Mwitt34

Chirping
5 Years
Sep 9, 2018
17
24
79
Hi everyone!
We have a super sick hen here and we desperately need the community’s help to help figure out what’s wrong with her. She’s 4 1/2 year buff Orpington. Absolutely the sweetest cuddliest Most loving hen ever. So we’re doing all we can to keep her with us.
Short version/ her symptoms:
Dark green poo
Lameness/paralysis
No energy
Can’t eat or drink on her own
Leg turning black
Droopy crown
Weight loss
All occurred after flystrike
No previous illness or symptoms
Okay during the day harder time at night
Toes starting to curling inward
Uses wings for balance
Anything I’m forgetting should be below.
Earlier this year up until either June or July. While she was broody we don’t know if something happened to her leg or if she just didn’t have a ton of circulation in her leg or what just cuz she is a decent sized bird has always loved her treats. She unfortunately broke a few eggs throughout that time. But afterwards seemed to have gone mostly back to normal and next to never noticed her walking weird or anything. Then 2 weeks ago on Wednesday we went out and Note that in Utah here it’s been super hot lately. We go out and check on them all the time during the day earlier in the day all was good she ran for breakfast and everything, later when we went out again and she was breathing super hard with her mouth open and was breathing hard enough we worried and brought her inside where it’s air conditioned and gave her a cool bath immediately. We checked her vent it was good she had a little bit of poo so we washed it off. And it seemed to helped and she was good after that and all seemed well after that. (Between this time she was fine and acting normal) Two days later on Friday she was staying in the same. She was staying in the shade. So we made sure to bring her water and grapes during the day. So later in the afternoon when we went back out and she still hadn’t moved from her place in the run and wasn’t eating much at all when we brought food over to her and couldn’t get her to drink much. So we pulled her out and she had poop all over bottom really badly it was obviously the runny type and it was very yellow and white. We grabbed some gloves and filled up container with water getting ready to give her a bath. We lifted her tail feathers up and found tons of maggots was super gross. So we know it was fly strike. We washed her and treated her for the flysteike got rid of all the maggots. They had eaten a decent sized hole like the tip of a pencil eraser size near her vent. We had to push some puss out of it and it even had some black stuff in it. Cleaned up completely though. She was exhausted after the stressful ordeal. So she slept for the rest of the evening and for the rest of the night. We kept her isolated for the others. We put her in a dog carrier with a comfortable well cushioned towel to keep her comfortable and so she doesn’t have to stand on a hard surface. The next day she stilbrought her outside with a gate/ portable dog run around her kennel. Because we know how hard it is on them to be confined to inside a home and we wanted her to get fresh air. I stayed right next to her with her all morning and afternoon. made sure flys didn’t touch her or even come near her. She was still super weak and wasn’t wanting to drink out of the water or eat feed own. So right away in the morning I mixed up some antibiotics and some electrolytes. And switched between giving here both of them through a a syring dropper. She wouldn’t eat much anything still. We moved her back in to the house as it was getting really hot out. She finally started eating the next day. She hasn’t improved though she’s actually gotten worse she seems to do better during the day then seems to have a rough time at night. Some days she does really well eating and drinking and some days she doesn’t eat or drink much. We have here still inside still have to hand feed and water her. She seems to have a hard time opening her eyes. I don’t know if it’s paralysis or what. Last Monday we noticed on her leg toward the top her foot is turning sorta black. And we noticed some green in her poop. So We brought her To the vet on Wednesday and he said that she was in the last stages of Reproductive cancer. He said she was far enough Along and doing badly enough that she wouldn’t make it through surgery. But he didn’t do any imaging, or test or blood work absolutely nothing. And said she would die by the end of the night. Of course she didn’t die. She has a hard time whenever we move her. And her crown gets all purple. But we mover her each day so she doesn’t get bed soars. The only way she can move or get up is by using her wings to sorta push herself. Other than that she doesn’t seem to be getting worse and isn’t showing signs of cancer. We think she shows more signs or something like botulism. But we’re not sure. Today we gave her a bath since she’s been to week to get up on her own besides by pushing herself with her wings. It of course stressed her out. It’s been worrying us because she keeps putting both of her wings completely out we’re not sure if she’s trying to stabilize herself or if she’s having a hard time breathing. I figured for the first few hours she was probably just drying her wings since she doesn’t have the strength to stand up and Fix them up. And then she started putting both of her feet completely behind her and they were sorta red. And so I keep tucking her wings back in and making sure she’s stable and I lifted her up to get her so she stabilized and by making sure she had both her feet under her comfortably but so she was steady. And I noticed her toes are starting to cruel and I put her on my lap and cuddled her to calm her down and relax her and tried to get her to uncurl her toes but it seems they are just like that now. I was able to get her back to being comfortable and having her lay properly. I’ve read that grout can cause curling of the toes. And Her poo has definitely turned more dark green and I know it’s a bad sign cuz it might mean that she’s having problems with her kidneys. But again we don’t know what she has we really don’t think she has cancer but maybe she does actually have cancer? But she seems to be doing well enough and she seems to have a normal time breathing and her crown has been perfectly pink and even when she was fine before all this it was always a little purple but she’s been as stress free as she’s ever been it seems. So if anyone know what might be wrong with her or something we can do to help her get better please let me know right away! We really want her to get better. I tried to add anything that might help. If anyone has any questions or anything please let me know.
 
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Hello Mwitt34.
Welcome to BYC. I'm sorry you've joined in such desperate circumstances.
Some clear pictures of your hens poop might help.
I don't like saying this, but bright green poop is often indicative of a cancer. as can be the purple comb.
I've had a couple of chickens with similar symptoms which the vet diagnosed as cancer and terminal. One lived for a couple more weeks but got progressively sicker and it was kinder to put an end to it all. The other died the day after seeing the vet.
It really might be better to let her go and put her out of her misery.
Maybe some one else has a more positive suggestion.
 
With the age and list of symptoms, unfortunately I don't think the diagnosis is a bright one. Pics of everything will help. (Close up of problem areas, vent, head. And poop)
The fly strike was most likely secondary, due to a weakened system from another cause. You can try the vitamins and antibiotic. If it's a systemic infection you may have some luck. Adding electrolytes may also help. I wish you the best with her.
 
Thank you for responding so quickly! Any info means a lot so thank you! Here’s a picture of her comb. Note that the big flappy part in front of her eye has been like that since she was super young before she started laying her and one of the other girls got in a fight and she had the back of her comb partially ripped and ended up growing in that way and has always been in front of her eye like that. She hasn’t been stressed out since here inside he house as she doesn’t have to worry about the other girls or anything at all. I’ll lost the other side of her crown that’s gone droopy within the last 2 weeks.
 

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I’ll post some pics in just a little bit of her underside and what not. I’m going to get her to eat some more and continue drinking while she’s feeling good enough to open her eyes.
 
And just a quick correction on my end. Her poo is more of a dark green not a bright green. Don’t know if that makes a difference or not but figured it was worth correcting.
 
The last photo is her vent obviously we need to wash her bottom again after all she isn’t able to stand still.
 

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I guess it’s more yellow than anything still. Good news I think last night she was only putting her wings and legs out the way she was because she was just try to dry all her feathers. She hasn’t done it at all today. And on an even better note she at 3 small plates of spaghetti. That’s the most she’s eaten since before all this started up. She’s also been drinking lots on her own. She’s definitely still sick but today’s been the best day she’s had in these 2 weeks by far.
 

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