Tough Week (now Ruby)

[micstrachan]

Ruby is sneezing a little when she eats this morning and is slow, but does not appear to be in distress (she’s eating, drinking, preening). I listened at the hardware cloth door she was right beside last night and there are zero respiratory noises.

I’m wondering if I should put her back on Enro, but would only be able to dose her once daily Friday and Saturday and I don’t want to do more harm than good. Thoughts? She responded last time with aggressive help, but I knew she’d relapse eventually. I’m really torn on how to move forward. @casportpony @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive

@Hen Pen Jem we did colloidal silver a couple days, but I can’t sift through the research well enough to tell if it is contraindicated when dosed with baytril. A little silver or aloe may have dribbled into her airway (though she didn’t react, so maybe not) a couple days ago and I am hesitant about syringing meds. She does better if I mix it with feed and syringe that.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm so sorry your having a rough time

I know your stressed and hope that you can get a break soon.

Personally, I would not start the Baytril unless I was able to give proper dosing (2times a day for 3-5days), but that's me - you may feel like you need to go ahead, but with antibiotics they do need to be administered properly to give the full effect.

 

[micstrachan]

I'm so sorry your having a rough time

I know your stressed and hope that you can get a break soon.

Personally, I would not start the Baytril unless I was able to give proper dosing (2times a day for 3-5days), but that's me - you may feel like you need to go ahead, but with antibiotics they do need to be administered properly to give the full effect.

Yeah, that’s how I’m leaning. Don’t get me wrong; I’m super excited for the family stuff, but I worry about my birds suffering. Bridge didn’t want to come out today, but pretty sure she’s just molting. She’s dropping feathers now. Phew!
Poor Ruby. I HATE that she has this problem.

 

[micstrachan]

So Ruby’s not doing so great. She’s still eating, drinking, preening and dust bathing, but she’s breathing pretty fast, moving slowly, and I felt her heart racing when I picked her up. I gave her half a tablet of 81mg aspirin and half a tablet of 100mg doxycycline, along with colloidal silver in the water. Today is the wedding, so I hadn’t planned on letting them out to free range, but I did after all. She just does so much better that way. Poor thing.

 

[townchicks]

Michelle, where is the wedding? I have needles left over from giving sub-Q fluids to my rabbit. Unfortunately, I have to work today, or I'd bring them to you, but if you are anywhere near San Leandro work) or Pleasant Hill (home), maybe we can hook up.

 

[micstrachan]

Aww... that is SUCH a nice offer! Wedding is in Brentwood, so I don’t think it will work. Ruby seems a bit better after aspirin this morning. I realize I’m just treating symptoms, but hopeful that the antibiotics might help the root cause. In the spring, it was a combination of enrofloxacin, ibuprofen and hormone implant that worked, along with aloe detox. I just have to figure out how long I can/should keep the hormone implants going, as she seems to need another one. Last time I had a hen get a second implant, she died a couple days later. She was in worse shape than Ruby, however. I’m hesitant to drain her myself for fear of introducing bacteria, but if she’s on the doxy and I’m as aseptic in my work as possible, it might be ok. Would prefer to have a vet do it, but would also prefer to spend that toward an implant.

 

[townchicks]

Brentwood is not so far from P. Hill. Wish I was not working today, I could run them out there. I PM'd you, will leave them out where I said just in case. No worries, either way.

 

[slordaz]

Sorry, missed this reply. Obtaining needles is a problem here. I may see if I can get her drained tomorrow by a vet.

Michelle, where is the wedding? I have needles left over from giving sub-Q fluids to my rabbit. Unfortunately, I have to work today, or I'd bring them to you, but if you are anywhere near San Leandro work) or Pleasant Hill (home), maybe we can hook up.

What an amazing gesture to help a fellow chicken lover

 

[micstrachan]

I know! Amazing! My daughter is in the wedding party and we hit traffic and had to go straight there. I wish this could work out. I might be able to get a needle at my feed store, like I did last time.

 

[townchicks]

You still up here? I'm home now.