Very Sleepy, Lethargic hen, UPDATED! Treating with Oxine AH

[daytonfarm]

I have an 18month old speckled sussex hen that has been in a molt for about 2 months, not a severe molt but a molt, so her comb has been pale from that. The past couple weeks I find her tucked in a corner sleeping. I have checked to make sure she is not egg bound, I have given her a round of Tylan 50, she is currently on Poly vi sol. Last week after putting her on vitamins and hand feeding her yogurt and watermelon,grapes, bird seed she came around and was with the flock eating acting normal. As of yesterday she is back being sleepy again. I gave her vitamins and yogurt last night, she ate the yogurt with a passion, I kept her seperate last night and offered her more yogurt this morning and she puts her head down like she is going to peck at it but then doesn't closes her eyes and pulls her head up. She tucks her head back into her wing and goes to sleep. At times she almost acts blind. She is very thin. Oh I also dewormed her with Ivermectin a week ago also.
No eye swelling, no discharge nothing.

Any ideas??

As of 7/6/11 she is still alive, blind but eyes have improved with the use of Oxine ah, Anyone have good luck with this stuff. I've run out of options with her.

 

[daytonfarm]

I just went down and fed her some egg and yogurt, tried olive oil and bread, she didn't like that.
If I held the egg near her beak she would grab it out of my hand but if she dropped it she would reach down and peck at the air right above the food. never reaching the food. I did get some of it in her. The food that is in her bowl with her she pecked at the air right above it without actually hitting the food. If the food is in my hand and closer to her beak she can peck at it and hit it every time. It's like when she puts her head down she can't see or she can't go low enough to get the food. I left her with her food bowl up higher hopefully she will continue to eat, but she lost interest when I was down there.

 

[Judy]

I am sorry. I can think of some guesses, but nothing that you could do anything about, more than you are already doing, and it is only guessing anyway. I hope she comes out of this.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

If she was my girl, I would get her into a dog kennel and into the house or the garage - some place where I could keep and eye on her; plus be sure she is not being picked on, even if it is just in passing.


My first thought when I hear sleepy/lethargic is lice/mites. I know you treated her, but now is the time that the nits will have hatched and gone back to work on her. Lice/mites will suck the life right out of her, slowly just like she is acting. I would give her a bathe in Dawn dish soap, be sure and suds her and let her sit for a few minutes - this will help kill any bugs. Rinse her well, you can even rinse her in a 10% white vinegar and water rinse. Use a hair dryer on low to blow her dry. A bath will also allow you to look her over really good - you can look for wounds or discoloration on her body.


My second thought: internal - either heart or other organ/s problem. Not much you can do for this issue except supportive care until she passes, or help her pass. Still I would bathe her - she has not felt well in a while, so you know she is not taking the best care of herself.



You can get some parrot handfeeding formula (for baby parrots) and make a gruel/soup to feed her - it is high concentrate food. You can also wet her own feed and offer it to her beak on a spoon.

for you both.

 

[daytonfarm]

Thanks
I will give her a bath and see if that helps. We have had mites and treated for it. But she was not one that seemed to show any signs. Couldn't find any evidence of them on her, like they were on other birds. She really does want to be held, as long as I'm not shoving anything down her throat, that is!

She put herself in a crate this morning. I had her in one also last night, but took her out to see if she wanted to stretch her legs or do anything and she turned around and walked back in.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Aww, your poor SS.

I have a sick EE right now, so I know how you feel. Please update us on how she does.

Can you see evidence of lice/mites on a bird? I researched my EE's symptoms - walking slowly, not eating or wanting to move, and came up with that as a possible dx. But when I called the vet they said that would not be what was wrong. She is at the vet now (they kept her for the weekend to give her IV nutrients - yes, I know, it will cost a fortune but she is our favorite chicken) and they said they can't figure out what's wrong with her so I have to assume they checked for and ruled out parasites.

 

[daytonfarm]

I did check and don't see any mite/lice but I'm going to give her a warm bath anyway and see what that does for her. I don't think I have anything to lose at this point. I have to go get some more watermelon for her that way I know she has some water in her system. I haven't seen her drink. I do give her soupy oatmeal also.

 

[daytonfarm]

I gave her a warm bath, didn't find anything not even dirt on her. She is very thin. Bundled her up and sat out on the deck with her and got her to take some watered down applesauce and a piece of cheese. She still will not reach to the ground for any food. Put her under a heat lamp for awhile and now I just put her out in the grass to see what she does. She is a little more active but she keeps closing her eyes, I'm wondering if she is going blind.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Poor you. Poor her.

I don't want to alarm you but this sounds a lot like my Light Brahma who died last fall. She just stopped moving and eventually stopped eating and drinking. We tried to hydrate her with a syringe at the end but nothing worked. I took her to the vet three times - NOTHING turned up except the vet thought she had a dislocated hip and when the bird died the vet said it might have been a spinal cord injury. I suppose anything is possible but I don't know how that would happen. Now my EE is behaving in a similar manner and I don't believe we can have two spinal cord injuries!

I hope yours pulls through.

 

[daytonfarm]

I let her outside and she was able to come up on the deck 4 steps. But when I came out she didn't want any part of me and she made it down the steps without getting hurt but then there was a 4" step down and she fell right off of it. I don't believe she can see down but she can see up. I went ahead and put her in a cage with food right at beak level when she is standing. Not sure how much longer she is going to last.