Vet found spirochetes in droppings but med's don't seem to be working -

[Leahs Mom]

I can imagine thinking this was "failure to thrive" because of not realizing that it was a parasite that got the upper-hand from a bad case of mites or something similar.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I can imagine thinking this was "failure to thrive" because of not realizing that it was a parasite that got the upper-hand from a bad case of mites or something similar.

You know, I would imagine that this is a problem that occurs more than we know. One reason I had such a hard time figuring out what was going on is that so little is written about it. There are very few references to it on BYC and the few I found are years old with little follow-up as to how the situation was resolved.

If nothing else it's a good example of why it's important to get a stool sample tested. I've no doubt she'd be dead by now had I not done that.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

FINAL UPDATE: I finally got a second stool sample to the vet last week. It showed that there were NO spirochetes in the droppings, confirming that the spirochetes were the problem and the medication resolved it. They've been off the meds for 3 weeks so we can again consume eggs. YIPPEE!

She's still not laid again, though. I'm guessing her getting sick as the season was changing and the days getting shorter hasn't helped matters. I did find her rooting around in the nesting box yesterday, which is more than she's done since she first got sick. I miss her eggs. They're a beautiful shade of blue and they make me smile every time I got one!