URGENT Roo is lethargic, can’t walk

[Shugercube]

I didn't know that in the USA you treat wounds with antibiotics?

Sometimes, yes. It’s called neosporin or sometimes polysporin here. Not sure what brands it is under over there. It helps prevent infection and speed the healing process. And if a wound looks particularly bad the doctors will sometimes prescribe oral antibiotics to keep any infection from spreading. They are also sometimes given prophylactically, but that varies widely from one doctor to the next.

I sincerely feel sorry for that animal, because in the past 3 days she received so many medicines, that it is not normal!

I haven’t given any medicines. Just vitamins

Are you giving her a human vitamin? Do you know that a rooster is not human, and you are giving her a HUMAN vitamin!??

Yep. I also feed all my chickens HUMAN food like watermelon and broccoli and eggs. Also HUMAN water! Vitamins are vitamins. The type I use come from food and contain nothing that isn’t safe for a chicken to consume.

And that's just that vitamin, the poor guy also received electrolytes, artificial food supplements, crushed eggshells and more...

Not sure where you got all that from. Electrolytes are just water, raw honey, and some salt, I make it myself. No artificial food or crushed eggshells?? Are you referring to the shells I feed back to my chickens as a natural source of added calcium for my layers?? That’s actually good for them and allows them to take in whatever extra calcium they need for laying as they need it. Some people use oyster shells instead, I choose to use what comes naturally to them, their shells. But although he may have sampled some, I didn’t feed it to him. It’s just made available in the run and they choose whether or not to use them.

Even when you just dissolved garlic in water it came back to life and that wasn't enough proof that I was right? You probably thought it came back to life because of all that artificial crap!

I am giving the garlic water along with the other things, so while it certainly could have been the garlic it could have been anything OR even the combination of everything that seemed to help. Garlic alone isn’t going to rehydrate him or replenish the nutrients he lost from not eating or drinking. Nor is it going to cure him if he does in fact have Marek’s disease. I do believe in all of garlic’s healing properties. But- on the off-chance he has something curable that isn’t treatable with garlic alone, I choose to use anything and everything that may help him. You don’t have to agree, which you clearly don’t. But I personally prefer to cover all my bases. I figure there are only three outcomes when trying something: either it helps, hurts, or does nothing. If it can’t hurt, then it can only help, or just do nothing. If it helps, wonderful. If it does nothing, then he’s not any worse off than before.

But it doesn't matter, you keep filling him with all the nonsense advertised by pharmaceutical companies,

?? Nothing that I’m doing has been advertised or suggested by pharmaceutical companies. I’m not even using any pharmaceuticals lol

 

[ikoCRO]

Then we don't understand each other!
I read that these people recommend "Rooster booster","SaveACHick" Human vitamin B complex...
It is incorrect to compare vitamins made for humans with human food, because human vitamins are made in concentrations for humans - not for animals. Mammals can excrete excess vitamins through the urine, birds cannot do this so quickly, large concentrations of vitamins remain in the body of chickens for a long time and in fact they can worsen health. Artificial vitamins for chickens are dosed in the exact ratio for that animal!
Likewise, too much garlic is toxic to chickens!
- You just now explained that you make electrolytes with honey and salt, in Europe an electrolyte drink is sold and used by athletes - so we didn't understand each other there either!
Oh yes-In 30 years of my poultry farming i never ever use Antibiotic!
I dont wanna write you why we in EU minimalise use of antibiotic on animals,cuz probably you Americans dont understund!
Oh God, I better not write anymore, because the cultural differences between Americans and Europeans are enormous.

 

[Shugercube]

Then we don't understand each other!
I read that these people recommend "Rooster booster","SaveACHick" Human vitamin B complex...
It is incorrect to compare vitamins made for humans with human food, because human vitamins are made in concentrations for humans - not for animals. Mammals can excrete excess vitamins through the urine, birds cannot do this so quickly, large concentrations of vitamins remain in the body of chickens for a long time and in fact they can worsen health. Artificial vitamins for chickens are dosed in the exact ratio for that animal!
Likewise, too much garlic is toxic to chickens!
- You just now explained that you make electrolytes with honey and salt, in Europe an electrolyte drink is sold and used by athletes - so we didn't understand each other there either!
Oh God, I better not write anymore, because the cultural differences between Americans and Europeans are enormous.

To be fair, there ARE electrolyte drinks sold here too. I did use sav a chick at first, as I just happened to have some on hand. They make WW probiotics and electrolytes. But it only lasts a few hours before it’s ineffective, so I’ve been making my own since that first day.

 

[Shugercube]

Just the nightly update. Nothing super dramatic has changed, but lots of small steps forward, I feel. Continuing to gain strength and, I hate to say it, but I actually am feeling a little hopeful tonight that he’ll pull through. I know things could take a turn at any second so I’m trying to stay grounded and realistic.

But tonight he’s totally holding himself upright, no “nest” needed, and while still not standing, his legs are far less jerky and he has much more control over his body movements now. He’s resting flat on his feet, not on his hocks or propped on his wings, and no curled toes! He’s started trying to preen himself again, although he’s still wobbly so sometimes ends up “preening” his bed. But I take the fact that he’s even interested at all in preening as a good sign. His poops are normal in color and consistency now. Comb still very droopy, but both it and wattles seem to be getting their color back even more. He doesn’t look at me with sad eyes, he seems alert and actually kinda perky for a sick bird. Tonight when my cat came near he warned me and THEN puffed himself up at her! I kindly made her leave because I didn’t want her to stress him out, but this also seems a step in the right direction.

Oh! And he’s now starting to respond to me when I talk to him again. Whenever I come into my room I ask him how he’s doing in there, and he gives me a few sweet reassuring clucks. Before he got sick he would always crow when I came out my front door, or got out of my car. I always greeted him back. So it might sound silly but it is nice to hear him trying to greet me back

Obligatory daily update picture:

 

[Paz]

On his wing, I would have just put some rubbing alcohol, or oxiginatd water. Then leave it as is and disinfect if I see it becoming worse.

 

[Shugercube]

On his wing, I would have just put some rubbing alcohol, or oxiginatd water. Then leave it as is and disinfect if I see it becoming worse.

I just cleaned it. It doesn’t seem to be bothering him anymore now that the swelling is gone.

 

[Shugercube]

He was (almost) completely standing up this morning!! ohhhhh I’m trying soooo hard not to get my hopes up!

 

[Eggcessive]

It is fairly common in the US to use plain Neosporin ointment on wounds. Chlorhexidene 1-2% cream is also fine, and a good disinfectant. That is the best over the counter cream in Europe without a prescription. Many here use something like. Vetericyn or other wound sprays with hydrogel. Saline is another choice.

There is no need for people to get upset about giving advice to someone posting her on their own thread. Everyone is free to give advice, and it is up to the OP to make up their own mind and choose what advice to follow. We all have answered threads with what we feel is good advice, and people do what they feel is best.

 

[Shugercube]

since Shugercube liked you…

Please note that my “liking” a post does not necessarily mean I agree with the entirety of what was posted

 

[Shugercube]

Kind of big update- Copper wants to eat again! He is standing and walking around his temporary cage, scratching around in his bedding, and attempting to eat his regular crumbles. I say “attempt” because he is still so wobbly he is mostly just knocking them out of the cup. I tried offering a mash so it kind of sticks to his beak and he can eat more easily, but he wants nothing to do with that just the dry crumbles! I will put some into a better container that I can secure to the cage so that he can’t knock it over. I’m just so excited that he has his appetite back!! His comb *might* even be starting to get less floppy. Maybe just a little bit!!

I will probably still need to tube him some, just because I’m not sure he’ll be able to eat enough on his own just yet. But I will be checking his crop frequently to help me keep track if he’s filling up or not!