Updated! - Test Your Diagnostic Skills - Warning, Contains Graphic Necropsy Photos

[Michael Apple]

Thanks... all the more reason to utilize a free necropsy service if your State has one... I really like knowing why my birds die.

-Kathy

Me too. I bought some gold sex links a few years ago from Ideal. You may have heard me mention the problems I had with them. One day I saw one walking in a very confused manner, the other hens began gathering around her as I walked up on them. I picked the hen up, was cradling her in one arm, and she began convulsing for about 10 seconds and died. No poisons, or toxic substances were accessible. I never did find out what it was.

 

[casportpony]

Sometimes they don't find a cause of death... that happened with two that I found dead the same day! One died from internal bleeding, the other probably from kidney failure, but UC Davis could not determine what caused either.

-Kathy

 

[seminolewind]

Sometimes they don't find a cause of death... that happened with two that I found dead the same day! One died from internal bleeding, the other probably from kidney failure, but UC Davis could not determine what caused either.

-Kathy

That's like my 3 that got enteritis. No symptoms. The next morning, dead. Picked them up and the blood flowed out. Enteritis, I've read, can be from Coccidiosis, or another bacteria.

 

[livelifebyluck]

Any updates??

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Fascinating thread. I need to share some pictures I have of a hen that seemed to linger with an unknown illness. I chose to end her suffering.

-A two year old Australorp, went broody.
-Gave her a couple of eggs to sit on. She successfully raised a couple of chicks.
-Continued to seem "off" after the chicks were raised, never returned to her old self.
-Tried deworming her, antibiotics, just about everything I could think of. She'd start to perk up, then start acting dumpy again.
-After months of this, I noticed she was spending more and more time in the run, not free ranging. Found her beat up one day in the coop.
- I separated her with a buddy and babied her. She wasn't getting better. One day I picked her up and when held completely upright I noticed
her struggling to breathe. Made the decision to put her out of her misery after months of no improvement.
-Not sure what she had, didn't know what I was doing. So here are the pictures and maybe you can give me a clue. My guess is that her body wasn't metabolizing
the fat and the fat stores were squeezing her organs. LOL...seriously, just a guess This is the actual color. Very yellow fat stores.

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Pic#1 Opening her up down the breast bone.

Pic#2 Fat wrapped around her intestines and gizzard. Had a healthy looking liver, kidney and lungs.

Pic#3 Here is the ova with the little eggs. She hadn't layed since going broody, it had been months.

Pic#4 Her gizzard was choked in fat. Upon opening it, it was full of food and looked healthy.

 

[casportpony]

Wow, great pictures! Not sure what causes that, but I've seen it in a couple of mine. Sure wish there were more vets trolling that could comment.

-Kathy

 

[chickengeorgeto]

This is jus a guess, but it looks like the fat caused it.

-Kathy

2X

 

[pwand]

She is the fridge, but in the way back where stuff tends to freeze. The Cochin is out baking in the 85 degree heat, lol. Need to do her today for sure and I'll do the girl in fridge tomorrow so I can get all of them buried at the same time.

-Kathy

Just went through the whole thread and was wondering if your chicken is still in the fridge....... This was very interesting and educational, thank you!!

 

[casportpony]

Just went through the whole thread and was wondering if your chicken is still in the fridge....... This was very interesting and educational,

thank you!!

I'm bummed, my roommate turned down the temp and she thawed and rotted, so I didn't get to do her. However, I do have another for everyone to practice their diagnostic skills on. Need to gather my notes and put together a post on him. For those that like the nasty necropsy photos, you won't be disappointed!

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Okay, so I found my beloved rooster named Wingman sitting in the bushes one night, so I brought him in. During his brief exam I noticed the his comb was purple, he was a little thin, he had a sore below his vent, was having trouble breathing, had lice, had green poop and his crop was huge and hard, like completely pack full of food. I dusted him for lice and that almost killed him... His comb went all purple, he started doing the death thing, but somehow he recovered. Since his crop was packed full of feed I tubed 120ml warmed Pedialyte, massaged his crop and put him in an 80 degree room. By morning his crop had gone down, but I could still feel the seed, so I tubed another 120ml, wormed him and gave Baytril. Did the fluids one more time then started him on baby bird food. By this time his poop was returning to normal, but his comb was still a little purple, so I continued tubing and decided to worm very aggressively and wormed again. I guess this went on for several days, poop looked normal in color, but small in size and his crop had no seed in it and I would clear, albeit slowly.

Any questions?

-Kathy