Took my chicken to the vet today--

[oesdog]

Hope your girl survives - It is so hard especially when others don;t understand.
Our Vet here is not at all good with Chickens - to them they should be in the oven type thing and they cannot see them as valued and cared for pets.

Anyhow best of luck.

Oesdog

 

[jjthink]

Sending lots of good wishes for your beautiful feathered friend.

Extremely good nutrition can only help - you might try some baby parrot feeding formula and also some Avia Charge 2000 in her water (I've used this with my birds virtually every day for years now - can be ordered on line - I mix to light iced tea color, not too dark or becomes unpalatable, filled with all kinds of nutrients).

Healthy fun treats to raise her spirits are also a good thing. Good that she likes black oil sunflower seeds. She may also enjoy mealworms if you can get some of those. And little bits of very fresh cut up fruit like grapes and blueberries may meet with her favor. Trial and error to see what appeals, as you already know!

These things are not in and of themself a cure but bolstering strength and spirit can help in overcoming whatever the adversity is...and give her a reason to get up in the morning to fight another day.
JJ

 

[LauraG]

You guys are the best!!

Thanks for all the thoughts and tips.

I spent $50 on a new heater to put in the room with her so that she is comfy. I have a woodstove and the heat doesnt always reach that room adequately. I WAS using one of those little ceramic heaters but it was noisy and blowing all over the place so I got her another more radiant type of heater to keep her comfy....

I wish she would eat more on her own. She just stands there in the cage when shes not on my lap.

 

[Miss Lydia]

your giving her the corid though even if your not tubing her?

 

[LauraG]

Quote:
No I'm still tube feeding her, I'm going to stop the Corid, she does not have coccidia and dont want to medicate her for something unnecessarily. Its not helping anyway.

She had 3 days of dosing with Corid before I could get a stool sample..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay sorry I thought you said she had cocci. Guess I read it wrong. I did. let us know what you find out about the stool samples. Hope she is feeling better. ...

 

[Sjisty]

Hi Laura - How's she doing?

 

[jjthink]

Checking in to see how she's doing

JJ

 

[LauraG]

Hi everybody, thanks for asking & thinking of us!

She is STILL ALIVE!!!

My vet got in touch with Cornell and they recommended she go on a sulfa drug- SMZ-TMP. So she is on that 2x a day. I had to pick it up from CVS. It is an oral suspension.

I also took a fecal sample to the vet yesterday, it is going to be sent out to the lab for evaluation. It is still green and diarrhea. I would like a test for Giardia if thats part of the panel.

Yes, this is costing me a small fortune, but in the name of science and because I want to know what Im dealing with if possible, and love of my little chicken, I am going to do it. I got a bonus from work so I am lucky I have some extra money to spend how I like and in this case it will be on my chicken.

I want to know what this wasting disease is in the event it comes up in the future.

She is only 0.75 lbs. Im still feeding her. She wont eat much no matter WHAT i try. You can feel her keel bone, it is just disgusting and disturbing.
She is still weak, but Im doing the best I can. Everyone is shocked she is still alive. Shes a little fighter>>

I tried to let her visit with her friends and that was a real disaster.

IF she ever gets strong enough, Im going to have a MAJOR problem putting her back in with the flock. I was there the whole time so was able to protect her, but those hens absolutely rambo'd her. I mean like jumping with their feet, pecking and everything. She was just running back to me trying to nuzzle in my arms.

I realize she is nowhere near strong enough to defend herself AT ALL, they will KILL her. I did take the Golden Comet into the bedroom where she is staying to see if she would want to pal around and she just stood in the corner (The golden comet was fine, she didnt try anything).
Its those darn Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Red & even my BO!!

I guess I will cross that bridge when and if I come to it. If someone is willing to foster me through that process let me know!

Here she is: Her tail is up in the photos because i was there and scratching her back and cooing to her, but 90% of the time its down and droopy...

I tried to bribe her with eggs this am. She didnt take the bait:

I'll keep you posted on the fecal results.....should know something by the end of the week......

 

[spish]

until you know what your dealing with i honestly wouldnt let her have any contact with the others for fear of contaminating them too. in regards to them ramboing her, its normal, the flocks hierarchy has changed since she's been away and she will have to fight for her place back in the flock...when the time comes and she's strong enough to do so. if you keep taking her for little 'meets' its going to upset the flock...they'll keep thinking 'oh look another new hen, lets let her know where her place is ' and they will challenge her, they dont know its the same hen you keep bringing out