Very Sick 5yr old Easter Egger Hen

[CrazyChickenMom11]

I agree with @azygous. It looks like either lash egg material (pus) or very yellow urates. Neither is great. I had an Australorp once who had what I thought were thick, yellowy urates that turned out later to be lash material.

If it is lash, it isn't as hard as I normally see it. I wonder if it's a sign early reproductive infection - but is it early enough to treat is the question.

If it is an early sign of a reproductive infection, is there anything I can really do to fix it? Our nearest vet in 2 hours away and is backed up for weeks. (I had 7 Golden Comets that all passed from egg yolk peritonitis and the vet told me there was nothing they could do for them.)

 

[azygous]

I would certainly try an antibiotic. If this is early stage salpingitis, there's a chance to knock it down before it gets established. After that it would become a chronic infection with little chance of treating successfully.

Try asking at your Tractor Supply if you have one, if they have amoxicillin. It will be for fish, but it works splendidly for chickens.

 

[CrazyChickenMom11]

I would certainly try an antibiotic. If this is early stage salpingitis, there's a chance to knock it down before it gets established. After that it would become a chronic infection with little chance of treating successfully.

Try asking at your Tractor Supply if you have one, if they have amoxicillin. It will be for fish, but it works splendidly for chickens.

I will try calling them tomorrow to see if they have it but they don't appear to have it in my local store according to their website (although I can have it shipped which is probably what I will end up doing.) Is there a certain mg dosage I should get? How often do I give it to her? Thank you so much for answering all my questions! I'm also planning on stopping the Tums on Wednesday. Should I keep giving them to her or is it not really going to help her at this point?

 

[azygous]

Yes, on stopping the calcium. She's likely benefited all she is going to.

The amoxy you will likely get from Tractor Supply will be 500mg capsules. The chicken dose is 250mg per day for an average size chicken for ten days.

So, you will have to break open the caps and divide the contents in half. This is when to get creative. I take a half inch square of bread, dip in olive oil and then sop up the 250mg dose. Sometimes the chicken will happily take the bread/amoxy from my hand, but may not next time as the amoxy is bitter tasting. So I then pry open the beak and shove it inside as I would a pill.

 

[CrazyChickenMom11]

Yes, on stopping the calcium. She's likely benefited all she is going to.

The amoxy you will likely get from Tractor Supply will be 500mg capsules. The chicken dose is 250mg per day for an average size chicken for ten days.

So, you will have to break open the caps and divide the contents in half. This is when to get creative. I take a half inch square of bread, dip in olive oil and then sop up the 250mg dose. Sometimes the chicken will happily take the bread/amoxy from my hand, but may not next time as the amoxy is bitter tasting. So I then pry open the beak and shove it inside as I would a pill.

Okay. Also, how do I get the amoxicillin without a prescription? I looked at several places online and they all require a vet prescription. Or do I get something that is used for fish specifically (Aqua-mox keeps coming up a lot) and not for dogs and cats?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Okay. Also, how do I get the amoxicillin without a prescription? I looked at several places online and they all require a vet prescription. Or do I get something that is used for fish specifically (Aqua-mox keeps coming up a lot) and not for dogs and cats?

You can use the stuff for fish, as Azygois suggests. You can also find fish mox at other retailers if tsc is out. I pick it up at an aquarium store.

 

[CrazyChickenMom11]

You can use the stuff for fish, as Azygois suggests. You can also find fish mox at other retailers if tsc is out. I pick it up at an aquarium store.

I finally found a bottle! (took me calling 13 stores but I found a bottle.) I will start giving it to her starting tomorrow and I'll let you know how she is doing. I do have one last quick question: how will I know that the antibiotics have worked after the ten days of dosage? I'm just wondering if at some point I will have to do another round if she didn't quite kick it the first time. Thank you all so, so much for your expertise!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I finally found a bottle! (took me calling 13 stores but I found a bottle.) I will start giving it to her starting tomorrow and I'll let you know how she is doing. I do have one last quick question: how will I know that the antibiotics have worked after the ten days of dosage? I'm just wondering if at some point I will have to do another round if she didn't quite kick it the first time. Thank you all so, so much for your expertise!

You won't really know if it worked, unfortunately. Hopefully, she will perk up.

Gosh, I hope it helps. It's so hard when they're I'll. They hide things so well...

 

[Aunt Angus]

How are things going???

 

[CrazyChickenMom11]

How are things going???

Yesterday morning I started the antibiotics and she was not doing well at all. I thought she wasn't going to make it through the night. But she is doing so much better today! I don't know if it's a just good for today thing or if she will make it longer but she was eating and drinking unlike yesterday so she at least seems happier for now. I really appreciate your help in trying to get her back to the goofy chicken that she was.