She was fine, then one day wouldn't stand

[citychickengirls]

HI -- an update. I called our bird vet Thursday, but he's not back into the office until Monday. We've been hanging in with her, but she is declining. Still no progress with using her legs at all. She has very runny poop now and is lethargic with mouth breathing all the time. This is no quality of life for her and mine is suffering now too. It's been 2 weeks (tomorrow) since the initial incident/injury. We are going to try to get an appt. tomorrow with the Vet. Most likely we are putting her down. :-(

 

[CarlaRiggs]

How did things go today with your hen?

Carla

 

[citychickengirls]

Hi Carla -- she is in the same state. We held off on the vet to give her a couple of days in the sun and fresh air. Still syringe feeding her. She still won't use her legs at all. I'm reading these things about Marek's that could explain her lack of leg use, but do you (or does anyone else) know why she wouldn't just be up for feeding herself if the food and water are put right in front of her beak? *sigh* As long as I am home from work this week I can still manage all the care. We're taking it day by day. I'm still hoping she'll spring back up. Thanks for asking.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

All I can really think is that the hen has not much appetite. It may be Nature's way of shutting her body down as she gets ready to die. I don't know that much about Marek's except what I've read. I do think though, that whatever the cause, it may be something that has affected her neurologically and she probably would never be able to walk again.
I'm sorry you're spending your vacation this way... and yet if you didn't do everything you could to help your girl, then you'd wish you had done more.

sigh.

Carla

 

[sammi]

could something have got into the garage and scared her making her jump and hurt herself?

could she be exposed to any fumes from cars, tractors, lawn mowers, etc?

any possibility of spiders?

was she ever panting?

I'd try and keep her warm..get her into some sun..
give vitamins..Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins, no iron..2-3 drops once a day on beak for a week tapering off for another week.

maybe make up a little moistened warm mash using feed or water cooked oatmeal, plain yogurt, cooked egg yolk, a little honey and unsweetened applesauce.
try a dab on the beak..or in the front of the mouth..

do you have other chickens?

good luck.
hope she gets better.

 

[CarriBrown]

Quote:
I was going to mention that since I've lost birds to Marek's (and now have to have a closed flock

). In my experience, there always seems to be a secondary factor with the Marek's. For instance, I had a hen that seemed sick with an infection and ended up passing, but that was only secondary. Marek's is what killed her... the infection got her while she was down. Depending on the state you live in, you may be able to get a free necropsy to find out what happened.
I'm sorry about your girl.

 

[Beau coop]

Just found this thread- how's she doing?

for you.

 

[citychickengirls]

Hi - thanks for all of the interest and help. Emma is still the same. Not a single sign of any improvement in 2 1/2 weeks now and we have tried everything. She won't stand and she won't take food or water on her own. We are thinking that whatever it is has been permanently debilitating for her.

There was nothing in the garage to bother her -- just crickets. Maybe a spider crawled into her cage -- who knows? No evidence either way. It's been baffling.

She has had lots of nice outings in the yard (caged) this week -- warm temps, sunshine, etc. I am giving her vitamin supplements and a good and varied diet. I'm stumped.

 

[citychickengirls]

Hi -

Emma made her transition this afternoon while we were away from home. I had fed her in the morning and put her in the yard (caged) in the sun. It was a beautiful day today.

Tomorrow would have been 3 weeks since the onset of her inability to use her legs and eat on her own. We were going to take her tomorrow to the vet for a consultation, and possibly to euthanize her.

Even though it was really hard to lose her we do feel that she was not going to recover and this is for the best.

RIP little bird (8/07-1/09).

 

[ruth]

I'm so sorry you lost her. She was sick for a long time and you took great care of her.