Silkie Pullet is bone thin, diarrhea, weak!

[Kiki]

Nutri Drench is good!
have you thought about making her a sling?

 

[fruitbrute]

Nutri Drench is good!
have you thought about making her a sling?

I cut up a towel and made a U shape to support her which she really seemed happy about, and it seems to be giving her some nice support and comfort.

I left the back of the towel "ring" open so she could poop on the paper towels and not have to have it right on her tail.

I've been checking on her every hour to help her and make sure she eats and drinks when I do (she does, she chirps and beeps and purrs and drinks and eats). I set my alarm so I'll wake up every hour to check on her the rest of the night till Ed Earl my roo wakes us all up around 5am.

She's still in the same room as my pigeon, and he's talking to her all night, and I'm sleeping on the sofa in the next room, so she isn't alone.

Thanks for all the help! I just adore all my birds, so much!

 

[Kiki]

How is she doing this morning?

 

[fruitbrute]

Well, she is still alive - eating and drinking on her own. I check on her every hour and sit with her and hold the little dishes up to her to encourage her, and she drinks and eats a little for me. (And on her own too)

I am continuing the Furaltadone and Ronidazole and have added VetRx (still trying to find NutriDrench locally, and if not I will order from Amazon today so I can have it tomorrow). They had Poultry Cell by Rooster Booster but wasn't sure if that was as good. Her poops are mostly normal now, which is a good sign, but she still can't walk or stand.
Wing, head and neck function seem normal. I messed with her legs and feet, they feel warm (so blood flow is good), and nothing looks out of place - and she can grip with her toes so... they work.
I am just so baffled.
Eyes and mouth and nose are all clear, no discharge or anything.
Breathing is normal.

If she finishes the course of meds successfully I'll do a few days of probios and then deworm with Ivermectin. See where that gets us.

All the other birds (chickens, guineas, pigeon) that she's been in contact with are all still fine.

Haven't done a fecal yet because it's so expensive, and she seems better (except for the walking bit, and if it IS Marek's there's nothing I can do but supportive care anyway). I was sort of waiting to see how she does, otherwise I'm getting a fecal done Monday.

 

[Kiki]

I think you need to get vitamins into her like yesterday fast.
You may like to read this:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poult...ment-poultry/vitamin-deficiencies-in-poultry#
and
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/paralysis-possible-mareks-disease-treatment-cure.1188995/

 

[fruitbrute]

I have Kaytee Exact and Harrison's High Potency Fine pellets, I can make little balls and offer that to her as well. She's eating well, a combo of organic grower crumbles, Harrison's organic chicken feed, Farmer's Helper Chick's UltraKibble, and the Harrison's organic HP Fine Pellet.

I ordered the NutriDrench, and will go get the Poultry Cell by Rooster Booster in a few minutes to use until the NutriDrench Arrives. (seems it's similar stuff?)

 

[sbhkma]

You can also use Poly-vi-sol without iron. It has B vitamins as well. 3 or 4 drops each day.

 

[Kiki]

give me a few minutes to find a recent thread...from the top of my head it has something to do with the human using organic feed and her ill chicken was diagnosed by a vet..with testing...to have vitamin deficeinces from that feed.

 

[fruitbrute]

give me a few minutes to find a recent thread...from the top of my head it has something to do with the human using organic feed and her ill chicken was diagnosed by a vet..with testing...to have vitamin deficeinces from that feed.

That doesn't make sense for two reasons.

1.Wouldn't all my birds be suffering? I've been using organic feed for about 25 years and never had a problem.

2. (This rant is directed at the dopey vet who suggested such a thing): I work for a vet hospital, have a background in nutrition (specializing in canine and avian nutrition) and animal behavior - most veterinarians (unfortunately) undergo very little training or education with regards to nutrition. There's no reason whatsoever that an absence of pesticides, preservatives, GMO, or artificial ingredients in an otherwise nutritionally complete feed would inhibit an animal's ability to absorb nutrients. If a vet advised that a nutrient deficiency was a result of a commercially prepared feed "because" it was organic, I would enthusiastically have to disagree and say that's impossible. I'm angry for that person, that they would have received such ludicrous information from a veterinarian. That's awful.

If that person's chicken was confirmed deficient in some nutrients after eating a quality commercial feed, organic or otherwise, and everything else was in order (no parasites, bacteria, fungal or viral infections, etc), and the other aspects of care were good (ample room, sunlight, fresh water, clean, stress-free environment, etc), then I would say something else was going on, some kind of congenital defect or disease, or maybe the bird wasn't eating the feed (or enough of it) for whatever reason. Who knows. But no, a feed being organic absolutely wouldn't cause a deficiency.

(sorry - blargh! I get really steamed when I hear of undereducated veterinarians giving horrible and incorrect nutrition information!)

 

[Kiki]

That's makes no sense for two reasons.

1.Wouldn't all my birds be suffering? I've been using organic feed for about 25 years and never had a problem.

2. I work for a vet hospital, have a background in nutrition (specializing in canine and avian nutrition) and animal behavior - most veterinarians (unfortunately) undergo very little training or education with regards to nutrition. There's no reason whatsoever that an absence of pesticides, preservatives, GMO, or artificial ingredients in an otherwise nutritionally complete feed would inhibit an animal's ability to absorb nutrients. If a vet advised that a nutrient deficiency was a result of a commercially prepared feed "because" it was organic, I would enthusiastically have to disagree and say that's impossible. I'm angry for that person, that they would have received such ludicrous information from a veterinarian. That's awful.

If that person's chicken was confirmed deficient in some nutrients after eating a quality commercial feed, organic or otherwise, and everything else was in order (no parasites, bacteria, fungal or viral infections, etc), and the other aspects of care were good (ample room, sunlight, fresh water, clean, stress-free environment, etc), then I would say something else was going on, some kind of congenital defect or disease, or maybe the bird wasn't eating the feed (or enough of it) for whatever reason. Who knows. But no, a feed being organic absolutely wouldn't cause a deficiency.

(sorry - I get really steamed when I hear of undereducated veterinarians giving horrible and incorrect nutrition information!)

Hey hey....
I was just repeating what I read.
Let me find the thread..I've been quite side tracked today.