Help vets offices closed

[Themellowyellows]

Oh my, this thread breaks my heart. I do have experience with Nutri-Drentch and it's like my saving grace. Everytime a chicken is sick, I give them it, and put some in the water and I feel like they perk up. Perhaps, it is to late for your baby. I am so sorry you are going through this and I can't imagine how hard it must be on you. Sending prayers your way.

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you call the state lab this am and ask about how they prefer her to be put down? Many people remove the head with a pair of very sharp loppers. Occasionally, the state lab may dispatch the chicken themselves if you ask.

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

Thanks @Eggcessive . I had a really good talk w/the state lab guy who gave an hypothesis and instructions on best thing to do. His preference was to have her euthanized in vet office where body parts could be immediately put in formalin. I'm waiting to hear back from vet office about what they're able and willing to do. He didn't think my trying to have neighbor euthanize and then my sending her body in by mail would be as helpful (lab is across the state from me).

State guy hypothesized it could be parathyroid tumor causing hypokalemia and the reason crop is full is her body can no longer really process calcium (or any food? I guess even NutriDrench...). He thought what I have been doing--water and NutriDrench was a humane/good thing to do in her circumstance but that it also sounded like she won't recover and dispatching her would be good.

 

[Appalachickens]

This is so hard. Just know that you have lots of people following this journey and sending love to you and Chicago.

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

@Appalachickens thank you for your kind words. I brought her to the neighbors a couple hrs ago for culling so I assume the deed is done by now. I hope it went smoothly and am glad she's no longer miserable. Since it had been several hours with no call back from vet I decided to forego idea of necropsy and just end any suffering sooner rather than later.

Can't say how grateful I am to everyone here for giving so much incredible support. It's scary when your bird is really sick but you don't know what's wrong or what to do. Just knowing someone is out there who cares and is trying to help makes all the difference.

 

[WhatsUpDuck]

I'm so sorry Maybe this will help others later who have a sick bird with ideas on how to treat. We can have peace knowing that the animal is no longer suffering and never will. God cares for His creatures too!

LORD JESUS is KING of kings and LORD of lords!

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

@WhatsUpDuck, I believe an animal with a personality, a chicken for example, has some sort of soul. The animal does not choose good nor evil but does have a self and that self matters. The state vet was telling me certain animals-- like crocodiles and snakes-- are so primitive that really all they ever process is eating to stay alive. No other mentation or sense of self. That is not the chicken.

I hope her short life was an Ok one and that she is someplace else in some state of tranquility, getting as many mealworms as she wants.

 

[FrostRanger]

@Appalachickens thank you for your kind words. I brought her to the neighbors a couple hrs ago for culling so I assume the deed is done by now. I hope it went smoothly and am glad she's no longer miserable. Since it had been several hours with no call back from vet I decided to forego idea of necropsy and just end any suffering sooner rather than later.

Can't say how grateful I am to everyone here for giving so much incredible support. It's scary when your bird is really sick but you don't know what's wrong or what to do. Just knowing someone is out there who cares and is trying to help makes all the difference.

You can still get a necropsy, it may not be their preferred means of putting her down but they should still be able to tell you what's going on anyways

 

[SouthDakotaLiving]

You can still get a necropsy, it may not be their preferred means of putting her down but they should still be able to tell you what's goin

Thanks @FrostRanger. That was my original thought but neighbor was evasive about means to the end and it just wasn't a discussion we were able to have. Moreover, the state vet was a little skeptical about what might be discovered if shipping the body across the state.

I was pretty much done emotionally, by this point, so since vet never called, I went for what seemed most efficacious, as poor bird was still hanging on but in really bad shape. My priority changed to simply getting her culled--as quickly and humanely as possible.

Also, I thought state vet at least gave a reasonable hypothesis about what was wrong that seemed to fit the situation w/Chicago. Given that she was already old for her breed and I had an idea she might have had parathyroid cancer, I decided to let it go. That is, it seems likely nothing that could have been done to prevent her condition and the treatments or care I attempted were reasonable under the circumstances.

I weighed what might be learned against sticky situation with neighbor (trying to influence method of culling) and additional stress to me in attempting to ship the corpse. Hope that makes sense.

 

[FrostRanger]

Thanks @FrostRanger. That was my original thought but neighbor was evasive about means to the end and it just wasn't a discussion we were able to have. Moreover, the state vet was a little skeptical about what might be discovered if shipping the body across the state. I was pretty much done emotionally, by this point, so since vet never called, I went for what seemed most efficacious, as poor bird was still hanging on but in really bad shape. My priority changed to simply getting her culled--as quickly, as humanely as possible.

Also, I thought state vet at least gave a reasonable hypothesis about what was wrong that seemed to fit the situation w/Chicago. Given that she was already old for her breed and I had an idea she might have had parathyroid cancer, I decided to let it go. That is, it seems it likely was nothing that could have been prevented and the treatments or care I attempted were reasonable under the circumstances but not sufficient to address the underlying condition(s).

I weighed what might be learned against sticky situation with neighbor (trying to influence method of culling) and additional stress to me in attempting to ship the corpse. Hope that makes sense.

Totally fair, I also agree with the state vet's assessment that it's either cancer or something along those lines. Production breeds are unfortunately notoriously prone to health problems and thus don't live very long. Hopefully your remaining birds live long healthy lives