To answer questions about Dumpling's symptoms & treatment, I'm updating this 1st post to provide that info. Additions in italics.
Tribute to Dumpling here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1832725#p1832725
ETA: SATURDAY
Noticed these symptoms & that they seemed quite extreme:
extreme lethargy
droopy tail
lack of enthusiasm for food
watery droppings (had been so for a long time)
previous infection by & treatment for cocci in Jan (blood in droppings)
significant weight loss in past week
quit laying eggs on 3/15
Dumpling jumped on my lap & just wanted to be held. This was unusual.
SUNDAY
I posted on that I had realized my BR, Dumpling, was really lethargic & seemed quite sick. Thanks to PouletdeCajun, I discovered that she had roundworms.
upon examination found white worms in fecal matter
MONDAY
We started treatment with Wazine for the entire flock (all 4 birds). Dumpling only came when called rather than greet me when I walked outside. She was able to get on the roost in their coop.
additional symptoms: weakness, unwillingness to come when called
TUESDAY (today)
DBF picked me up from work and said that Dumpling was really, really sick. He wanted to get home so that we could get her in the house asap (you know it's bad when the man wants to bring a notoriously poopy chicken inside). When we got home, she was lying on the ground in the yard, too weak to move. Her comb is grey-ish red.
We brought her inside the house and put her in a box. She seems to be in & out of consciousness. When she's awake, we're able to get some mash of yogurt & chick feed into her. She's also taken a bit of boiled egg. I've set the timer for 45-min intervals to try to get her to eat and drink, allowing her to rest in between periods. She seems eager to eat when she's aware of the food. It's a challenge to wake her.
Gave her Poly-Vi-Sol liquid (about $11/bottle) and Pedialyte at 45-60 minute intervals. She stopped accepting fluids around 4:30a and died around 6:00a in my arms. I knew she was on her way and so I made a point of holding her until she died so that she could be in the comfort of her flock mistress.
In researching roundworms I found lots of info about them. They're present in earthworms and earwigs, as well as several other ground-dwelling insects. Those 2 stuck in my mind because I'vve got both in my yard. These worms can be transferred to other chickens, pets, and humans. Chickens with a heavy load of roundworms are more susceptible to cocci, which I didn't know when I treated her for cocci in Jan. Had I known, I would have treated her for worms at the same time.
TREATMENT
There's lots of info about worming out there but not much about how long to dose. I chose Wazine 17 (piperazine) because it was available quickly at the feed store. Cost was about $5-6. Give in water for 24 hours (withhold water overnight). Withdrawal periods vary depending upon the resource you read - anywhere from "3 eggs" to 17 days.
Other treatments are available and can range from general wormers (any worm) to specific types, and from topical to oral administration.
Lesson learned: worm your chickens and know the symptoms, expecially since cocci & worms often go together. I lost a very good chicken today because of this hard-learned lesson. She was a good girl.
Tribute to Dumpling here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1832725#p1832725
ETA: SATURDAY
Noticed these symptoms & that they seemed quite extreme:
extreme lethargy
droopy tail
lack of enthusiasm for food
watery droppings (had been so for a long time)
previous infection by & treatment for cocci in Jan (blood in droppings)
significant weight loss in past week
quit laying eggs on 3/15
Dumpling jumped on my lap & just wanted to be held. This was unusual.
SUNDAY
I posted on that I had realized my BR, Dumpling, was really lethargic & seemed quite sick. Thanks to PouletdeCajun, I discovered that she had roundworms.
upon examination found white worms in fecal matter
MONDAY
We started treatment with Wazine for the entire flock (all 4 birds). Dumpling only came when called rather than greet me when I walked outside. She was able to get on the roost in their coop.
additional symptoms: weakness, unwillingness to come when called
TUESDAY (today)
DBF picked me up from work and said that Dumpling was really, really sick. He wanted to get home so that we could get her in the house asap (you know it's bad when the man wants to bring a notoriously poopy chicken inside). When we got home, she was lying on the ground in the yard, too weak to move. Her comb is grey-ish red.
We brought her inside the house and put her in a box. She seems to be in & out of consciousness. When she's awake, we're able to get some mash of yogurt & chick feed into her. She's also taken a bit of boiled egg. I've set the timer for 45-min intervals to try to get her to eat and drink, allowing her to rest in between periods. She seems eager to eat when she's aware of the food. It's a challenge to wake her.
Gave her Poly-Vi-Sol liquid (about $11/bottle) and Pedialyte at 45-60 minute intervals. She stopped accepting fluids around 4:30a and died around 6:00a in my arms. I knew she was on her way and so I made a point of holding her until she died so that she could be in the comfort of her flock mistress.
In researching roundworms I found lots of info about them. They're present in earthworms and earwigs, as well as several other ground-dwelling insects. Those 2 stuck in my mind because I'vve got both in my yard. These worms can be transferred to other chickens, pets, and humans. Chickens with a heavy load of roundworms are more susceptible to cocci, which I didn't know when I treated her for cocci in Jan. Had I known, I would have treated her for worms at the same time.
TREATMENT
There's lots of info about worming out there but not much about how long to dose. I chose Wazine 17 (piperazine) because it was available quickly at the feed store. Cost was about $5-6. Give in water for 24 hours (withhold water overnight). Withdrawal periods vary depending upon the resource you read - anywhere from "3 eggs" to 17 days.
Other treatments are available and can range from general wormers (any worm) to specific types, and from topical to oral administration.
Lesson learned: worm your chickens and know the symptoms, expecially since cocci & worms often go together. I lost a very good chicken today because of this hard-learned lesson. She was a good girl.
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-I said a prayer for you
