MissGreenJeans
Songster
Hi, fellow keepers. I’m sad and confused, and I hope some experienced folks will offer an opinion about my situation.
Bird:
2.5-year-old Ameraucana
Origin and environment:
Purchased from Chickens for Backyards, arrived via mail a couple of days after hatch, vaccinated for Marek’s. Closed flock since, no free ranging, pretty strict biosecurity measures, no close neighbors with chickens. Can share more if requested.
Symptoms:
Staring at the time of a hard molt (approx. 4 weeks ago), increasing inappetence, ongoing weight loss, increasing lethargy, crop never totally empties but is not large, poop variable: often watery, sometimes with green bits, sometimes yellowish, then more normal-looking after a single tube feeding at vet (pics attached)
Ruled out at vet:
Parasites, including coccidia, crop impaction, sour crop, total crop stasis (crop contractions observed, barium study done with x-rays), lead/metal poisoning, tumors. Vet did see what she thought might be an ovarian cyst on x-ray but doesn’t think it is causing symptoms.
Treatment tried:
Prozyme, offering a ton of different foods, brought inside to hospital crate, a single tube feeding at vet three days ago, which perked her up and did prompt some eating (only watermelon, a little Kaytee Exact and her own poop—lots of that)
Possible diagnosis:
My vet thinks it may be Marek’s. I assume it would be the visceral version. My bird has zero paralysis, limping or other similar symptoms, no cutaneous symptoms, and her eyes are normal.
I realize that I can’t know if I now do have Marek’s in my flock unless my chicken dies and I have PCR testing done when I take her for necropsy. But does Marek’s sound likely to you, given the info above? Has anyone had a similar experience?
Lots of poop:
Yesterday (Friday), after tube feeding on Wednesday afternoon and a lot of watermelon
Last week, when not eating much of anything
Last week, when not eating much of anything
Last week, when not eating much of anything
Week before last
This morning
Bird:
2.5-year-old Ameraucana
Origin and environment:
Purchased from Chickens for Backyards, arrived via mail a couple of days after hatch, vaccinated for Marek’s. Closed flock since, no free ranging, pretty strict biosecurity measures, no close neighbors with chickens. Can share more if requested.
Symptoms:
Staring at the time of a hard molt (approx. 4 weeks ago), increasing inappetence, ongoing weight loss, increasing lethargy, crop never totally empties but is not large, poop variable: often watery, sometimes with green bits, sometimes yellowish, then more normal-looking after a single tube feeding at vet (pics attached)
Ruled out at vet:
Parasites, including coccidia, crop impaction, sour crop, total crop stasis (crop contractions observed, barium study done with x-rays), lead/metal poisoning, tumors. Vet did see what she thought might be an ovarian cyst on x-ray but doesn’t think it is causing symptoms.
Treatment tried:
Prozyme, offering a ton of different foods, brought inside to hospital crate, a single tube feeding at vet three days ago, which perked her up and did prompt some eating (only watermelon, a little Kaytee Exact and her own poop—lots of that)
Possible diagnosis:
My vet thinks it may be Marek’s. I assume it would be the visceral version. My bird has zero paralysis, limping or other similar symptoms, no cutaneous symptoms, and her eyes are normal.
I realize that I can’t know if I now do have Marek’s in my flock unless my chicken dies and I have PCR testing done when I take her for necropsy. But does Marek’s sound likely to you, given the info above? Has anyone had a similar experience?
Lots of poop:
Yesterday (Friday), after tube feeding on Wednesday afternoon and a lot of watermelon
Last week, when not eating much of anything
Last week, when not eating much of anything
Last week, when not eating much of anything
Week before last
This morning
) 
