Chicken with swollen eyelid, congested sounding breathing and sluggish, please help!

[Eggcessive]

I’m sorry no one else replied to your thread in the last 2 days. I have been pretty busy, just answering threads here or there. As I said earlier I have no experience with canker or the bleeding from the plaques becoming dislodged. I’m glad the bleeding has stopped. You could resume the ACS if you wish. The poor thing looks worn out. I don’t know if she will get better or if it might be better to have your dad put her down. I would probably put her down because canker is chronic and although she might improve, she will always have it in her body. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[ArtsyChicken25]

I’m sorry no one else replied to your thread in the last 2 days. I have been pretty busy, just answering threads here or there. As I said earlier I have no experience with canker or the bleeding from the plaques becoming dislodged. I’m glad the bleeding has stopped. You could resume the ACS if you wish. The poor thing looks worn out. I don’t know if she will get better or if it might be better to have your dad put her down. I would probably put her down because canker is chronic and although she might improve, she will always have it in her body. Let us know how she gets along.

No worries, seriously I appreciate all of the help you’ve been with trying to help my chickie girl get better. It’s a very lonely and overwhelming feeling trying to treat a chicken that’s unwell because there are so many different things it could be, everyone’s input here has been very helpful!

I don’t know for sure what the bleeding was from, it has stopped since then. She’s still drinking plenty and yesterday I got a few syringes full of applesauce with probiotics in her mouth a little bit at a time. She seems to really like the applesauce because she’s even picking at it in her bowl on her own, even though she hates stuff sticking to her beak. I’m going to crush up some feed crumbles into a powder and mix it with the applesauce and try to give her some today. She ate some chopped red pepper and apple last night too.

Though I am considering having her put to rest, I’m going to monitor her for a little longer. I’ll keep you updated on her well-being and if I have any questions I’ll post them.

 

[ArtsyChicken25]

Hi all here’s an update:
Her condition is about the same, still drinking and eating a little chopped veggies and fruit. I’ve been syringe feeding her some liquid crumbles with some unsweetened applesauce and probiotics when I get home from work. Today I had her in my lap and was giving her some food, I was looking through her feathers for mites when I noticed a golf ball sized bubble between her neck and right wing. I thought it might be her crop until I touched it and realized it was just air under a very thin layer of skin. When I pressed it slightly I could hear her puff out the air through a bit, and the bubble completely deflated. Then it would sometimes fill up again and she would have a harder time breathing, the air seeming to travel up under her left side jaw when exhaling.
Doing some research I just read about possible air sac ruptures, and that they could be caused from injury or respiratory issues. I’ve never heard of this before now.
I watched a few videos of people relieving the trapped air with a sterile needle and gently pushing the air out. I’m thinking of attempting this tomorrow, it does seem to be a reason she’s having a harder time breathing.

Here’s one article I read:
https://poultrydvm.com/condition/airsacculitis

 

[ArtsyChicken25]

We put her to rest yesterday evening. She was declining, she couldn’t get much food in her anymore.
Fortunately yesterday was really good weather, so when I got home from work I took her outside until sunset so she could scratch around for worms with my second chicken and dust bathe in the sun before she was put to sleep. It hurts my soul to make the decision, but it hurt seeing her in discomfort.
I loved her so much.. She’s buried next to a couple of my previous chickens, I’m working on growing and planting a bunch of wild flowers where they rest.
Also my mom and I found that she was older than we thought, she was about 11 years old (we got our chickens in 2013).
Thank you to everyone who tried to help her get better along with me.