Very Sick Hen

[Sunshine009]

my beautiful Wyandotte cross has been looking very unwell since this morning. Symptoms are:
Very lethargic (sitting/lying often, eyes half-closed, not following flock around); lack of appetite; puffing up; gasping for breath (sometimes stretching neck); runny, “milky” poop; white flecks stuck to feathers on her rear-end
I’ve checked the following:
Nasal/eye discharge (if there is any, it’s minimal); any obvious obstructions in her throat; obvious swelling anywhere; any pain in feet or wings; blockage of vent; hardness/swelling of crop; bad-smelling breath; wheezing/gurgling
I didn’t find anything notable in these checks.
She’s just hit laying age though she hasn’t laid any eggs yet. My best guess is egg peritonitis though I don’t know how that would explain the gasping.
I’ve given her boiled egg but she hasn’t eaten much and she got apple cider in her water which she did drink a bit.
No sign of illness in the rest of the flock.
Unfortunately I don’t have access to over the counter antibiotics of any sort. No such farm stores exist in my area.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I don’t want her to die but I also don’t want her to suffer.
Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you feel of her crop to check if it is empty, partly full, hard, doughy, or puffy? Does she have any swelling of her lower belly between her legs? I would put on a disposble glove if you have one, and insert a finger into her vent 1-2 inches, to feel for a stuck egg. If you would have any human calcium tablets or Tums, crush one and give it to her in some yogurt or a treat. You could also give it orally whole. I hope she is just having trouble laying her first egg. Also, I would worry about possible coccidiosis. But she could have something else going on, including a reproductive disorder. Keep trying some treats such as wet feed, egg, tuna, salmon, or liver. And offer some fluids orally with a small scoop or cup to the beak. Some place a little water on the side of the beak for them to sip. Corid is sold at most feed stores, and is a good treatment for coccidiosis. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid per gallon of water for 5 days. The powder is 1.5 tsp per gallon. Pictures of droppings may be helpful.

 

[Sunshine009]

Thanks for the advice @Eggcessive

Since checking her this morning, her crop seemed mostly if not entirely empty
I felt around her abdomen and couldn’t find any swelling but I will check again come morning (just hoping to let her rest for now)
I’ll try a more thorough examination, plus calcium tablets and more food and water for sure. Thanks for the advice on administration for all that as well.
Coccidiosis could be possible - I did do some prevention via medicated feed when she was a chick but I know that’s not an absolute guarantee of immunity
Pics are a good idea as well. I’ll get back to this post tomorrow on updates. Here’s hoping she makes it through the night

 

[Eggcessive]

Be sure to check inside her vent for egg binding. It is isn’t that big of a deal, and it might be good to know that is not a problem. Here is a little info on egg binding:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-egg-binding-causes-symptoms/

 

[Sunshine009]

Update: This morning a found my lovely lady alive (thank goodness) and actually perhaps a slight better off than she was the day before (though I could just be seeing things). She seems a bit more alert and willing to move around - but not much more.
This morning i checked in her vent with a gloved finger but I couldn't find anything. However when I looked at the glove there were specks of a white, slimy substance. Nothing else.
I used a large dropper meant for administering liquid medication for humans to give her a crushed calcium tablet mixed into plain, active-culture yogurt. I definitely didn't manage to give her the full tablet, as her breathing got more labored the longer I held her so I didn't want to push it. I also managed to force-feed her a bit of egg.
For now I'm giving her a bit of time to rest and recuperate from all the harassment, but I'm planning on giving her water through the dropper, maybe some more egg and double-checking for swelling around her abdomen.
More updates to follow, hopefully with pictures.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you can get some Corid to start in her water, that might help. It is not dangerous to treat all chickens, even if she doesn’t have coccidiosis. I might also worm her with Valbazen or SafeGuard Liquid Goat Wormer, in case her problem could be worms. Some respiratory issues can be worm-related. Keep an eye on her crop, to make sure it gets some food during the day, but is emptying by morning. The white specks from your vent inspection were probably urates from kidney waste. If a vet familiar with chickens is available, that might be good, since we don’t know exactly what the issue is.

 

[Sunshine009]

Back again

She’s doing the same it seems. Very tired looking at the moment. I double checked for any swelling and found nothing. I’m worried about her food and water intake as it’s impossible to get much in her system since I have to essentially force it down her throat.
Unfortunately where I live the only way I can get Corid, safeguard or any other kind of dewormer is ordering online and it doesn’t seem like I can get it any sooner than a week from now. I’m going to order it anyway so I’ll have it if she’s able to survive that long and if not, it’s good to have on hand.
I haven’t seen her expel any more droppings so no photos unfortunately. Unless anyone wants to see a very sad-looking chicken but I doubt it.

 

[Eggcessive]

What state are you in? Amazon prime offers 2 day shipping on many products if a relative or neighbor has an account. They carry Corid liquid and powder, and SafeGuard liquid goat wormer.

I also forgot to remind to check her for lice or mites under her vent. If you have SaveAChick or Poultry NutriDrench some vitamins with electrolytes may help.

 

[Sunshine009]

Province actually - Ontario Canada :/ doesn’t have a lot of options. However I did manage to find piperazine 52 at my local tractor supply store. It’s the only dewormer they had. Going to add it to everyone’s water tomorrow and give her some of the mix via syringe.
I’ll check for mites tomorrow for sure (it’s too dark now). I don’t know if I have access to either of those (though I will check around) but I’ve heard Gatorade is an acceptable electrolyte replacer for chickens in a pinch...? Correct me if I’m wrong.
Wish beautiful Lavender luck or a prayer if you’re religious haha

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes Gatorade is okay in a pinch for electrolytes. Pedialyte works as well. If you can examine her on the roost with a flashlight, one type of mites only comes on at night. In the morning, see if she will eat a little cooked egg or tuna, and mixing water in a small bowl of chicken feed can make it more attractive. Hoping that she does okay tonight. If you see any lice or mites, try to get permethrin spray. It is getting harder to find in Canada, but I can give you some brand names.