Sick Sally

[speckledhen]

Very frustrating and confusing. Could it be blocked way down past where the tube is going?

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

Yes, I can intubate Sally. I gave her 12 ccs of pediolyte on Sat evening - she almost died afterward, gasping and shaking her head violently. I held her for 2 hrs and she finally settled down. I received the supplies an hour ago from First State and mixed egg yolk, yogurt, a pinch of Vit-Pro B and pediolyte. I intubated her again - seems like the tube went down much easier - and gave her about 15ccs of the solution. Sally reacted much better this time, she drank water afterward and is not gasping or shaking her head. She is resting comfortably outside on the porch where I can keep a close eye on her. Peter Brown thinks there is something stuck in her throat that is small enough to not impede her breathing but is causing her to gag and gasp.

 

[speckledhen]

Barb, perhaps it will work itself down a little at a time. I sure hope so!! I really dont want you to lose her, not just when Gabriel got acquainted with his beautiful new ladies.

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

Cyn, I think the problem is the object is stuck in her windpipe (trachea) not her esopgagus. If the food particle (?) moves down further it will go into her lungs - not a good outcome.

 

[raindrop]

Can you get her x-rayed? If there is tracheal obstruction then you would know and could put her down.
I think Sally is being tube-fed, not intubated. Barbara is putting the tube down the esophagus to feed her.
Good luck, I hope she can pull through.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, you're right. I wasn't thinking when I said that. I can hope, though, that whatever is going on will work itself out and she'll recover.

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

Raindrop, I was using the term"intubate" interchangeably with tube feeding. I thought they were the same?? My vet has no clue about treating chickens and I think she would have to be anesthesized to be x rayed. According to Peter Brown a chicken's trachea is very thin, I wonder if an xray would show a small obstruction.We just spent a small fortune on the Dobes. One went to the cardiologist this month and was dxed with dilated cardiomyopathy - unfortunately very commoin in Dobes. Vet cardiologists charge an arm and a leg but know how to treat DCM. The meds are $$ and need to be taken for the rest of my girl's life. My young Dobe had a ricketsial disease and was mis-dxed at first so we spent several hundred $$$ on her this month. Ouch! Between the ivermectin, panacur and stuff I ordered from First State Vet Supply Sally's bill is running up too. I suppose I could take her to the vet emergency clinic in Atlanta but its $90 to walk in the door to see a specialist and about 1 1/2 hrs away.

 

[speckledhen]

There's intubating in order to breathe then tube feeding and Barbara is tube feeding Sally. The obstruction is probably in her trachea/windpipe, not her espohagus. Is that right, Barbara? I understand completely what you're doing. I cannot take my chickens to a vet. There is just no $$ for that.

 

[Iluvmychickens]

I have read your post and I pray you have a healthy Hen in the end. I have a Roo that I spent $1253.00 on this past month who could not poop. He was in the Bird Hospital for 4 days, tube fed and on an IV. He had an obstruction in the area right below the crop. He also had a yeast infection, and worms. This was diagnosed by x-ray. She gave him a digestive enzyme that aided in the passing of small stones he had eaten as well as some of the worms had died and were unable to be passed. I know this is different from your Hen. Just have faith, remain positive and pray for a quick recovery.

When he came home we had to tube feed him, give him 2 different injections , and loads of other oral meds. The hardest thing to do was the tude feeds, if down the wrong pipe we could have killed him by getting fluids in the lungs. We were told by friends and family we should of put him down, but the vet was confident in his treatment.

I am pleased to say he is very very healthy now and completely recovered.

 

[raindrop]

Yes, Speckled Hen is correct about intubating vs. tube feeding.
The only other thing I could think of would be to try a course of antibiotics (tylan?) to rule out bacterial infection. If no improvement in 3 days or so, would consider euthanasia.
I understand about the $$ too. Sorry about your doggie with DCM too.