Sdwd

[Serrin]

Thank you so much ladies! I truly appreciate the good thoughts and healing prayers for Cleo. She is indeed a little trooper, that one! She's actually talking to me this morning, albeit in a very subdued mode compared to her usual chatter.

Cyn, I meant to PM you last night, but got sidelined by my search for an emergency vet in our area that might be able to treat her.

I finally met with success [I think?] around 10pm. There is an emergency clinic and vet practice about 45 minutes away, and get this: Their newest vet also keeps pet chickens, according to his biography on the website.

I'm really hoping that translates into a vet willing to treat a little chicken!

So many of them in this area tend to turn their noses up at the mere suggestion that they treat such a plebeian farm yard animal.

Anyhow, Cyn, if you get the chance, could you please PM me with all that you know about how to give such a little girl penicillin via injection. I do have 22G needles and a syringe as small as 3ml, marked off in tenth mil increments. What I really need to know is just how deep do I dare penetrate into the breast to give her any shots I may need to give. Hopefully, the vet will tell me that it won't be necessary, but it's always good information to have regardless.

And do y'all have any idea of how hard it is to make a post with a little chicken who insists on trying to help you type?!?!?

Such a precious soul!

So now I'm just waiting for 10AM for the clinic to open up. I sure hope this Dr. Ross is in today!

Oh, and one more thing.....Cyn? Could you please let Nifty know to add me to the growing list of those not receiving their subscription update emails?!? Thanks. I even hit the subscribe button again, just in case.....no good....still not getting my notifications.

 

[speckledhen]

Amy, I'm going to post it here. How old is Cleo? I'm sorry, I don't remember how big/old. For a standard adult chicken, I give 1/2 cc/ml in the breast muscle once a day for 3 days, alternating sides so she doesn't become sore. If she's very young, 1/4 cc would probably suffice to stave off infection. You just put the needle in enough to be sure the solution is going into the muscle, maybe 1/8". It may not even be necessary. Muscle/skin wounds tend to heal up very well on chickens, but with a hawk's talons and what he puts them in, you never know what was pushed into the wounds.

 

[Cetawin]

Cyn, Cleo is a small petite girl. Age 10 - 12 weeks. She is built like an ameraucana....lean and trim. I told Amy she could also use her thigh I thought to avoid soreness.

 

[speckledhen]

You can, but the state vet told me that sometimes, folks hit a nerve in the leg and cause more issues by giving injections in the thigh.

 

[Cetawin]

I told her that as well. Whew glad I remembered that right.

 

[catdaddyfro]

You can, but the state vet told me that sometimes, folks hit a nerve in the leg and cause more issues by giving injections in the thigh.

Yes I've done that before thankfully the hen got over it but I thought I had maimed the poor girl on top of her other problems.

For that small of a girl I'd use around a 20 gau. needle and give her 1/4 to 3/8 cc directly in the breast you'll feel when you are plenty deep (make sure past the skin) as the fluid will flow more freely than not deep enough to uncover the diagonal point of the needle. Kinda go in at an angle instead of straight to keep from going plumb through the breast and into the plural cavitiy. I'd wait a bit on the antibotic inj. till the doc looks at her she may just need external treatment with salve the yellow salve(nitrofurazone) I had mentioned is good for such treatments it does wonders its almost a heal-all in a can.

 

[Serrin]

Well, so much for doing my own thinking on the vet. I called them as soon as they opened today. I was rather snidely informed that even though Dr. Ross has pet chickens, he does not treat chickens!! Oh, well just pardon me for living!

God forbid I should ask the man to put his Washington State University education to actual use!! Sometimes I just wanna smack office staff around, as well as the vets, and remind them that CHICKENS ARE PEOPLE TOO!!!!!

But, I kept a civil tongue in my head, and she promised to give Dr. R. my name and number first thing tomorrow morning, in the hopes of him being able to give any kind of advice. Though I think I've already received excellent guidance here! Thank you my friends...... my chicken family!

That gal also gave me the name and phone number of three clinics in the area that do treat chickens. Two I already know by reputation and wouldn't take a perfectly healthy bird to them for fear that they'd find a way to kill it! The third is one I've never heard of, but will most certainly try to find out everything I can prior to contacting them. Just because they treat chickens, doesn't mean that they're competent to do so.

Ya know what? I'm getting pretty good at typing with a little chicken on my hand!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Amy, I hope you will have some luck finding help for her

 

[speckledhen]

I use a 22 gauge needle, which is smaller than a 20 gauge and less painful for the bird, however, sometimes penicillin is hard to push through there, being thick. Make sure the pen is not cold and push it in slowly.

 

[Cetawin]

Well dammmmned his chicken owning vet certified backside. Come on, it is a pet in need of help. So help me heaven if these incompetent dispassionate vet wannabe ignorant tots make me go to vet school I will hunt them each down and suture their hands together like permanent clapping seals!