red pulsating vent? worms?

[flyballgirl]

We are still having trouble with our Polish hen. She is still laying down but eating a lot. I have her on probiotics and she's lost a lot of weight so I try to hold her up to help her eat since I think it's hard for her to eat laying on her side.
I just noticed today that her vent is red and pulsating. I have examined her poop but cannot tell if she has worms.
She has been on a lot of meds lately and I hate to change again. Also, the last hen we had who was sick died after I used the Wazine on her (she probably was going to anyway...).

Thanks for any help!!

 

[Judy]

Is this thread also about Hairdo? You received very good responses here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/840027/chicken-not-walking-falling-over/0_20

 

[casportpony]

We are still having trouble with our Polish hen. She is still laying down but eating a lot. I have her on probiotics and she's lost a lot of weight so I try to hold her up to help her eat since I think it's hard for her to eat laying on her side.
I just noticed today that her vent is red and pulsating. I have examined her poop but cannot tell if she has worms.
She has been on a lot of meds lately and I hate to change again. Also, the last hen we had who was sick died after I used the Wazine on her (she probably was going to anyway...).

Thanks for any help!!

Put on a glove, KY Jelly and gently check inside her vent for an egg, swellings, fluid, little bumps, etc. If you find an egg, give her a human calcium pill, that will help her pass it.

If she were mine I would worm with fenbendazole (Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste) at 50mg/kg and repeat in 10 days - That's .5ml per 2.2 pounds. FYI, Wazine (piperazine) only treats roundworms.

Examining poop for worms is *not* how you tell if they have worms and many worms are too small to see even if they are in the poop.

If this is the hen from the other thread I suspect that she has Marek's, but no harm in treating for other things in hopes that she will walk again.

Since she is thin you should start weighing her daily and that will help you figure out if any of your treatments are working. If she continues to lose weight you should think about tube feeding her or she will die.

-Kathy

 

[flyballgirl]

Yes, this is about Hairdo. I understand all the previous remarks but I also keep noticing other symptoms and on the off chance that it is not Marek's then I just want to help her the best we can. Right now she is on probiotic and we hold her up so she can eat. She is not having trouble eating when we hold her so we do that many times a day. I'm trying to feed her food that is high in protein but is it also ok to give her rice or potatoes? She eats fruit, chicken grower, lettuce, chicken, turkey, hamburg. Thanks!

 

[casportpony]

I can only tell you what I would do if she were mine.

1. Bring inside warm house.
2. Thorough exam which includes checking the inside of her vent.
3. Weigh daily! I cannot stress this enough! Buy yourself a kitchen scale!
4. Dust for mites and lice with a proper poultry dust even if I couldn't see any - DE DOES NOT WORK!
5. If stable, worm with fenbendazole as described in my last post.
6. Inspect poop for abnormalities.
7. If not eating, drinking and/or losing weight, tube feed baby bird food, period. Tube feeding takes less than 3 minutes per feeding.
8. Depending on what poop looks like, maybe treat for coccidiosis, bacterial and/or fungal infections with appropriate medicine(s).
9. If totally stumped, take to vet and have them look at her poop to check for parasites, bacterial and/or fungal infections.

FWIW, this is how I would treat any sick bird, including those with Marek's.

-Kathy

 

[flyballgirl]

Thank you.

 

[casportpony]

Forgot to post this link on tube feeding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

-Kathy