Neurological Issues In Chickens?

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh jeez. No, she's not laying. She stopped laying when winter came and hasn't started up again despite it being sunny and warm here. Our local vet specializes in avian care, so I'm sure we'll be able to get a fecal float. If she does have a reproductive disorder, is there a way to test her for it? Is she suffering? Is it cruel to keep her alive?

@Wyorp Rock I looked up treatments for ovarian cancer, and "Salpingohysterectomy", or spaying of chickens, is one of the treatments listed. Is this an actual possibility? Is it considered cruel?

See more at: http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/ovarian-cancer

There is no test for reproductive disorders, but an avian vet may be able to perform an xray to see if there's a mass.

Some do give their hens Suprelorin implants to stop them from laying and there have been a couple that have had surgery.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/any-luck-with-surgery.1284583/

While it's interesting to me that some people may take these steps. Personally I would not put a hen through surgery nor even implants. I will offer supportive care and see that they eat/drink are comfortable, etc. but there comes a time when the end is near and putting them out of their misery is the right thing to do.

Consulting your vet is always a good idea. They can tell you the risks involved and hopefully they will be honest with you.

 

[Elie And Her Flock]

@Wyorp Rock
Just had our vet's assistant send in my hen's poop to a lab to do a fecal float. Never thought I'd say this, but I'm praying for worms! Our vet is on a work trip and won't be back until Monday to give her an X-ray. Hopefully she can hold on until then. She's living in my room for now, she was having a hard time getting around the coop since lots of things require jumping and she would often get herself stuck.

She hasn't moved from the same 2 square feet of towel I layed out for her in the last day, which is a little concerning but at least she can turn around in a circle on the towel. She doesn't even need a cage! She's just hanging out with a bowl of blueberries, some grower feed mixed with water (since she's not laying I stopped giving her layer feed, should I continue?), and a nice bowl of water mixed with Pedialyte.

She keeps putting her breast (a little underneath her crop area) on her water or food bowl to support it. Every time I move the water or food so she doesn't get herself wet, she shuffles to wherever I've placed it (and doesn't eat or drink it), and plops herself onto it. I'm wondering if she's in pain and needs some kind of thing to support her body? She's been asleep most of the day, but when she's up, her breathing is uneven, and though I can't hear her rasping or anything, it's heavy and labored, almost like she's letting out a death shudder. Kind of scaring me.

Is she in pain? Is there something I can give her for that? If so, what pain medicine would you recommend, and how should I administer it? And in what dosage?

How can I make her more comfortable? Is there certain things that chickens like or don't like when it comes to comfort? Do they like blankets? What temperature should my room be? More light or less light? She seems to like it when I play really mellow music, so that's good. Sorry for all the questions! I'm so worried about her.

 

[LaFleche]

Is she in pain? Is there something I can give her for that? If so, what pain medicine would you recommend, and how should I administer it? And in what dosage?

How can I make her more comfortable? Is there certain things that chickens like or don't like when it comes to comfort? Do they like blankets? What temperature should my room be? More light or less light? She seems to like it when I play really mellow music, so that's good. Sorry for all the questions! I'm so worried about her.

I just love your text and how much you care and want to help or at least make her comfortable

But just as @Wyorp Rock already stated, this seems to be an internal disease, most likely of the reproductive system where not good outcome is to be expected.

You could twist a big towel to some kind of ring to support her in the comfortable position. And see a vet.

 

[Elie And Her Flock]

I just love your text and how much you care and want to help or at least make her comfortable

But just as @Wyorp Rock already stated, this seems to be an internal disease, most likely of the reproductive system where not good outcome is to be expected.

You could twist a big towel to some kind of ring to support her in the comfortable position. And see a vet.

Thank you so much!! Do you know if Aspirin or Ibuprofen will ease her pain if it's internal, or do they just help externally? I'm obviously not expecting them to cure her, but perhaps just ease her pain while we're waiting for the vet to come back? There are no other small animal vets in our county. If the pain medicine won't help the pain at all if it's internal, then I probably shouldn't use it for fear of thinning out her blood.

 

[LaFleche]

Metacam/Meloxicam would be the better painkiller for chickens, a neighbor got this dosage for his 3 kg cockerel from an avian vet: Meloxicam1,5 ml/mg (liquid) 1 ml once a day. So it is 0,5 ml per kg bodyweight.

 

[Elie And Her Flock]

@LaFleche @Wyorp Rock shes now breathing with her mouth open, but it’s 65 degrees out and a decent breeze. Her breathing is ragged.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She keeps putting her breast (a little underneath her crop area) on her water or food bowl to support it. Every time I move the water or food so she doesn't get herself wet, she shuffles to wherever I've placed it (and doesn't eat or drink it), and plops herself onto it. I'm wondering if she's in pain and needs some kind of thing to support her body? She's been asleep most of the day, but when she's up, her breathing is uneven, and though I can't hear her rasping or anything, it's heavy and labored

How can I make her more comfortable? Is there certain things that chickens like or don't like when it comes to comfort? Do they like blankets? What temperature should my room be? More light or less light? She seems to like it when I play really mellow music, so that's good. Sorry for all the questions! I'm so worried about her.

@LaFleche @Wyorp Rock shes now breathing with her mouth open, but it’s 65 degrees out and a decent breeze. Her breathing is ragged.

I'm sorry she's not doing well.
You are making her as comfortable as you can.

 

[LaFleche]

@LaFleche @Wyorp Rock shes now breathing with her mouth open, but it’s 65 degrees out and a decent breeze. Her breathing is ragged.

This makes me think that she might just not make it until monday to see the vet.

Did you already de-worm her? Maybe she might eat some scrambled egg with mixed in de-wormer. There would be no harm in de-worming her before the results of the faecal float arrives.

 

[Elie And Her Flock]

@LaFleche @Wyorp Rock

Some news in the chicken world - the test results came back negative for worms, positive for Coccidia even though we treated her with the highest dosage (that we could for a chicken of her size) of ampromilium for 2 weeks.

After the first time she got sick and was given Corid for 2 weeks, we also put a medium dosage of Corid in our entire flock's water for around 3 weeks after just to be safe. Now, that she's sick again, it doesn't make much sense, especially since the rest of the flock is in perfect health.

We told our vet this, and he's super concerned. To quote his text - "If you've already treated her for such an extended period of time then my concern would be that the positive Coccidia results are a symptom rather then a cause."

Hopefully she'll be alright until Monday since he's on the other side of the country until then. There are no other exotic vets around for another 100 miles, and they cost a fortune. She's living in my room and has her own little space, and got a bath last night to wash the poop that had become uncrusted around her vent. I hope she'll be okay.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

test results came back negative for worms, positive for Coccidia even though we treated her with the highest dosage (that we could for a chicken of her size) of ampromilium for 2 weeks.

After the first time she got sick and was given Corid for 2 weeks, we also put a medium dosage of Corid in our entire flock's water for around 3 weeks

Glad you got the results back.

What dosage of Corid did you use? Do you have Liquid or Powdered Corid?

Amprolium is not based on weight, the dosage for all chickens is the same regardless of size, it's added to the drinking water.
Liquid Corid dosage is 2 teaspoons per gallon of water and Powdered Corid is 1 1/2 teaspoons per gallon of water. Give for 5-7 days as the only source of drinking water.

For some strains of Coccidia a sulfa drug would be more effective. Did your vet suggest treating her with another drug? SMZ-TMP may be better to use than Amprolium if you have been treating her with the correct doses.