Ongoing Messy Backside - Looking for assistance with diagnosis

[lebanonfarmstead]

Hi All,
I have an 18 month old ameraucana with a health issue I can't seem to figure out. She has had a messy backside now and again but with normal poops from what I can tell. I had given her baths a couple of times when that happened in the past, but about 10 days ago I noticed a change.

The feathers below her vent were really stuck together with balls of hard poop. I cleaned her and bathed her. A couple of days later I noticed her in the coop roosting by herself and when I checked her she had fresh blood on the end of some of her backside feathers and crusty poop bottom. She has been separated from the flock for the past week where she continues to eat, drink and behave normally.

She has normal poop most days but I have also seen clear discharge coming from her vent. Earlier she had one or two really watery poops, clear and then with streaks of the white urates, like she drank too much water. There is no strong odor from her vent, nor does it look inflamed or red to me. Her comb and eyes seem good. She (and the rest of flock) haven't been laying for a while since they started molting in the late fall, but this week in the crate she has laid three eggs, all normal.

I have been reading through tons of posts and poop pictures but still can't figure it out. Because of the chalky white under her vent on her skin, my guess was vent gleet. Treatment thus far has been daily baths, ACV in her water, feeding a tsp of plain yogurt and putting clotrimazole cream around her vent. I have not seen any blood or worms in her poop. For two days her feathers stayed clean but then today she had a loose poop and messy bottom feathers. I've attached a picture for reference.

I have not yet done a fecal test but that would be my next step to check for cocci. She and the flock are fed normal layer feed and use a nipple waterer.

Any thoughts or suggestions on what it could be or treatment options would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Tonyroo]

@Eggcessive , can you take a look, thanks.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

I think a fecal float is a good idea, though I think worms is more likely than coccidiosis.

The white on her vent may just be from wet urates since there doesn't seem to be any other sign of gleet.

 

[lebanonfarmstead]

Okay thank you. Her condition remains the same so we are dropping off a sample at the Vet today.

 

[lebanonfarmstead]

Okay thank you. Her condition remains the same so we are dropping off a sample at the Vet today.

The test results came back today and apparently she has Capillaria worms (also know as hairworms or threadworms). The vet suggested treatment with Hygromycin B from Rooster Booster Multiwormer but I'm not sure that's the best course of action.

From what I have researched thus far, Safe-guard may be more appropriate. I welcome any thoughts or suggestions.

I would be treating the entire flock of course.

Thanks.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Lebanonfarmstead, how is your hen? I am in CT as well. I hope things are going well for your flock.

 

[lebanonfarmstead]

Thanks very much for checking in. We just gave the flock their second dose of safe guard dewormer paste two days ago and everyone is doing well. I’m waiting for a warm day to give the messy bottom hen a bath to make sure the safe guard did the trick.

The first dose we tried to administer on a piece of bread and the second we used injecting it into a blueberry. Both methods weren’t great as some of the chickens would shake the food until the medicine came off or would avoid the paste altogether. For the more challenging ones we just squirted a pea size dose in their mouth. They hated it of course. Poor things.
Behavior for all are good and they are eating and drinking normally.