Runny stools Sick Chicken Please Help

[k91]

Sydney our 2 1/2 year old Black Australorp suddenly became ill a couple days ago. She was not eating or drinking and was moving very slow and crouching in her nest box. She also has really watery greenish stools. I'm not sure what is wrong. Any ideas? I dewormed her on the first and she is somewhat more active and she is now drinking. I added the electrolyte stuff to her water hoping it would perk her up but not really so far. She is still not eating. Help please

 

[Michael Apple]

It could be bacterial enteritis (the greens), or a protozoan infection like coccidiosis or blackhead. Is the crop empty or full? How long have these symptoms been happening?

Also, when you wormed your hen, what did you use as a wormer?

 

[dawg53]

I dewormed her on the first and she is somewhat more active and she is now drinking.

Curious, what did you deworm her with?

 

[k91]

I used the Wazine stuff like TSC sells. I might be spelling that wrong. The symptoms started a couple days ago when I noticed she was not eating her morning treats(corn). Her comb is bright red and not droopy at all and her eyes look clear not cloudy or runny. Thanks for your input. I guess as long as she is still drinking that's a start although I don't know how long she can go without eating.

 

[Michael Apple]

I used the Wazine stuff like TSC sells. I might be spelling that wrong. The symptoms started a couple days ago when I noticed she was not eating her morning treats(corn). Her comb is bright red and not droopy at all and her eyes look clear not cloudy or runny. Thanks for your input. I guess as long as she is still drinking that's a start although I don't know how long she can go without eating.

Just to let you know, Wazine is piperazine and only kills roundworms. Cecal, capillary, tape, and other worms can cause much trouble for your birds. One of the best wormers you can get is Valbazen liquid and the dose is 1/2 cc orally per standard breed bird (1/4 cc for bantams). Valbazen contains Albendazole which kills many worms. You see, blackhead is actually a protozoan (histomoniasis). Why they call it blackhead, I don't know since the bird's head doesn't turn black. The protozoan is carried by cecal worms. Chickens get lethargic, don't eat and have brown-yellow watery to foamy droppings. and get thin because they lose appetite.

It's a crap shoot at this point. I asked if the bird's crop was full. If so, is it squishy or hard? If squishy, can you massage the crop gently and put your nose to the bird's mouth as you do it. Tell me if it smells bad.

 

[k91]

Thanks for the input Michael. Forgive my ignorance but what do you mean by the chicken's crop? I'm by no means a chicken expert and I never heard the term before

I wonder if TSC carries the Valbazen. I fear if it is something I have to order it will be too late for her if it isn't already

 

[casportpony]

Thanks for the input Michael. Forgive my ignorance but what do you mean by the chicken's crop? I'm by no means a chicken expert and I never heard the term before

I wonder if TSC carries the Valbazen. I fear if it is something I have to order it will be too late for her if it isn't already

The crop is where the food goes to right after they eat it.

You should check her for a stuck egg. Get some gloves, KY Jelly and very gently do an exam.







This is the paste wormer.


This is the liquid.



This is poultry dust for treating lice and mites. DE does not work.


Another poultry dust.






TSC probably doesn't have Valbazen (albendazole) but they do have Safeguard (fenbendazole 10%) liquid and paste (see above). Those you'll find in the cattle and horse section.

FWIW, this is a copy and paste from a thread that I started:

When mine get sick, this is what I do:

• *Thorough* physical exam which includes inserting a gloved, lubed finger into the cloaca to check for an egg, check for cuts, bruising lumps, smells, etc.
• Dust for mites/lice with poultry dust even if I cannot see any. DE does not work (see above).
• Weigh on digital kitchen scale (see avatar), record weight and weigh daily. any weight loss is bad.
• Place bird in a warm, quiet place on towel with food and water that it can't drown in.
• De-worm with Safeguard or Panacur, liquid or paste (fenbendazole 10%) 50mg/kg by mouth and repeat in 10 days. Warning - Safeguard/Panacur should not be used during a molt.
• Once warm, if not drinking and crop is empty, hydrate with warmed Pedialyte or lactated ringers with a feeding tube - 30ml/kg every 6-8 hours.
• If not eating after 24 hours and crop is empty, tube feed baby bird food mixed with Pedialyte
• Inspect poop.
• If I suspect a stuck egg, treat for egg binding.
• If I suspect a bacterial infection, treat with antibiotics.
• If I suspect a fungal infection, treat with Nystatin.
• If I suspect coccidiosis, treat with Corid (amprolium).
• If I suspect canker or histomoniaisis (blackhead), treat with Metronidazole.

From: http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/07_emergency_and_critical_care.pdf
Supportive Care
SICK-BIRD ENCLOSURES
Sick birds are often hypothermic and should be placed
in heated (brooder-type) enclosures


b (Fig 7.7) in a quiet
environment (see Chapter 1, Clinical Practice). A temperature
of 85° F (29° C) with 70% humidity is desirable
for most sick birds. If brooders are not equipped with a
humidity source, placing a small dish of water in the
enclosure will often supply adequate humidity. A moist
towel that is heated and placed on the bottom of a cage
or incubator rapidly humidifies the environment, as indicated​

by the fogging of the acrylic cage front.

FLUID THERAPY
Oral Administration
Oral administration is the ideal method of giving fluids.
This method is more commonly used in mildly dehydrated
birds or in conjunction with subcutaneous (SC)
or intravenous (IV) therapy. Oral rehydration (30 ml/kg
PO q 6-8 h) also may be used in larger birds (eg, waterfowl)
that are difficult to restrain for parenteral fluid​

therapy.

ORAL NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Below are listed some of the oral nutritional supplements
that can be gavage-fed to debilitated birds. Various
hand-feeding formulas are on the market and, as a
whole, are far superior to the homemade formulas used
decades ago that contained monkey biscuits, peanut butter
and ground seeds. Commercially available hand-feeding
formulas for baby birds are often utilized in the treatment
of sick and debilitated adult birds. The quantity
that can be fed at one time to a sick bird is greatly
reduced from that of baby birds. On the average, a baby
parrot can accommodate 10% of its body weight per
feeding due to the elasticity of the crop and its rapid
emptying. Adult birds have a greatly decreased crop
capacity, averaging 3% of their body weight. Additionally,
sick birds are less tolerant of food in the crop and care
must be taken to avoid regurgitation and/or aspiration.
A sick or debilitated bird should always have its
hydration corrected prior to attempting to initiate​

oral gavage-feeding.






Here is a list that I'm working on. Let me know what else I should have!

Medications - With the exception of Clavamox, all can be purchased without a prescription for tropical fish or pigeons. If you need help finding any of them, let me know.​

• Metronidazole 250mg, 100mg and 50mg/ml liquid (banned for use in food animals)
• Nystatin (antifungal)
• Amoxicillin 250mg
• Cephalexin 250mg
• Tylan (tylosin)
• Clavamox 250 mg
• Baytril 10% (banned for use in food animals)
• Corid (amprolium - coccistat)
• Sulmet
• Terramycin Antibiotic Ophthalmic Ointment
• Neosporin
• Safeguard wormer (fenbendazole 10%)
• Praziquantel
• Calcium
• Vitamin D

Supplies​

• Pedialyte for tubing
• Catheter for tube feeding
• Baby bird food for tubing
• Catheter tip syringe for tube feeding
• Lactated ringers for tubing or SC fluids
• Heat lamps
• Heating Pad
• Boxes and crates
• Poultry dust
• Digital kitchen scale
• Gram scale
• Needles and syringes of many sizes
• Mineral Oil
• Petroleum Jelly
• Vet Wrap
• Gauze Roll
• Gauze Pads
• Telfa Pads
• Raw, Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Latex Gloves
• Betadine
• Epsom Salts

Books

• Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook
• AAAP Avian Disease Manual
• Diseases of Poultry
• Clinical Avian Medicine
• Penn State Poultry Health Handbook

Online poultry books:

[URL]http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam.html[/URL]
Download the entire book (two volumes): Clinical Avian Medicine
(Large file - please allow several moments to download)

Another two book set:
[URL]http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/chapters.html[/URL]

Penn State Poultry Health Handbook
[URL]http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs52.pdf[/URL]

 

[Michael Apple]

Now that you know where the crop is (thanks, Casportpony) check it and tell me what you see, feel and smell. Don't waste too much time.

 

[k91]

WOW you guys are great

Thank you for all the info. I tried to find the crop but I don't know if I did or not. Is it above the breastbone? If so I followed the esophagus down and could not feel anything. I did not smell anything either. I'm going to run and try to find some dust and the other type of dewormer. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!!

 

[casportpony]

It's located at the base of the neck on the right-hand side. If it's empty, you won't be able to feel anything. While you're out, get a digital kitchen scale so you can weigh her accurately (see my avatar).