URGENT I think she's dying!! EDITED: cocci confirmed! p. 3

[SeaChick]

thanks- I called them and they're very nice. trying to help me locate a less costly vet. what we're running intop is that while some vets can maybe do the test, they wouoldn't have the MEDS for treating it.... so they don't want to even run the test.

 

[dlhunicorn]

meds for cocci and worms they dont have to worry about... they need to diagnose or at least eliminate the most commonly occuring...
if she has ingested a little piece of metal and this has torn somehting lets hope its comes out with the peanutbutter (any avian vet will know this)
just convince them to do the faecal to eliminate cocci and capillaria (tell them you can get meds for either of THOSE at a feed store)
(pssst ...I had a feeling they might be helpful) ....

 

[SeaChick]

thanks--- I can't get her to eat any peanut butter or ANYTHING other than a fwe drops of ypgurt dribbled along her beak. Will try harder...

 

[SeaChick]

Got her to eat a little bit (maybe an eighth of a tsp) of peanut butter by putting it into her beak.

I got a fresh stool sample: very disgusting and runny and mucusy but no blood. I am taking it to the highway-robbery vet at 3:20. In a way I hope it is cocci or worms or something we can actually treat, because if they don't find anything I won't know WHAT to do for her. She is still not eating or drinking. I continue to dribble water at her beak every hour or so.

 

[bangor777]

Keep us posted, we'll be thinking of you both!

 

[CarlaRiggs]

Stacy,
I'm so sorry to hear that this chick is ill. I'm also wondering what the red stuff was.... if not blood, could she have eaten something red? Any red flowers in the area?
I hope she gets some rest and pulls through for you.

Carla

 

[SeaChick]

Just got an email from a poultry expert that the State Vet forwarded our case to. He says he thinks it's cocci as well, get the fecal sample, treat all, but that once there's blood in the stool it's usually "too late" to save that bird.

Does anyone have any experience with birds surviving cocci?

She seemed so fine yesterday!!

We tried (Olivia came home from school) just now to hand-feed her some thin mash (chick feed, water, yogurt, PolyViSol) and managed to get the tiniest bit down her.

Thanks.
Stacey & Olivia ( aka Envirogirl11)

 

[horsejody]

I hope she pulls through. Keep us posted.

 

[dlhunicorn]

cappillaria (worm) can also cause blood in the faeces... or , as I mentioned earlier, something small and sharp (a staple for nstance) can also cause damage and therefor blood... there might also be some toxic substances that could cause this. Cocci is the most common in very young birds.

 

[SeaChick]

It's coccidiosis!

Fecal float test confirmed. Had to drive 45 minutes away to the only feed store that had any Sulmet... but we got it.

Lillith had actually improved by the time we got back. Whether it was the mash we'd gotten down her earlier, or -as the vet said- she was just getting through the worst of it, I don't know. But I actually saw her eat on her own a minute ago.

Through the state vet, a fantastic poultry guy at the state university has been emailing us. He just called me and explained that even in a really clean brooder set-up, the parasite probably exists, and can go through several life cycles w/o causing any harm until just the right environmental conditions cause an explosion. What conditions? "Warm and damp" he said. Ohhhhhhh.... like last week when the chicks spilled their waterer and it was 80 degrees on the porch and I didn't notice for 5 hours how wet the bedding was? Exactly.

So much for 100% organic! We're putting the 4 chicks on medicated feed after the sulmet treatment, and I'll be getting vaccinated chicks, OR feeding medicated, next time. There just seems no other way. Our brooder is very clean, we were doing everything "right" and still this happened (actually the vet said a too-clean environment can be a problem: no chance to build up immunity!) ...... well.....They'll be eating organic by the time they're laying. I just can't go through this again!!

Sheesh. What a day. I did not get 5 minutes of work done!!!! I am ragged and exhausted!!! But-- Lillith is looking better, and I have a diagnosis and treatment. So that's all good.

Thanks for your help and support all day, folks.

Stacey