SICK CHICKEN, Please help!!!!!

[twocrickets]

update: so shadows the chicken is now my house guest. She is a good chicken. She drinks alot. is more interested in drinking than eating. She eats a little from time to time. The best thing I got her to eat has been watery chicken feed. She is on day 3 of added antibiotics. I did not lance her bump as it looks as though it got smaller...maybe I am crazy. SHe has good moments where she resembles the chicken she was and she has other moments where she looks dead. She has really severe labored breathing. The poop is still green and watery, but she hasnt been putting much in other than water. Any ideas what this disease is? I think the antibiotics has improved her a little, but she still is sick. Crop is non existant, eyes are shiny-after she ate the color came back to her face. She has a hard time getting up, I imagine she is weak and after sitting around her legs probably have fallen asleep..I think she has lost weight too. Help Help!

 

[twocrickets]

Shadows: Snot in nostrils, lethargic, labored breathing, thirsty, algae green runny poop with white streaks. Appetite for bread not much else. Any one? Disease please? Help! I love her, she is my favorite one!

 

[Beekissed]

Its been three days of suffering. There was a thread on here awhile ago on which newbies were asking about when to kill a sick or injured chicken to alleviate suffering. I'd say its time.

If you love her, you might consider her suffering instead of your own and ease her pain and distress.

 

[Tinkspirit70]

Oh I so wish I could help you here...hmmmm If it was a spider bite, I wonder if you could do a molasses flush ( I have seen somewhere on here where they do those for certain reasons) or maybe some Benadryl ( check on that though because I am not sure if you can give it to chickens or not) Seems like there should be something to do to help her. Can you tell if there is a small puncture where something may have bitten her to cause the lump? I hope she is better by the time you read this..thinking of you and praying for a full recovery for your girl )

 

[twocrickets]

I do in the back of my head consider her suffering and am almost ready to let her go, but I do see some small improvment every day. If she has pnuemonia or a cold, I could understand the labored breathing as its hard to breathe with snot all over, right? It does take some time to get over it, at least for us humans it does. I don't know about chickens, via recovery time. I would just hate to end her and the next day she would have really started to recover. Kind of like that clutch of eggs that get abandoned and that is questionable wether or not it would have hatched, and you suspect they are dead but they hatch! I just want to exhaust all my possibilities before I end my favorite, most tame pet chicken. I am begging for input! I thank you for the support that you ave given me up to this point. I will look into the things that have been suggested and if you can think of anything else, I am listening. Thank you!

 

[sheila3935]

have you given her any antibotics? Maybe that would help. You can get a variety from the feed store. At this point couldnt hurt. I sure hope she gets better I have a sick roo right now not as sick as your though so I know how you feel. Too bad you dont have a vet near by.I am lucky there we took ours Tuesday. He has a sinus infection has to stay on antibotics for 2 weeks.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

When you lanced the bump what came out that made it smaller?

What can work with the decision making is to set treatment objectives, for example, knowing not eating is fatal set a date when you decide she must resume eating by, and determine what your actions will be if she is not eating. Or set a reassment date with health checkpoints, if she is not improving overall when counting the check points then decide what you are going to do.

If she is on antibiotics, is being given good food and water and you are treating the acute problem on her head there is not too much more to do. Perhaps injectable antibiotics. Other than that a vet is going to cost a bunch and even then they may not have an answer or cure and will reccomend the chicken be put down.

Chickens are flock animals, living in a flock requires them to eat on their own and be mobile if they can't manage that I don't feel it is right to attempt to keep them. I know some people do keep imobile chickens alive but I realy don't think it is a great idea, unlike people with physical or mental imparments who can thrive in the right environment chickens can't take up other ocupations, hobbies or interests.

Chickens lives are much shorter than ours, sometimes we need to let go of the older and sick and welcome new ones.

 

[twocrickets]

I never lanced the bump, but she has been on antibiotics for 3 days and the bump has gotten smaller. This morning I will give more antibiotics and she is right now eating chick food as its smaller particles than my pellets. Although she was eating pellets with water added to them last night for a little bit. She devoured the bread I tore up for her. The poo is much more substantial today, but still really watery. I understand suffering. I really really do and will take the advice given to me and make a plan. I am still listening to suggestions though!

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Sorry I mis-read your post about lancing.

Does sound like some signs of encoragement today, eating, good pooping and reduced swelling. If the bump is going down that says it is anmost certainly not a tumor growth and more likely an infection that the antibiotics are working on.