Sick with worry! HELP!

[FlemingFarms]

Crossing my fingers for her recovery!

We just did the epsom bath. we can see the vent now, where before it was covered. I'm not sure if she'll be able to do it, but it's the best we can do for tonight. She protested, but after a minute the warm water seemed to soothe her a bit. Then I gave her a little coconut oil, but then she was really tired of being manipulated so we put her back in her cage with some clean towels down and fresh water and food (with a little chunk of coconut oil next to it). In the morning, we will repeat with the bath if she hasn't defacated. I'll be worried at that point because she will not have eaten for over 24 hours. Very glad we got her to take some water earlier.Thank you so much for your help! Hopefully the epsom salt bath will do the trick. I'll post an update in the morning!

 

[FlemingFarms]

I’m following your experience and hoping for a good outcome. You certainly are providing the loving care needed. You could thread a stick for roosting through the wire of the dog cage. It would help keep her clean however with her toe do you think she could perch?

I'm afraid she won't perch because of her toe. She has been standing in the corner of the nesting box and I think she's just leaning her head into the corner for balance and sleeping standing up. Tomorrow I'll wrap her toe and we'll see if she can perch. She's walking ok on it, but it's definitely broken. Thanks for your kind words. This has been an experience!

 

[FlemingFarms]

She has been standing in the corner of the nesting box. I haven't seen her sit down at all today. She also didn't eat today but we got her to take a few sips of water when we washed her. Husband is heading to Walgreens the next town over to try to get everything we need. Didn't have epsom salts so he'll get that and the stuff to splint her toe. You are so helpful thank you again! I hope we can get the stuff loose she seems uncomfortable. There's no "poop" since the injury, just this leaking poo.

She will probably not eat unless she can defecate properly, so it is important to get the stuff off and get her digestion going. So try to pop some more frozen coconut oil into her beak, she should have the amount of a full teaspoon twice a day to get things moving.

I hope the storm is subsiding and your husband will be safe out there.

Crossing my fingers for her recovery!

So this morning, she was more alert and less unhappy but no poop. We got the poop off the outside and I'm afraid she has a "plug" as it were. I'm not confidant enough to investigate that further (there's nothing to "pull on" etc). We gave her another 10 minute soak with epsom salts this morning and some more coconut oil. Before all that, the encouraging news was she drank a good deal. More than a few sips, which she did not do yesterday. She still isn't eating. I've been searching online for a vet and the only one who takes chickens is several hours away. I can see she's trying to push and nothing is happening. I'm so distressed. All the manipulation of her bottom is not good for the healing of those wounds and drying her off completely is difficult. Trying to make sure we don't cause more problems for her. She's just standing in the corner of the nesting box away from me again.

 

[LaFleche]

Try carefully using a tweezer to grab as much as you can of the obstructing material to gently pull it out.

@Eggcessive @azygous might have another idea on how to get the plug out. I just tagged them, let's see what their ideas are.

 

[FlemingFarms]

Try carefully using a tweezer to grab as much as you can of the obstructing material to gently pull it out.

@Eggcessive @azygous might have another idea on how to get the plug out. I just tagged them, let's see what their ideas are.

Thank you!

 

[LaFleche]

If I remember right, @DobieLover had a hen with a clogged up cloaca also, perhaps she will join us here and help.

 

[LaFleche]

And I would stop the calcium tablets until she defecates normally again.

 

[DobieLover]

Okay. Now that I've read through the thread... this is similar to what happened to Seneca.

@FlemingFarms, don't be stingy on the coconut oil. I wouldn't hesitate to give her 2 tsps. Is she still drinking well?
You can get stimulant free stool softener at WM:

Pop one of these in her beak also.
I would continue to withhold feed until she defecates but continue to offer her as much fresh clean water as she wants.

At this point I would soak her in another warm bath for about 10 minutes then glove up (or not) and insert a lubricated finger slowly and carefully into her vent and feel for either a poop clog or an egg. If she is making the low occasional bock... bock grunt, she is straining and may be getting exhausted trying to force out what is in her.

When my hen became constipated due to her ordeal, I manually "scooped" some of the poop out of her and she was able to push out a great deal after that.

If your hen doesn't produce a bowel movement within 2 hours of the above treatment AND SHE IS DRINKING WELL you could also try giving her about 1/4 of a pedia-lax enema. Also found at WM:

I would do this as a last resort and she needs to drink a lot of water to rebalance her hydration if you have to resort to this.

 

[azygous]

Good advice from @DobieLover , but nix on the enema. Chickens share their poop plumbing with their reproductive tract and squirting fluids up the cloaca can shove bacteria up into the oviduct. Reproductive infections are very difficult to cure.

 

[Pierre duck drake]

Update: She is drinking water and resting. I was happy to see her stand up and turn around and go peck at the food and then she drank a bunch of water and now she's laying down. I'm so worried here.

She's so cute! I hope she will survive how is she doing? She's beautiful!