Sick pullet, possibly Coccidiosis--Need advice fast!

[casportpony]

Do you really think a stuck egg would have caused her to become so lethargic/not interested in feed? She's been deteriorating for at least a week; I would think that a stuck egg would have killed her by now.

They can have a stuck egg for many weeks before they die. I did a necropsy on one and the stuck egg went bad, of course, and if grew into a huge 1 pound mass of pus.







-Kathy

 

[Eggcessive]

I would keep giving the Corid for now. Just remember to give the probiotics/yogurt and vitamins when it is finished. I hope she starts getting better.

 

[BantamLover21]

I would keep giving the Corid for now. Just remember to give the probiotics/yogurt and vitamins when it is finished. I hope she starts getting better.

Okay, I will. Today is day three, though, and I don't see much improvement. She's so light and tired... I wish I could start the vitamins now, but as long as she is on Corid, I can't. Do you think it is all right to feed chickens raw egg yolk? I want her to get nutrients, but since she isn't eating much on her own, they need to be in a liquid, eye-dropper feedable form.

 

[Tamara119]

I don't think this is coccidiosis, you would have seen results by now. I would suggest taking her off Corid and giving her some scrambled eggs with vitamins. She was laying right? If she was and now she isn't then she may indeed have a stuck egg. Bring her inside and put her in a warm bath, up to her sides and then gently massage her undersides. Repeat 2 or 3 times. You may have to do what was suggested earlier and check for a stuck egg.

 

[Tamara119]

Oh, I see she's not eating much solid food. Of course, try the raw egg yolk with the vitamins.

 

[Eggcessive]

I feed raw egg all of the time. I used to use on scrambled, but the raw is so easily combined with yogurt or crumbles. If you think she doesn't have coccidiosis, go ahead and stop the Corid. It would be a shame to keep treating if it wasn't that. This is why it is frustrating because they can't tell you what is wrong. Is she having diarrhea?

 

[BantamLover21]

She stopped laying about two weeks ago, when the daylight hours began to decrease. I've felt her abdomen, and it is not hard, and I don't feel any lumps. She isn't walking like a penguin, either. I don't think she will be laying again for a while, as her comb and wattles have shrunk.

In response to Eggcessive's question, she is having diarrhea. It is green and liquidy, which I assume is because she isn't eating a lot. I've gotten her to eat a few bites of food today, and drink some water mixed with honey. She isn't that interested in eating (she's less interested in eating in the morning than later in the day).

I think that I'll give her some egg, and see if she eats that. I've also been giving her moistened feed.

I may stop the Corid, since it isn't helping. If it isn't Coccidiosis, does anybody have an idea of what it could be? What should I do next?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Eggcessive]

Don't forget to give vitamins when you stop the Corid. Did you worm again? Will you attempt to tube feed? Since the Corid hasn't helped maybe try an antibiotic?

 

[BantamLover21]

Don't forget to give vitamins when you stop the Corid. Did you worm again? Will you attempt to tube feed? Since the Corid hasn't helped maybe try an antibiotic?

I won't forget--I've been dying to get her started on them to help build her strength. Yes, I probably will worm again. For now, I am not going to try tube feeding. I will probably try an antibiotic next, though if I do that, do you think I"ll be able to use vitamins? The antibiotic I'm thinking of using would probably be Oxytetracycline (in the form of Tetroxy HCA-280).

 

[casportpony]

I won't forget--I've been dying to get her started on them to help build her strength. Yes, I probably will worm again. For now, I am not going to try tube feeding. I will probably try an antibiotic next, though if I do that, do you think I"ll be able to use vitamins? The antibiotic I'm thinking of using would probably be Oxytetracycline (in the form of Tetroxy HCA-280).

I don't want to sound harsh or rude, really, but these things almost always start and end the same way... People post on Monday with similar symptoms, they don't weigh their birds, so they don't realize that they are losing weight each day until it's too late, which is almost always on a Friday night. By then they then can't get proper antibiotics or items to tube feed with and by Sunday the bird is usually dead. I really would love to be wrong here, and I'll be *very* happy for you if you bird pulls through.

You say you're going to use Tetroxy HCA-280, but how will you get your bird to drink enough water? This is where having a good broad-spectrum antibiotic in pill or injectable form is helpful, IMO.


-Kathy