Very sick Orpington (has been to vet)

Cedemaydit

Hatching
Jul 15, 2018
5
5
8
I've got a 1-ish year old Buff Orpington hen who has been visibly ill for at least two weeks. I'm 95% sure she's got coccidiosis but I'm looking for tips on how to get her through the next day or two as I just started her on corrid today.

Erroneous details that may or may not matter:

A month ago I treated my whole flock (various ages/breeds) with di-methox. Several were losing weight and one died before I could get her to the vet (so I brought two others in, had a fecal done, lots of bacteria present).

A couple weeks later I realized Nugget was not rebounding. She was still losing weight, getting picked on horribly, etc. So I brought her in the house and did various treatments til I could get her to the vet (epsom salt soaks, oregano, garlic, elderberry syrup, echinacea, ACV, VetRx)

A week ago she was almost dead, so in a last ditch effort to revive her, I stuck two (5-6 week old) chicks in with her, and the next morning she was back to life teaching them how to scratch for food. I also did another round of the dimethox with her but it didn't seem to make a difference.

So I brought her and her emotional support chickens to the vet and got clavamox and metacam for pain. Today would have been the last day for both, but I quit the clavamox when she started pooping blood and started her (and the others) on corid today.

As of last night she is not really eating or drinking on her own. I'm syringing the water/meds into her and trying various foods (she ate some wet cat food gravy and a bit of applesauce), but she is just skin and bones- I can't feel a crop at all. Her feet seem sore and swollen, one is hot and swollen and the other is cold. I don't know if epsom salt is making things better or worse, but cool water perks her up a bit (then she shivers because she's starving). Her face and comb are painfully red and dehydrated. I don't have access to sub-q fluids or I would be doing them. She's super spacey (picture a newborn trying to hold its head up) and her pupils seem grayish :( I've given her some Rescue Remedy (flower essence/homeopathic-type treatment) and added electrolytes to the corid even though that's probably not recommended (?), and she's taken a few drinks on her own since.

I called my vet back yesterday and he is out of town all week. Her will to live is amazing and I don't want to fail her but right now she doesn't seem to have 24 hours, much less a week. Can anyone recommend anything else that can get her over this death hump of the next day or two?
 
I have no meal worms but could scrounge up some earthworms? She's been eating a scrambled egg every day for the last couple weeks but refused it last night and today.
Also I don't have any actual tube feeding supplies but could maybe figure something out. How small does the tube have to be?
 
Find the directions for tube feeding. It sounds more systemic than just cocci. Right now start thinking shock prevention. Keeping her calm and warm until you can get her stable will go a long way. Somehow you need to get fluids replaced, the tube is your best option to get her to the vet. If you can't find the supplies, a wet mash of crumble with maybe a little yogurt for appeal hand fed with a dropper might help. Good luck with her:fl
 
I know that bread is a no-no for chickens but I have one who has had some problems and when I really need to “get something into her” I mix in a little paper cup, equal parts nutridrench and molasses and 2 parts water. Then I dribble it all over a slice of bread on a plate.
The bread acts as a sponge. It winds up to be a sloppy mess but They all go crazy for it because it’s something they almost NEVER get.
 
Not sure where you're located but you can get Freeze Dried MealWorms @ Walmart. Try some boiled egg yolk, Nutri Drench is a good suggestion (staceyj) a drop or 2 on the side of her beak or on anything you can get her to eat.

As for tube feeding, there is a thread on it, you can use aquarium tubing, check it out in the forum.
 

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