Help while I wait for vet appt 🙏🏻🐓💜

[ChickyMudder]

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice for my Lilac girl. She is a 4 year old Lavendar Orpington who seems to be feeling sick. Some history: In June/July 2024 Lilac stopped laying and seemed sick.. lethargic, swollen abdominal area, yellowish poops.. I took her to the vet who drained some liquid and put her on antibiotics which helped! She has been healthy for past 6-7 months. However with Spring on the horizon I’m seeing some of those same symptoms reappearing.. lethargic, laying around a lot, I can hear a bit of gurgling breathing when she is laying down (especially at night). Also she stopped roosting because I think it’s hard for her to jump a few weeks ago.. She is eating, drinking and will walk around for a bit but laying down much more. Her poops are not yellow.. very normal actually. I have another vet appt on Wednesday of next week (she canceled on me today because she was sick-vet) I have some antibiotics on hand and wondering if I should start anything… thoughts? I don’t see signs of infection so not sure.. if I had to guess maybe cancer of reproductive system..? Her tummy feels a bit swollen… not too much though… she has so many feathers it’s hard to tell. Here is what I have on hand:
3 injections of LA 200
Fish Amox 250
Doxyvet-pigeon
Battrill 10%
I can tell she is going downhill slowly and I hate to wait a week with no treatment for vet… should I start any of these? I love this girl so I’m trying to help her. Here is a pic of her today.

Sounds like water belly. I had a hen do this intermittantly. I brought her inside, withheld water in large amounts, moistened her feed, and gave her extra protein in her feed.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice for my Lilac girl. She is a 4 year old Lavendar Orpington who seems to be feeling sick. Some history: In June/July 2024 Lilac stopped laying and seemed sick.. lethargic, swollen abdominal area, yellowish poops.. I took her to the vet who drained some liquid and put her on antibiotics which helped! She has been healthy for past 6-7 months. However with Spring on the horizon I’m seeing some of those same symptoms reappearing.. lethargic, laying around a lot, I can hear a bit of gurgling breathing when she is laying down (especially at night). Also she stopped roosting because I think it’s hard for her to jump a few weeks ago.. She is eating, drinking and will walk around for a bit but laying down much more. Her poops are not yellow.. very normal actually. I have another vet appt on Wednesday of next week (she canceled on me today because she was sick-vet) I have some antibiotics on hand and wondering if I should start anything… thoughts? I don’t see signs of infection so not sure.. if I had to guess maybe cancer of reproductive system..? Her tummy feels a bit swollen… not too much though… she has so many feathers it’s hard to tell. Here is what I have on hand:
3 injections of LA 200
Fish Amox 250
Doxyvet-pigeon
Battrill 10%
I can tell she is going downhill slowly and I hate to wait a week with no treatment for vet… should I start any of these? I love this girl so I’m trying to help her. Here is a pic of her today.

You can reduce and control her access to water. It sounds like water belly from heart or liver failure.
I saved a hen from dying with water belly by reducing her water for 24 hours and then to just a cup a day until it was resolved.
This will at least keep her alive until you can get to the vet.

The vet is prolonging her life by draining her. Its more about fluid management then antibiotics.

 

[ANiceKaren]

Sounds like water belly. I had a hen do this intermittantly. I brought her inside, withheld water in large amounts, moistened her feed, and gave her extra protein in her feed.


You can reduce and control her access to water. It sounds like water belly from heart or liver failure.
I saved a hen from dying with water belly by reducing her water for 24 hours and then to just a cup a day until it was resolved.
This will at least keep her alive until you can get to the vet.

The vet is prolonging her life by draining her. Its more about fluid management then antibiotics.

Thank you… that’s really helpful information.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

LA 200 is used as an injection in cows once, or again in 3 days. It is oxytetracycline that is use in chicken more for respiratory diseases. The amoxicillin or Baytril is used more often for reproductive infection. Baytril use is frowned upon in chickens by the FDA and vets, but it can be effective against E.coli and other bacteria that may lead to infection.

I agree, I'd use the Baytril.

See that she's drinking very well and staying hydrated. Eating normal feed if possible, bits of egg or fish may be of interest to her as well.

 

[ANiceKaren]

Hey everyone.. an update for my Lilac. We had our vet appt today.. sadly Lilac has cancer (most likely reproductive) she was able to compare X-rays from 7 months ago and it showed enlarged liver, reproductive area, spots on lungs… she gave us some Excede for possible 2nd hand respitory infection… she didn’t have a swollen abdomen so no need to drain her. She also gave anti inflammatories and pain meds to keep her comfortable. I’m sad but hoping for some more time with her. She is ok.. quality of life still worth living the vet did mention a probiotic to give her while on antibiotic… a paste? Would anyone know what that is and how much to give her? thanks everyone for all the help with Lilac Here she is at the vet and home afterwards with her flock

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Oh my gosh I am so sorry........

 

[BigBlueHen53]

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about the cancer diagnosis.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Hopefully the medications will keep her fairly comfortable. It's good that she's still up and moving about, enjoying the sunshine and can be with her flock.

Paste probiotics? Possible your vet was talking about Probios, but hard to know. There's many probiotics on the market that you can offer to poultry.

 

[ANiceKaren]

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Hopefully the medications will keep her fairly comfortable. It's good that she's still up and moving about, enjoying the sunshine and can be with her flock.

Paste probiotics? Possible your vet was talking about Probios, but hard to know. There's many probiotics on the market that you can offer to poultry.

Thank you! That’s the one she mentioned.. I confirmed