Sick Chicken, maybe posion?

[GarnerZoo]

She has a super pale comb and big pupils. She is lethargic/wont get up, her breathing is big/labored breaths. She was fine and great yesterday and today she wont eat or move. My local feed store thinkgs maybe she got into posion, so they gave me some charchol biscuits to crush and put in electrolyte water, told me to bring her inside keep her warm and serve the water/charcol warm. Anything else this could be or other things to do to help her.

 

[Eggcessive]

Is there any paralysis in her legs, wings, or her neck? Botulism can cause that from eating a toxin in dead animal or vegetative remains. Lead shot or old paint chips may cause poisoning, as well as mold in the feed. I'm sorry about your hen, but sometimes it is hard to tell poisoning from something like Mareks disease, or just weakness from dehydration or another illness. How old is she? I would recommend giving her some electrolytes in her water(SaveAChick, pedialyte, or Gatorade) and offering her some raw or chopped egg, and moist chicken feed. Liquids are more important at first. Please let us know her condition later on.

 

[GarnerZoo]

Thank you for the fast reply, it sounds like Botulism...our neighborhood has had a problem with mice and while we haven't put poison out they might have for their mice.. I will do everything you've recommend. Thanks for the help

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree with everything Eggcessive has said.

I would only add that if you really think it was mouse/rat poison, you generally need an antidote like vitamin K to prevent the internal bleeding. With the second generation poisons, there is no antidote. The best you can do is hope the animal didn't get much for its size and hydrate and flush.

LofMc

 

[GarnerZoo]

Thanks all for the replies and help, she died shortly after I responded last night. I wasn't there when she died but I was told she just laid her head down, closed her eyes, and stopped breathing..thanks again though..

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry for your loss. Your state vet could perform a necropsy to look for what killed her if you can refrigerate her body.

 

[GarnerZoo]

So sorry for your loss. Your state vet could perform a necropsy to look for what killed her if you can refrigerate her body.

We have no way of refrigerating her body..we decided to just bury her instead. We have a closed off side yard so none of the other animals can get to her body..that's the resting place for many old pets. If another one does fall ill and dies we will definitely send her for a necropsy but didn't with this one as it's over three hours away and we had no way to refrigerate her.