Someone please HELP!!!!!!!

[JensChickies]

Strange, isn't it? Did you go to the vet yet?

-Kathy

Ok ssooooooo. The vet said that in chickens it's very common for them to have heavy metal posioning. So she checked for anything metal and she was negative for that. Just to be safe they ran a CBC to check for infection so I will find out tomorrow if there is an infection. She was thinking maybe an infection cuz when we were there she pooped a little yellowish poop, so she's going to check. The slide under the microscope was negative for any parasites.

 

[JensChickies]

I just need to watch her. She gave her a shot of b12, that is going to help with her appetite improve. They did give her SQ fluid, they gave it to her on the side of her leg up at the top.

 

[JensChickies]

Strange, isn't it? Did you go to the vet yet?

-Kathy

Sooooo the vet just called. Her WBC is a little high so she is going to start her on antibiotics. BUT it's the lymphocytes that are high in her white blood cell count, so what causes that is the possibility of Mereks. Bummmmer. Mereks can cause paralysis of the GI tract causing a impacted crop. So we will try the antibiotics and re check CBC in two weeks. Not good news. If it's Mereks, my whole flock probably has it. I reeeallllly just hope that she had an impacted crop due to dehydration and that she had an underlying infection. The vet said the underlying infection could have been caused by coccidiosis, but I was already treating for that so now it might be just an underlying infection now.

 

[Outpost JWB]

Oh no! I hope its not Merek's. That was my 1st thought when I read your original post. But I am not experienced with it, so I did not want to suggest it. I just know from reading that they have varying degrees of the disease and some do not even display symptoms. But once one of your chickens gets it, the others can be carriers and you either have to destroy your flock and start over or have a closed flock. Good luck and I hope it is the lesser of evils. The pics showed an amazing change! I really hope she gets better.

 

[JensChickies]

Oh no!  I hope its not Merek's. That was my 1st thought when I read your original post.  But I am not experienced with it, so I did not want to suggest it. I just know from reading that they have varying degrees of the disease and some do not even display symptoms. But once one of your chickens gets it, the others can be carriers and you either have to destroy your flock and start over or have a closed flock.  Good luck and I hope it is the lesser of evils.   The pics showed an amazing change!   I really hope she gets better.

I know, I really hope it's the lesser of all the evils. Yes the vet said some don't ever have problems, but the majority of them do. Her blood work also revealed slight anemia also. Either way, I have given her a great life. My flock is closed until further notice. She has always been slightly skinny and our special bird, so she's probably had it for awhile. She is doing a lot better, so I am at a loss. It would be weird to think that if she had paralysis of her GI it wouldn't regain function. I need to ask the vet that. Thank you for caring.

 

[casportpony]

How is she doing otherwise? Is she starting to gain weight?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I agree with you, it's not likely that she'd regain function do quickly. Possible, I guess, but it's not something I have experienced with my Marek's birds.

-Kathy

 

[seminolewind]

I have often wondered about the metal poisoning. With those galvanized waterers. I had 5, and when they rusted, I quit using them and everyone has a 2 gallon bucket of water that can be seen and refilled and cleaned easily and often. The buckets are about 5 bucks a piece at the feed store.

I wonder if the vet thinks the majority of metal poisoning is from those waterers?

Outpost, you're right, Marek's has no set rules. I have had a few that had paralysis and gasping, and a few that seemed to have their digestive system nerves invaded. The worst is the ones that waste away, wasting is hard to find a reason for or see what's doing it.

Even with a necropsy, there's no simple test. A lab needs to see tumors, and send tissue and blood for PCR testing. I think a positive has to be positive in those 3 criteria. And I think a few of us have discovered that false negatives are common and we're still looking for reasons why.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
You have a good vet and you have a good knowledge base. Good thing.
My latest skinny bird I've just named "Mangia". I will have to spell it right, LOL

 

[JensChickies]

I have often wondered about the metal poisoning.  With those galvanized waterers.  I had 5, and when they rusted, I quit using them and everyone has a 2 gallon bucket of water that can be seen and refilled and cleaned easily and often.  The buckets are about 5 bucks a piece at the feed store. 

I wonder if the vet thinks the majority of metal poisoning is from those waterers?

Outpost, you're right, Marek's has no set rules.  I have had a few that had paralysis and gasping, and a few that seemed to have their digestive system nerves invaded.  The worst is the ones that waste away, wasting is hard to find a reason for or see what's doing it. 

Even with a necropsy, there's no simple test.  A lab needs to see tumors, and send tissue and blood for PCR testing.  I think a positive has to be positive in those 3 criteria.  And I think a few of us have discovered that false negatives are common and we're still looking for reasons why.

The vet said that the metal provisioning normally come from chickens eating a rusty screw/washer/ wire cloth. The treatment is just mediation, but they is a chance that you can never eat their eggs again. Mereks can really only be tested with necropsy.