her beak clipped Sa tat the vet, it didn't seem a big deal at the time? She was fine when I fed her oatmeal this morning, she comes running when she hears my voice and owns that food bowl.

 

[mljohnson05]

Was she outside all day, and was she in the sun?? Alot of times they can act like this when they get heat stroke from the heat, if they are not able to get cool enough or out of the sun. But with her cross beak, there might be other hiden issues that are just now showing up

 

[taprock]

I hope your girl gets better she sounds like a real special one. I went through not knowing what was wrong with one of my Polish a couple weeks ago. It is tough when you don't know what to do for them.

 

[mljohnson05]

Here is another mixture that you can do for her:
” This amount feeds one bird””
Feed the birds once a day for three days or until you feel the bird is looking and acting better
I like to feed this to my sick birds for at least 3 weeks

Feed the bird first thing in the morning.. also have her ordinary feed and fresh clean water available at all times: if it has not been fully eaten with in 12 hours throw it out... make another one the next morning.. don't add to it.. clean out the dish it was in also before adding the new mixture

Each serving consists of:
½ to 1 x cooked egg yolk… crumbled into mixture
1 teaspoon of cod liver oil..
1 very small drizzle of honey….
2 x tablespoons yogurt…. (Do not add this if you are giving antibiotics as it may stop the antibiotic from working properly.)
2 to 4 tablespoons rolled oats or Baby rice
1 dessertspoon of beef tin cat food…… Not dog food
A few grains of multi vitamin powder (or smash up a multi vitamin and sprinkle some over)
2 tablespoons of grated apple..

Mix to make a crumble mixture not runny, if you have to roll into pellets and force feed, and then gently massage the neck in a downward motion to get it down into the crop, then do it, the bird may be too weak to eat or have lost the desire to eat….

 

[jjthink]

Until vet opens put her somewhere very comfy temperature wise (if it's been hot where the birds normally are), quiet, maybe with a favorite buddy., all creature comforts close at hand. What temps has your area been having? What temps this afternoon?

If she ate well and was energetic this morning, I am concerned it could be an egg issue or a sudden viral or bacterial issue (had that happen to my Ellie a few years back - sudden extreme lethargy and antibiotic turned her around from what looked like sudden near death - she is fine now, years later).
Is there any chance at all that she was injured by something today?

I would not bathe her when she is this weak, especially if no evidence of a reason to.

If she hadn't been eating well right up through this morning, I would say to administer 3 drops Polyvisol liquid children's vitamins emergently, by dribbling gently along her beak line with dropper, so she swallows on her own and doesn't choke. Stuff tastes like crud so see if by some stroke of luck she'll take a few cut up bits of blueberry or watermelon or whatever afterward. Since she did so recently eat well, the vitamin thing may not be crucial at this time....so I'm almost inclined not to give her this added stressor..

JJ

 

[zengrrl]

Thank you all for all of your helpful advice. Whatever the reason she went quickly, there was really nothing I could do but hold her while she passed. She was truly the coolest chick ever. I'm forever grateful to the advice I get on these boards you have no idea.