Scorpion sting? Strange symptoms!

[Henhouse Harlot]

How could I possibly forget @azygous !

 

[azygous]

This sounds like a Buckmoth caterpillar sting. You have them in your area. I have them here where I am, as well, and I've had my chickens suffer from their stings. I lost three six-week old chicks when they pecked at them. These caterpillars have nasty spines that have venom, and if your hen pecked at one, she could have gotten the venom in her throat.

You and your vet are doing everything possible to treat this hen for such a thing. The hen may be able to handle one more dose of Benedryl, but more than that would be toxic.

To post a video, post it to You Tube first, then copy the URL and paste that in a comment window and the video will embed when you post it.

 

[Henhouse Harlot]

This sounds like a Buckmoth caterpillar sting. You have them in your area. I have them here where I am, as well, and I've had my chickens suffer from their stings. I lost three six-week old chicks when they pecked at them. These caterpillars have nasty spines that have venom, and if your hen pecked at one, she could have gotten the venom in her throat.

You and your vet are doing everything possible to treat this hen for such a thing. The hen may be able to handle one more dose of Benedryl, but more than that would be toxic.

To post a video, post it to You Tube first, then copy the URL and paste that in a comment window and the video will embed when you post it.

Okay, brace yourselves…I’ve never posted a video on youtube or anywhere else before, but I will figure it out. No matter what happens, I will be sure to post the conclusion here. This morning Wabi seems to be a tiny bit better, at least she is eating more than usual. I started her on Metronidazole yesterday, after reading about a case where the canker didn’t smell bad. Those caterpillars are a strong possibility as well, but I haven’t seen them. Of course, that doesn’t mean they aren’t around!

 

[Henhouse Harlot]

Update:
Since starting Wabisabi on the Metronidazole she has been rapidly convalescing; last night she ate something other than blueberries (wet chicken food), and drank water on her own!! Her vet told me to stop the other antibiotic, but to continue with the pain medication. Today she is going to get a throat swab to confirm canker, and also to check for a yeast infection, so I will post those results as well. As of now, this bird appears to have a nasty case of CANKER THAT DOESN’T SMELL! That is important. Not all cases of canker stink!

I’m determined to keep updating on here, and I am sorry that I haven’t done that in the past!

 

[azygous]

All of us learn from every thread that is posted here. So updates are important to us all.

This website is a wealth of learning experience that benefits us all, and people in the future will be learning from your thread after we are gone.

 

[Henhouse Harlot]

I’m at the vet now, and it’s just stranger and stranger. She didn’t find any canker, but there was yeast.

 

[Henhouse Harlot]

The jury is not just out, they have up and left the country! This just gets stranger and more confusing, sigh. So the evening of the 14th was when she first started showing symptoms, drooling/excess saliva, and lethargy. Today, she was acting almost normal, making happy chuckles over mealworms and sunbathing, except she still has a bunch of necrosis inside her mouth. Her tongue is covered with a layer of black, dead flesh, but underneath it the tissue is healthy. There is no bad smell from her beak, and there never has been! No yellow cheesy lesions either. Her breathing sounds more congested today, but she appears healthy in every other way!
She was going downhill fast on the 24th, so I went ahead and treated her with Metronidazole. She was feeling much better 12 hours later when I woke up at 5am to give her the second dose.