Sick hen...vomiting, diarrhea - please help

[Roo Boy]

and she has been drinking, a lot, through all this, just not eating...so we know she can handle the fluids. She would sit by the waterer all the time and drink the electrolyte/vitamin fortified water we've been doing the last 4-5 days...

 

[casportpony]

do you think she could be terminally ill and thus tube feeding rendered only a temporary fix?  We don't want to prolong the inevitable. Or are there several cases where tube feeding actually brings them back all the way and helps their bodies conquer the ailment (disease even?)?

 

She could be terminally I'll, I which case tube does prolong the inevitable, but she could have a treatable infection or disease, but finding out what that is can be hard and will take time and effort.

I've saved *many* birds with tube feeding while treating for various diseases like blackhead, pox, e. Coli, coccidiosis, etc., but tubing alone has never "cured" one, 'cause there's always a reason that they aren't eating enough.

Once you get good at tubing it shouldn't take more that 5 minutes three time a day.

-Kathy

 

[Roo Boy]

what did u think of the feeding details i gave? /her behavior...

 

[casportpony]

The amount that I try to work up to is 30ml/kg 3-4 times a day, but there are exceptions... I have one very thin Leghorn (1kg) and she gets 120ml twice a day and sometimes, when some are really sick, I can't get more than 5ml into them without them vomiting.

The fact that she pooped after feeding is a good sign. How do her poops look?

-Kathy

 

[Roo Boy]

poop was runny, brownish/cream colored, with the white stuff in it too. But bear in mind this poop was probably prior to the digested slurry going in, literally happening as I fed her. So what came out was probably residual forced out due to the forced feed coming in. (We're guessing her diet's been mostly water, and the few cheese and spaghetti scraps we've gotten her to eat-and that's not much.) She seems to be trying to "go" in her little pen, laying on her side and passing a lot of gas, but sleeping a ton. Poor thing probably has been too hungry for days to really sleep. No real action any further in the poop dept. Figure, if her crop empties by evening we'll do another feed... ?

 

[Roo Boy]

Well, she passed a couple of hours ago. And now the guilt What did we do wrong? She was laying beautiful eggs 3 days ago... In tears, wondering if I failed her... Did the tube feeding put the nail in the coffin? At least she was peaceful. So sad...kids made her and other deceased pets a pet cemetery. Live and learn, just wish we knew what the heck was wrong with her...

 

[Roo Boy]

Also, can't figure out why the worming seemed to help her, why lately she'd eat watermelon like it was going out of style and spaghetti, but not her feed and not much else, why the decline that ebbed and flowed from sick- to healthy- to sick-to healthy-to sick again, why she lost her appetite in the first place, seemed like ever since we got her, we struggled, with her going from healthy to sick so quickly, Even her excrement was looking healthy just 3 days ago. I know I'm obsessing, just looking for some answers. We really don't feel we neglected her too long in any way, or she is a master of disguises. Even her most recent apparent relapse, came on extremely quickly. So confused. My husband is probably tired of me so, here I am on his post, hoping to hear the truth (or someone's best guess) of what the hell happened...

 

[ten chicks]

Well, she passed a couple of hours ago. And now the guilt What did we do wrong? She was laying beautiful eggs 3 days ago... In tears, wondering if I failed her... Did the tube feeding put the nail in the coffin? At least she was peaceful. So sad...kids made her and other deceased pets a pet cemetery. Live and learn, just wish we knew what the heck was wrong with her...

My condolences,it is very difficult when a beloved pet dies. No, i do not think the tube feeding did her in,i think she was probably past the point of no return. You did everything that you could for her,she knew she was loved. For future reference,i have found it easier to wrap chicken in a towel,place firmly between legs stretch neck out and insert tube.have syringes filled with feed mixture before inserting tube,i usually do this alone as no one is home during the day but me.

 

[Roo Boy]

Thank you and for your ideas.

 

[Haunted55]

I am so sorry to hear this. I had hoped she'd pull through in the end. I will tell you from experience, that sometimes there are no answers and no matter what we want it isn't the way it will be. You did everything you could. Casportpony was with you and giving the best advice she can give. There is no fault here, it was her time, for whatever reason.