9 year old asttalorpe hen.... respiratory or circulatory/pulminary?

[rbc-bow-chicka]

I have a 9 year old astralorpe hen who has been wheezing and snitting (?-- The word for the sneeze that is not a sneeze, but like trying to expel something) for the past week or so.

No signs of respiratory illness. Had been eating, but has gone off her food. Thin, watery poop with small green chunks. Not looking good. In the light, I can also see that her comb is quite dark

I treated for 3 days with Ronidazole (sp) 10% in the event of canker as we have had it here. No signs in her mouth, but further down? Also used acidified copper sulfate, because really-- why not. She is NINE. Then wormed for 3 days with safeguard. No changes. I decided to give her a dose of valbazen just in case of gape. Got a little into her with some water, but she was 'sneezing'... snitting... and looking more distressed, so we stopped that.

I have an even older black sex link in the same coop with a sneeze-like going.... but she eats and drinks and runs around acting like herself..

In an effort to hit all the possibilities, I now have oxitet in the water. After this, I am out of guesses.

I loaded a 10 sec video of the wheezing to youtube.

Maybe I'm looking at a heart problem? Or obstruction? Thoughts? I would like to see if anyone has any ideas before we put her down.

 

[alinas2010]

Aw sorry to hear about your hen. Nine is so impressive; a nod to the great care she very clearly receives how is she doing now?

Something like water belly is what comes to my mind since nothing else has worked. Do you think she may be having a hard time breathing because she has ascites or something else like a tumor making it tough to get air in? Is her abdomen enlarged at all?

Did your other hen’s sneezing improve?

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

I have a 9 year old astralorpe hen who has been wheezing and snitting (?-- The word for the sneeze that is not a sneeze, but like trying to expel something) for the past week or so.

No signs of respiratory illness. Had been eating, but has gone off her food. Thin, watery poop with small green chunks. Not looking good. In the light, I can also see that her comb is quite dark

I treated for 3 days with Ronidazole (sp) 10% in the event of canker as we have had it here. No signs in her mouth, but further down? Also used acidified copper sulfate, because really-- why not. She is NINE. Then wormed for 3 days with safeguard. No changes. I decided to give her a dose of valbazen just in case of gape. Got a little into her with some water, but she was 'sneezing'... snitting... and looking more distressed, so we stopped that.

I have an even older black sex link in the same coop with a sneeze-like going.... but she eats and drinks and runs around acting like herself..

In an effort to hit all the possibilities, I now have oxitet in the water. After this, I am out of guesses.

I loaded a 10 sec video of the wheezing to youtube.

Maybe I'm looking at a heart problem? Or obstruction? Thoughts? I would like to see if anyone has any ideas before we put her down.

Awww, so very sorry to hear this! Nine is a very impressive age! I recently lost my Buff Orpington, Willow, who was 9yrs old. Just old age for her. I'm sorry, I do not know how to advise you, just dropping by to give you and your sweet hens morale support.

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous ~ in case you have any advice...

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Awww, so very sorry to hear this! Nine is a very impressive age! I recently lost my Buff Orpington, Willow, who was 9yrs old. Just old age for her. I'm sorry, I do not know how to advise you, just dropping by to give you and your sweet hens morale support.

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous ~ in case you have any advice...

Thank you. I truly appreciate that.

It has honestly been a struggle. To try to balance using our limited resources (powdered antibiotics) on a 9 year old gal when there might not be any benefit.

I had an 'A HA!' moment yesterday and tried some chick crumble and she went bonkers for it... still wheezing, though muffled with the mouth full.

I sincerely appreciate you stopping by!

 

[rbc-bow-chicka]

Aw sorry to hear about your hen. Nine is so impressive; a nod to the great care she very clearly receives how is she doing now?

Something like water belly is what comes to my mind since nothing else has worked. Do you think she may be having a hard time breathing because she has ascites or something else like a tumor making it tough to get air in? Is her abdomen enlarged at all?

Did your other hen’s sneezing improve?

I had not considered water belly. She does not feel... full....but I will give her another once over when the sun comes up.

The wheezing was not helped by the antibiotic. The only other thing I hadn't tried was something for yeast. Her breath doesn't smell funky at all.

I am leaning toward obstruction.... like a tumor. Unless she ate something just too large to move down. But there is nothing in the retired girl run except for the occasional gecko or toad.. it has been a long time now, tho.

Oddly enough.... I told my husband yesterday.... 'it is time'.... and as he came up to the porch, I was leaning over checking on her. Lo and behold she had some solid poop. Complete with white cap. Only problem-- it was green. So I guess she had been taking in enough food and water for that to improve in that area. I also had the epiphany... maybe try chick crumble. She went nuts for it. She cleaned her dish out, wheezing and eating with a lot of gusto. AND she didn't aspirate, as she wheezed all night.

The other hen... no significant change in either direction.

Thank you for your response!

 

[NewcoopNewpoop]

If the hen is wheezing and snitting then it is respiratory. Upper or lower it still is what it is.
That doesn't mean it can't be a tumor. My late hen Toesy had snitting which absolved with 21 days of antibiotics, but then it reappeared with wheezing before she died. She had palpable tumors on her breast which likely obstructed her lungs or airway.

 

[Eggcessive]

In the video she sounds like she may have some stridor and gasping. Stridor is the sound made when a small piece of feed, a mucus plug, or swelling, partially obstructs the airways. It may disappear when her airway clears with a cough or snick. It is good that she is eating some now. That should improve the droppings. At her age, I would try to make her comfortable with the feed she likes. I have only had a few hens live to 10 or 11, so she has had a good life.