Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

We were discussing a little while ago [on @BY Bob's thread I believe]] that with so many birds between us someone was always bound to have a bird with a problem @ any given time. I think I'm it just now.

I took Suyin to the vet when I took Alpia for her eye & the vet assured me there was nothing wrong with my bird. The vet is wrong. I don't know what is wrong, but something is. I didn't want to take her back to the vet & be told the same thing when the vet didn't even weigh her so I chatted with the produce store people ~ & we are all flummoxed. Suyin is so light a breath could blow her over. So long as she was alert, foraging & especially fence hopping, I wasn't too worried. Yes, her eyes are still bright & alert. Her poops appear to be pretty normal. She drinks excessive amounts of water ~ but she always has. She has lost that really feisty edge that made her something of a problem within the flock. She is eating very little, often just raking her beak through the food but not actually ingesting anything. She tends to eat from the feeder , little but often. I have been adding extra protein through her moult but we have had a couple of really cold days & she has been standing a lot rather than foraging with the flock, fluffed up but her head hasn't been down, though she sometimes dozes off.
What I have tried:

• electrolytes [she has been better today]
• Mealworms [that got her pretty excited]
• Worming
• checked for lice & mites
• & on the advice of the produce store a broad spectrum antibiotic [Oxymav 100]. This is probably a bad call but I am @ my wits end. I don't know what I am dealing with & no~one else seems to know either. Her feathering is fantastic after her moult & she is looking pretty good but she's not right. I know she isn't.

The man says it's probably something genetic & despite some chooks living to 10~12 she looks & acts more like an old lady hen & she hasn't come back on the lay yet either. She will be entering her 3rd year so she is hardly ancient though as a X she may just have got a bad set of genes. Not expecting anyone to know what I am dealing with but it makes me sad that there seems to be nothing I can do to build her strength & muscle.

 

[MaryJanet]

We were discussing a little while ago [on @BY Bob's thread I believe]] that with so many birds between us someone was always bound to have a bird with a problem @ any given time. I think I'm it just now.

I took Suyin to the vet when I took Alpia for her eye & the vet assured me there was nothing wrong with my bird. The vet is wrong. I don't know what is wrong, but something is. I didn't want to take her back to the vet & be told the same thing when the vet didn't even weigh her so I chatted with the produce store people ~ & we are all flummoxed. Suyin is so light a breath could blow her over. So long as she was alert, foraging & especially fence hopping, I wasn't too worried. Yes, her eyes are still bright & alert. Her poops appear to be pretty normal. She drinks excessive amounts of water ~ but she always has. She has lost that really feisty edge that made her something of a problem within the flock. She is eating very little, often just raking her beak through the food but not actually ingesting anything. She tends to eat from the feeder , little but often. I have been adding extra protein through her moult but we have had a couple of really cold days & she has been standing a lot rather than foraging with the flock, fluffed up but her head hasn't been down, though she sometimes dozes off.
What I have tried:

• electrolytes [she has been better today]
• Mealworms [that got her pretty excited]
• Worming
• checked for lice & mites
• & on the advice of the produce store a broad spectrum antibiotic [Oxymav 100]. This is probably a bad call but I am @ my wits end. I don't know what I am dealing with & no~one else seems to know either. Her feathering is fantastic after her moult & she is looking pretty good but she's not right. I know she isn't.

The man says it's probably something genetic & despite some chooks living to 10~12 she looks & acts more like an old lady hen & she hasn't come back on the lay yet either. She will be entering her 3rd year so she is hardly ancient though as a X she may just have got a bad set of genes. Not expecting anyone to know what I am dealing with but it makes me sad that there seems to be nothing I can do to build her strength & muscle.

Peggy's pancreas problem is just rotten genetic luck.

Last week, Dr Hill told me it's ok for all the hens to eat Peggy's enzymes.

So it's probably ok for Suyin to be on them too. It's called enzyplex and I put 1/2 teaspoon per 2 cups of wet feed. It MUST be left for 30 minutes to work on the food before offering to the chickens.

If you did it for a couple of months and she showed no improvement, you've ruled out a pancreas problem.

If she improves, then you know it's her pancreas.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

We were discussing a little while ago [on @BY Bob's thread I believe]] that with so many birds between us someone was always bound to have a bird with a problem @ any given time. I think I'm it just now.

I took Suyin to the vet when I took Alpia for her eye & the vet assured me there was nothing wrong with my bird. The vet is wrong. I don't know what is wrong, but something is. I didn't want to take her back to the vet & be told the same thing when the vet didn't even weigh her so I chatted with the produce store people ~ & we are all flummoxed. Suyin is so light a breath could blow her over. So long as she was alert, foraging & especially fence hopping, I wasn't too worried. Yes, her eyes are still bright & alert. Her poops appear to be pretty normal. She drinks excessive amounts of water ~ but she always has. She has lost that really feisty edge that made her something of a problem within the flock. She is eating very little, often just raking her beak through the food but not actually ingesting anything. She tends to eat from the feeder , little but often. I have been adding extra protein through her moult but we have had a couple of really cold days & she has been standing a lot rather than foraging with the flock, fluffed up but her head hasn't been down, though she sometimes dozes off.
What I have tried:

• electrolytes [she has been better today]
• Mealworms [that got her pretty excited]
• Worming
• checked for lice & mites
• & on the advice of the produce store a broad spectrum antibiotic [Oxymav 100]. This is probably a bad call but I am @ my wits end. I don't know what I am dealing with & no~one else seems to know either. Her feathering is fantastic after her moult & she is looking pretty good but she's not right. I know she isn't.

The man says it's probably something genetic & despite some chooks living to 10~12 she looks & acts more like an old lady hen & she hasn't come back on the lay yet either. She will be entering her 3rd year so she is hardly ancient though as a X she may just have got a bad set of genes. Not expecting anyone to know what I am dealing with but it makes me sad that there seems to be nothing I can do to build her strength & muscle.

The first thing I think of when I hear weight loss and thirst as a combination is diabetes.

Here is an blog I just read about how a lady managed it in her hen.

http://www.suburbhen.com/2012/10/diabetes-in-chickens.html

Whatever it is, I hope Suyin feels better soon.

 

[Ribh]

The first thing I think of when I hear weight loss and thirst as a combination is diabetes.

Here is an blog I just read about how a lady managed it in her hen.

http://www.suburbhen.com/2012/10/diabetes-in-chickens.html

Whatever it is, I hope Suyin feels better soon.

You know that actually makes sense. I knew cats & dogs could have diabetes but I never thought about a chicken having it. I will have to get back to the vet with that idea.

 

[Ribh]

Peggy's pancreas problem is just rotten genetic luck.

Last week, Dr Hill told me it's ok for all the hens to eat Peggy's enzymes.

So it's probably ok for Suyin to be on them too. It's called enzyplex and I put 1/2 teaspoon per 2 cups of wet feed. It MUST be left for 30 minutes to work on the food before offering to the chickens.

If you did it for a couple of months and she showed no improvement, you've ruled out a pancreas problem.

If she improves, then you know it's her pancreas.

Thank, MJ. Another idea to run past the vet ~ who is not an avian vet. Cows, horses, dogs & cats but not so many chickens.

 

[rjohns39]

Good evening folks

I’m glad she’ll be home soon.

My mum has had a few days’ stint in hospital; she got dizzy and fell over, hitting her head on the edge of a table and splitting her scalp open.

@LozzyR I'm so happy she's doing better. I'm sorry I didn't comment earlier, but my mind has been pretty occupied. Did they discover what caused the dizziness? Two things leap to mind for me, but are pretty focused on my situation... Low blood pressure and low blood sugar. They've taken Sue off of her BP meds because her BP hasn't been bad (130-160) range and they don't want to risk a drop in BP making her dizzy.

 

[CrazyChookChookLady]

A man who loves chickens is a good man.

Agree 100%

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you both, yes she is home again, they had to staple her scalp together! She was in over four nights and very glad to be out again! No concussion or subdural bleed, so that was good.

I'm so glad to hear that she is fine.

 

[BY Bob]

We were discussing a little while ago [on @BY Bob's thread I believe]] that with so many birds between us someone was always bound to have a bird with a problem @ any given time. I think I'm it just now.

I took Suyin to the vet when I took Alpia for her eye & the vet assured me there was nothing wrong with my bird. The vet is wrong. I don't know what is wrong, but something is. I didn't want to take her back to the vet & be told the same thing when the vet didn't even weigh her so I chatted with the produce store people ~ & we are all flummoxed. Suyin is so light a breath could blow her over. So long as she was alert, foraging & especially fence hopping, I wasn't too worried. Yes, her eyes are still bright & alert. Her poops appear to be pretty normal. She drinks excessive amounts of water ~ but she always has. She has lost that really feisty edge that made her something of a problem within the flock. She is eating very little, often just raking her beak through the food but not actually ingesting anything. She tends to eat from the feeder , little but often. I have been adding extra protein through her moult but we have had a couple of really cold days & she has been standing a lot rather than foraging with the flock, fluffed up but her head hasn't been down, though she sometimes dozes off.
What I have tried:

• electrolytes [she has been better today]
• Mealworms [that got her pretty excited]
• Worming
• checked for lice & mites
• & on the advice of the produce store a broad spectrum antibiotic [Oxymav 100]. This is probably a bad call but I am @ my wits end. I don't know what I am dealing with & no~one else seems to know either. Her feathering is fantastic after her moult & she is looking pretty good but she's not right. I know she isn't.

The man says it's probably something genetic & despite some chooks living to 10~12 she looks & acts more like an old lady hen & she hasn't come back on the lay yet either. She will be entering her 3rd year so she is hardly ancient though as a X she may just have got a bad set of genes. Not expecting anyone to know what I am dealing with but it makes me sad that there seems to be nothing I can do to build her strength & muscle.

It seems like you are doing anything which I could think of. You have checked her craw. Correct?

We will add her to our prayers.

 

[BY Bob]

Peggy's pancreas problem is just rotten genetic luck.

Last week, Dr Hill told me it's ok for all the hens to eat Peggy's enzymes.

So it's probably ok for Suyin to be on them too. It's called enzyplex and I put 1/2 teaspoon per 2 cups of wet feed. It MUST be left for 30 minutes to work on the food before offering to the chickens.

If you did it for a couple of months and she showed no improvement, you've ruled out a pancreas problem.

If she improves, then you know it's her pancreas.

Good idea. Way to go @MaryJanet