tube feeding

[chicknmania]

I have her in a room where it is about 80 degrees.

 

[chicknmania]

She perked up a bit this morning after we tube fed her. I could not liquify the chick starter enough to keep it from blocking the syringe, but we used mostly water with some buttermilk and catfood juice in it and she was pretty alert for a couple hours after that. Sleeping now though.

 

[chicknmania]

I am getting very discouraged.

She has improved a lot as far as her alertness level, but she still rollercoasters from being very alert to being comatose. We switched to tube feeding her sweet corn baby food mixed with water and have been tube feeding her twice a day. We can't really fill her crop all the way (but mostly) because she can't stand up or even really sit up, and she can't lie on a full crop without danger of regurgitating. I have to prop her up with towels but still it makes me nervous. Considering that she is on a mostly liquid diet, her droppings look normal to me and are mostly solid.. She seems to have no feeling in her legs, and does not seem to be able to use them. They are limp, and she doesn't move them. She can move her wings and everything else, and often struggles to get up, but it's not working. I wondered about electrolyte imbalance contributing to this, so we added vit-lytes to her tube feeding tonight, and also probiotic powder to try to improve her gut health, as she still is not eating on her own. Since we don't know really what her underlying problems are that are causing her illness, I'm not sure that any of this will have any effect at all in the long term. I have used slings in the past too, once or twice on other birds, and never thought much of that idea, either. She has been in hospital pen now exactly one week, which brings me back to my original question. At what point should we conclude that tube feeding is not working, and let her go? I am thinking that I will probably give her a few more days, and then decide whether or not to have her euthanized based on how she is doing. But if anyone thinks that I should do something differently, please let me know. I don't know if I mentioned this, but she started to act funny (sleeping a lot) in November. The flock is on a regular deworm schedule as I said. She seemed to improve though, and for the entire month of December, she acted perfectly normal. I found her collapsed on the floor in the barn at the beginning of January, and that's when I brought her inside and dewormed her with the Valbazen, which seemed to do nothing. I just wonder if she has something else going on that we will not be able to fix.

 

[duckitup]

Hope this turned out okay. I have a sick one that won't walk either. Stopped eating,begin tube feed tonight.hope she is okay now.

 

[chicknmania]

Hope this turned out okay. I have a sick one that won't walk either. Stopped eating,begin tube feed tonight.hope she is okay now.

Keep trying to get yours to eat on her own. Ours did not turn out OK we had her euthanized. After the 10th day of tube feeding, it was obvious it was bothering her, I think her throat was getting sore from the tube, and there was just no improvement to speak of. We decided euthanasia was the most merciful option.

Good luck with yours, and please keep us posted. We care.

 

[duckitup]

Keep trying to get yours to eat on her own. Ours did not turn out OK we had her euthanized. After the 10th day of tube feeding, it was obvious it was bothering her, I think her throat was getting sore from the tube, and there was just no improvement to speak of. We decided euthanasia was the most merciful option.

Good luck with yours, and please keep us posted. We care

I'm so sorry that you lost her.

Mine is still eating some but just not enough. We have been tube feeding once to three times a day. All depending on when I have help or not. I can't do it alone, she is too wiggly. Mine has an infection in her ankle joint which started this whole thing. Vet put her on meds and we are now at the end of week two with no real progress with the swelling. Not getting more swollen but not going down either. Another vet visit will be in order this week for more testing.

Did you have a necropsy done to find out what was wrong with her? And are all of your other birds doing just fine? Again so sorry for your loss.

 

[chicknmania]

I'm so sorry that you lost her.

Mine is still eating some but just not enough. We have been tube feeding once to three times a day. All depending on when I have help or not. I can't do it alone, she is too wiggly. Mine has an infection in her ankle joint which started this whole thing. Vet put her on meds and we are now at the end of week two with no real progress with the swelling. Not getting more swollen but not going down either. Another vet visit will be in order this week for more testing.

Did you have a necropsy done to find out what was wrong with her? And are all of your other birds doing just fine? Again so sorry for your loss.

Thank you. I didn't have a necropsy done, because it is so expensive here, and the State ag department is not very friendly to backyard chicken owners anymore. She was the only one who had the issue though. Our flock was fine up until the past couple of weeks. We have had problems with a mink. It has killed 8 of our birds since January. I am beyond numb. We are working with a trapper and he is doing everything he can. Problems with chicken legs and feet can be very lengthy problems, I know that from experience too. Good that you are working with a vet.

 

[duckitup]

Thank you. I didn't have a necropsy done, because it is so expensive here, and the State ag department is not very friendly to backyard chicken owners anymore. She was the only one who had the issue though. Our flock was fine up until the past couple of weeks. We have had problems with a mink. It has killed 8 of our birds since January. I am beyond numb. We are working with a trapper and he is doing everything he can. Problems with chicken legs and feet can be very lengthy problems, I know that from experience too. Good that you are working with a vet.

I've never had to deal with a mink thus far. So sorry for all of your losses! Good luck to you! Necropsy is expensive here too. I've heard some states do it for free. Lucky people! I have one duck that the vet had to amputate a toe on. The current duck is not a candidate for amputation.. Not sure what we are dealing with yet but trying one last ditch effort with another antibiotic now. If it doesn't work, I don't know. Good luck with the rest of your flock!

 

[chicknmania]

Thanks. I hope we both are looking at the light at the end of the tunnel soon!