- Thread starter
- #21
SmithBrosChicks
Chirping
- Jan 23, 2021
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Whew. I'm happy to say that we're home after a four hour round trip to the avian vet, Dr. Ricks, in Hattiesburg, MS. I have good and bad news. I'll share the bad first where I can end on a high note.
Debbie is very sick ... very, very sick. She weighed less than four pounds. The veterinarian was quite concerned. He thinks that if she holds onto life for 24 hours, she may have a fighting chance. Mississippi comes in last in a lot of things, but I believe we hit the jackpot with this incredible doctor and staff. He was incredibly thorough. He doesn't have a fluffy bedside manner, but I was quite impressed with his confidence regarding the care of birds. This was my main "take" of the day ... Birds cannot be treated like cats, dogs, goats, pigs, horses, or cows. They are completely different. One size doesn't fit all farm animals.
On January 20 and February 1, Debbie received steroid and antibiotic doses from the general vet that could have been fatal for her. This may be what ramped up her decline and has possibly put her in kidney failure. This news is difficult to digest. Very specific antibiotics are given to birds - gradually - not in one dose.
I thought I was going to lose my beautiful girl on our two hour drive home. Her breathing was so labored. At one point, I pulled over to pray for her and cry a bit. It looks as though God was listening ... on to some good news ...
We made it home. Debbie is under a heat lamp, she ate about half a cup of formula on her own, and drank nearly a cup of water. She is sleeping peacefully with no heavy breathing.
This is Debbie's course of treatment over the next few days / weeks ...
1. Weigh her twice a day to track any weight gain or loss.
2. Bowl feed (if she will take it) or tube feed 4-5 times a day. We will be mixing Exact Hand Feeding Formula by Kaytee with warm water and feeding about 15 cc's at each feeding.
3. Water can be offered, but if Debbie won't take it, she can get it through the food.
4. We will be giving Debbie injections of the antibiotic Ceftazidime twice a day (4 cc) for three weeks - injections are given in the lower chest directly by the keel bone.
5. Dr. Ricks suggested we use an infrared heat lamp to keep Debbie's area between 80 and 85 degrees. I'll be monitoring the temperature with a digital thermometer.
Today has been an amazing learning experience for moving forward as a successful backyard chicken lover. Debbie is our lap chicken. The others are great fun, but they're way too busy searching for treasures to sit with us. We have two boys, 13 and 17, who love this chicken as much as I do. Debbie certainly has a will to live and I'm going to do all I can to help her. Please send some prayers up that she makes it to through the next 24 hours. This time is so crucial.
I'll continue to keep you posted as things progress. Debbie says, "Thank you!" Right now she is poking her head over the top of her temporary home, a blue Tupperware container, in my living room. Yes, I know I shouldn't have a chicken in the house, but you just can't say no to this sweet face...
#TeamDebs
Debbie is very sick ... very, very sick. She weighed less than four pounds. The veterinarian was quite concerned. He thinks that if she holds onto life for 24 hours, she may have a fighting chance. Mississippi comes in last in a lot of things, but I believe we hit the jackpot with this incredible doctor and staff. He was incredibly thorough. He doesn't have a fluffy bedside manner, but I was quite impressed with his confidence regarding the care of birds. This was my main "take" of the day ... Birds cannot be treated like cats, dogs, goats, pigs, horses, or cows. They are completely different. One size doesn't fit all farm animals.
On January 20 and February 1, Debbie received steroid and antibiotic doses from the general vet that could have been fatal for her. This may be what ramped up her decline and has possibly put her in kidney failure. This news is difficult to digest. Very specific antibiotics are given to birds - gradually - not in one dose.
I thought I was going to lose my beautiful girl on our two hour drive home. Her breathing was so labored. At one point, I pulled over to pray for her and cry a bit. It looks as though God was listening ... on to some good news ...
We made it home. Debbie is under a heat lamp, she ate about half a cup of formula on her own, and drank nearly a cup of water. She is sleeping peacefully with no heavy breathing.
This is Debbie's course of treatment over the next few days / weeks ...
1. Weigh her twice a day to track any weight gain or loss.
2. Bowl feed (if she will take it) or tube feed 4-5 times a day. We will be mixing Exact Hand Feeding Formula by Kaytee with warm water and feeding about 15 cc's at each feeding.
3. Water can be offered, but if Debbie won't take it, she can get it through the food.
4. We will be giving Debbie injections of the antibiotic Ceftazidime twice a day (4 cc) for three weeks - injections are given in the lower chest directly by the keel bone.
5. Dr. Ricks suggested we use an infrared heat lamp to keep Debbie's area between 80 and 85 degrees. I'll be monitoring the temperature with a digital thermometer.
Today has been an amazing learning experience for moving forward as a successful backyard chicken lover. Debbie is our lap chicken. The others are great fun, but they're way too busy searching for treasures to sit with us. We have two boys, 13 and 17, who love this chicken as much as I do. Debbie certainly has a will to live and I'm going to do all I can to help her. Please send some prayers up that she makes it to through the next 24 hours. This time is so crucial.
I'll continue to keep you posted as things progress. Debbie says, "Thank you!" Right now she is poking her head over the top of her temporary home, a blue Tupperware container, in my living room. Yes, I know I shouldn't have a chicken in the house, but you just can't say no to this sweet face...
#TeamDebs
Thank you for taking such great care of her.
