Weak baby chick, possibly cocci, please help!

[abserbean]

probably yolk sac, everything I'm reading about cocci says they are too young. The first one we lost was weak from hatch, but this little one was running around, cute as a button and healthy, then took a sudden turn for the worse. Should I stop the corid with the other chicks then? I'm thinking cocci is a distant possibility, even though we had the bloody poop. My other three seem very healthy, but so did this guy right up until it wasn't. I guess a different antibiotic would have been a better bet to try and save the chick, you live and learn I suppose. I didn't think I would be this sad, but after holding the chick all evening and syringe feeding it, I was really hoping it would turn around. Just glad my daughter is away at summer camp, she would be a mess.

 

[casportpony]

Yolk sac infection are very difficult to treat... I've only managed to save a couple and I did that by treating them with Baytril.

-Kathy

 

[abserbean]

Thanks Kathy-I've been on here long enough to know that you know what you're talking about! I hate that I couldn't save the chick, but I knew he was pretty sick when we started. I guess I'll take the others off the corid water, and watch for any signs of infection in them. So far they look good, but so did this little guy until he didn't. The nest got a little dirty during this hatch, two of our broody's 13week old chicks kept getting in the nest to sleep with Lillie and the eggs. We would remove them, but they did poop in the nest a few times. Lillie cleaned up the nest, but a few eggs got a little dirty. I decided not to wash them after reading everything, but one of the dirty ones didn't hatch, and one was this chick, so maybe I should have.

 

[casportpony]

The ones I lost this year got it hatching from clean eggs in an incubator. Doesn't take much, just a little bacteria on the umbilicus can kill them.

-Kathy

 

[lightchick]

Aw. So sorry!

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[abserbean]

So now one of my other healthy chicks is acting a little lethargic. Nothing like the two that passed, but def. less perky than yesterday. I have seen it drink, but doesn't seem to be eating when she calls the chicks over for eating. It is still peeping and walking, but will tend to stand still by itself for a while before running over to the others. I may just be paranoid, but I'm sure I see a change from yesterday. Should I start this new chick on some meds? Which ones? I really don't want to lose another chick, and the others went down so fast. I'll watch a little longer, but I'm thinking I may have to try and intervene. And the feed store is already closed for the day. Should I do the corid? Our last hatch was so healthy, just feeling a little helpless right now. What about human antibiotics? I have some left over amoxillician and ciprofloxacin from my son's ear infection last month. Uggh! I hate sick babies. Thanks for any help.

 

[abserbean]

I also have cephalexin, 500 mg, and clindamycin, 300mg. Would any of these help if the chick also has a bacterial infection? And what doses? I don't want to play around with the chicken, but if it is going down like the others I have a small window to do something. Thanks for any help.

 

[casportpony]

Problem is dosing such a small one. Cipro would probably be best, but you would have to find a way to make it into a suspension. Water doesn't work because the pills are really soluble. Call a vet and ask them if you can get some of the suspension stuff they use... not with medication, just the suspension they use when they crush Baytril tabs for cats. With the right amount of that it's doable.

-Kathy

Disclaimer: I am not a vet and it would be best to seek the advice of one if possible!

 

[casportpony]

Can you post a picture of it's poop?

-Kathy