URGENT~ SOFT SHELLED EGGS AND A LETHARGIC DUCK!!!

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Yup. Team Quack Quack!

My shopping list is: sardines in water no salt, worms, grubs, yogurt, and FloraGen3... I wonder what that will look like to the cashier.

The 1 cup of baby food and yogurt water I have her last night was all gone this morning.
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great news for sure!!!
 
I mixed a tablespoon of non-fat greek yogurt with live cultures with a cup of water and that is all I'm going to give her to drink tonight and the next couple of nights. I fed her some worms and she ate those really quickly but she won't really eat anything else. I tried to feed her crickets, her food, tomatoes, and lettuce but she won't eat any of it!!! I picked her up and set her on top of her cage to examine her and she has little muscle and is very skinny and you can feel her breast bone very prominently and her ribs. I support her and pull one of her feet out from under her and lift it up slightly and unlike usually when she kicks and flaps, she very slowly and gently pulled her foot back. I tuck my hand under her wing and lift it up slightly and she usually freaks out and pulls away but she just sat there and let my expand her wing fully.

She is still kind of lethargic and skinny and has lost a ton of muscle and won't eat! Is it possible that the infection is back?

I am about at the point when I am fully ready to force feed her. If I do, what do I feed?
If the infection was from her laying internally, or if an egg broke inside her, yes, the infection will come back and unless the internally laid eggs and/or "egg bits" are are surgically removed, she will eventually die, sorry. Didn't the vet explain that to you?

-Kathy
 
Do you think this could be from 8 baytril shots, that her stomach is out of whack?
Worse than that... Baytril is so strong that it kills all the bacteria, good and bad and it can open the door for infections like e.Coli or yeast. I've also had them vomit when I've given it orally, but I've never seen one vomit while on the injections. IMO, Baytril was the correct choice, but if it's EYP, there's not much hope other than surgery. Think of it like bumble foot of the abdominal cavity, you have to get the source of infection out, antibiotics alone will not fix it.

I would call the vet and talk about it.

Side effects

  • Birds' systems may be particularly vulnerable to infections from bacteria that isn't vulnerable to Baytril, or yeast infections after being dosed with Baytril, particularly if Baytril is given for a longer time. To minimize the risk, try to maintain sanitary conditions & to give Baytril for the minimum time needed to be fully effective. You may need to follow up with antibiotic or anti-fungal medicine if problems develop afterward.
  • Because it is very powerful, Baytril can kill off significant numbers of "good bacteria" that normally fight harmful organisms in birds' digestive tracts, although it is said to have less of this effect than many other of the powerful antibiotics. To minimize risk:
    • Try to maintain sanitary conditions.
    • Give Baytril for the minimum time needed for sufficient effectiveness.
    • Give birds' probiotics, such as unflavored yogurt, buttermilk, or a probiotic supplement to re-establish good bacteria. You could try feeding probiotics halfway between Baytril dosings to try to fight the growth of bad bacteria during treatment (though the probiotics will be killed off at the next Baytril dosing), &/or give probiotics after finishing all Baytril dosings.
    • You may need to follow up with a different antibiotic if new bacterial problems develop after Baytril treatments.
    • If a fungal condition develops, it may be necessary to give an antifungal such as Nystatin, or you might try Oxine if timed to not conflict too much with probiotics. Raw, unfiltered cider vinegar has anti-fungal properties & may help, as well (but do NOT combine it with Oxine as the acid might hazardously activate Oxine).
  • Baytril may have some negative effects on the development of young birds.
  • There are conflicting reports about whether Baytril has negative side effects on a chicken's kidneys, the liver or blood.

-Kathy
 
If it is EYP this is what can happen. Please don't look if you're squeamish, they are *very* necropsy graphic pictures of a hen that had EYP and you can see from the pictures how the "egg bits" went bad and caused a massive infection .

Her symptoms started in May and she lived for 3-4 months. Her only chance for survival would have been surgery, which is not an option for me.






















-Kathy
 
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Egg Yolk Peritonitis

Breeding Challenges ... Bird Health Care ... Glossary of Avian Medical Terms ... Medications Used in Avian & Exotic Medicine and Pharmaceutical Terms ... How to administer oral medications to a bird



Egg yolk peritonitis (the presence of yolk material in the coelomic cavity) is a common cause of abdominal distension in birds. Yolk material by itself induces a mild inflammatory response and may be reabsorbed by the peritoneum. Because yolk is an excellent growth medium for bacteria, peritonitis may result from secondary bacterial infection. Localized to diffuse fibrinous peritonitis may result, and may lead to secondary ascites and organ inflammation or compromise in chronic cases.
Egg peritonitis is characterized by fibrin or albumen-like material with a cooked appearance among the abdominal viscera. It is a common cause of sporadic deaths, but in some flocks may become the major cause of death and give the appearance of a contagious disease. It is diagnosed at necropsy.
Lodgment of eggs in the oviduct was probably due to reverse peristalsis brought about by breakage of the thin-shelled eggs and secondary bacterial infection. Peritonitis follows reverse movement of albumen and Escherichia coli bacteria from the oviduct into the abdomen. If the incidence is high, culture should be done to differentiate between Pasteurella (fowl cholera) or Salmonella infection.
When hens have too many large ovarian follicles, a problem described as erratic oviposition and defective egg syndrome (EODES) is seen in broiler breeders.
This condition is accompanied by a high incidence of double-yolked eggs, prolapses of the oviduct, internal ovulation, and/or internal laying that often results in egg peritonitis and mortality. EODES is prevented by avoiding light stimulation of underweight pullets too early and following body weight and lighting recommendations for each breeder strain. Overweight hens may also have a higher incidence of erratic ovulations and mortality associated with egg peritonitis.


Clinical Signs:

Sudden death, loss of appetite/anorexia, weakness, depression, respiratory distress, lethargy, fluffed feathers, lack of vocalizations, yolk-colored droppings, swollen vent and/or abdomen (the swelling feels spongy to the touch), and ascites. Some of these symptoms also mimic egg binding. Ascites is most commonly seen in cockatiels and waterfowl.
Nesting behavior or recent egg laying is commonly reported at presentation. Abdominal wall herniation may be a complication in cases of extreme abdominal distension secondary to increased coelomic pressure. Although ascites is not present in all birds with egg yolk peritonitis, fluid evaluation may be diagnostic when ascites is a presenting clinical sign. Grossly, the fluid is slightly yellow to yellow, with possible visualization visualization of yolk material and protein strands. The fluid may appear noninflammatory (as in this case) or inflammatory, with or without sepsis. Typical findings would be only yolk or fat globules in the former case and a mixture of heterophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, fat globules, and yolk globules with or without bacteria in the latter case.
Any ascitic fluid from a bird should be cultured, especially in cases of egg yolk peritonitis. Coliform bacteria have been the most common isolates in egg yolk peritonitis. (Sources: Abdominal Effusion in a Bird / Vet Clin Path Journal, Vol. 31, Merck Vet Manual, Ruptured-yolk peritonitis and organochlorine residues in a royal tern.)
 
Please don't think I'm being mean, rude, harsh insensitive, etc, just trying to help. Many people want to try *everything* possible to save their birds, which is why I always recommend tubing and offer to help over the phone.

Others have eluded to this, but I'll be direct, it's Thursday and tomorrow will be your last chance to easily find the stuff you need for tubing. I really hope you don't need it, but don't you think it would be a good idea to have just in case? I know there have been many times that I have found myself on a Friday evening without the right supplies and it just eats away at me to know that I could have been better prepared.

I really hope that her eating the food you left out is a positive sign and that she makes a full recovery, but if you find that she's still losing weight and you want to tube I can help you and your Dad do it.

Someone else also recommended contacting your vet about tubing, which I think is a great idea. Heck, one of their techs might even show you how to do it free of charge.

-Kathy
 
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x2 Nicole not having supplies around or having to figure out a substitute or game plan at 2 am usually dose not end well. I really do hope she is getting better. If you need anything let us know I'll be following.
 

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