TALKED TO VET PAGE 2: Need help re: Olivia!

[pawsplus]

If he can't figure it out what can I do?? He says her legs are very weak . . . what would cause that??

Can I force-feed her at home to get food/water down her -- maybe she can get better on her own if he can't figure it out?

 

[pawsplus]

TALKED TO VET AGAIN: He thinks it's egg yolk peritonitis. He xrayed her and there are no eggs in there but he said that sometimes the yolk forms and the oviduct doesn't come into place properly so the yolk doesn't drop down to get its shell. You get inflammation and the risk of infection.

So he's giving her a B-vitamin shot, and cortisone (as anti-inflammatory and to spike her appetite). He's sending her home w/ amoxicillin.

Oh, and her fecal was negative, both on flotation and direct smear.

Does that all sound o.k.? He said to just give supportive care while her system heals itself. I think he did a thorough workup -- and he's VERY experienced w/ birds (mostly exotic birds but their systems aren't that different).

PLEASE RESPOND if you can!

 

[pawsplus]

Oh, and he said she is eating. Crop full but not impacted and he could hear her pecking away at her food. I'll make her a special warm oatmeal/layer pellets/yogurt supper.

 

[Catalina]

Sorry I don't have any ideas, but I hope your hen pulls through

Is her comb pale colored?

 

[Wynette]

OH, gosh, I didn't think there was a cure for egg yolk peritonitis. I hope I'm wrong!

I would NOT use layer pellets in your mash; she needs to not be putting energy into laying now, as that could cause more issues for her. I'd give her a general feed such as Purina's Flock Raiser or a game bird feed until she's better.

BEST of luck; please keep us posted!

 

[MoodyChicken]

Sounds like she'll be okay in time. Offer her plenty of fresh greens, especially Chickweed. I swear that stuff have magic powers.

And if she won't eat, there are a few herbs that stimulate an appetite (ginger is one I think, so is Hypericum).

With yolk peritonitis, will she reabsorb the yolk or will she eventually pass it?

 

[LynneP]

I'm very glad you're getting professional help for Olivia. About the coop- there doesn't seem to be enough room for your birds to soar down from a roost. Without changing what you have, it should be possible to install a low roost, perhaps kitty-corner no more than 18 inches up. That way, if she also has weakness due to leg injury, you have a solution! Has vet seen your setup?

 

[jjthink]

If she laid a normal egg I am not convinced she is internally laying.

Hen Ellie suddenly became very lethargic/droopy last September - no other symptoms. Negative for parasites. Blood work revealed results consistent with infection and/or inflammation. Never found out what ailed her but treating the symptoms worked - the vet put her on anti-inflammatory and antibiotic. She's been fine since.

If you are able, try adding lower roosts - my birds really like the low to the ground shelves - they are only a couple feet off the ground tops. At minimum they will come in handy if a bird isn't feeling up to getting up and down from a higher perch.

I hope Olivia will be fine

. Keep us posted

JJ

 

[mjelse]

My hens have often fallen ill and gotten like this. When I have taken them to the vet, the birds have never been eggbound. What seems to help, some of the time, is to catch them before they get really debilitated and make sure they stay warm and eat. When they get really sick sometimes they do not even seem to recognize food. I always try absolutely everything, trying to find one food that interests them, or force feed them.

 

[silkiechicken]

Best of luck. Glad the vet is willing to help! That's the best thing you could be doing for her.

As for egg yolks piling up... the only "cure" I would be aware of is a hysterectomy.

Often production breeds, meaning any thing you get from a hatchery, will be bred for production within the first two years and then culled, so the long term effects on the body are not accounted for. Thus reporductive issues come into play often when the health of a bird declines.

I had a bird who became an internal layer and perhaps had other issues. I culled her because she was part of the production flock and thus wasn't a pet.

WARNING GRAPHIC PICTURE

This is a picture of what I found inside her body after she was dissected. The four yellow masses around her legs is not normal. By the looks of the masses, I should have culled MUCH earlier. She did however appear to have a will to live by running up for treats and did lay an occasional wrinkly egg up to about a month before I let her go.

I hope your hen is curable though and she can make a full recovery. The negative fecal is a good sign.

Best of luck.