# Suspected cocci



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I put one of my BR hens in the hospital cage this morning. Yesterday and this morning she excreted light and dark green runny poop with pure white tubular urate strands in the pen. At first it looked like the white urate strands were either sloughed intestinal lining or tapeworm strands, however they were neither. 
The hen is in molt, eating and drinking normally, wormed with wazine 3 weeks ago.
I got her started on 9.6% liquid corid this morning and she has been drinking it throughout the day. Her feces is back to normal and looking brown in color but still watery, that is due to the mid 90's heat and her water consumption.
I'll continue with the corid for 4 more days, then get her started on liquid pyrantel pamoate wormer for 3 days. Then a good dose of buttermilk mixed with chopped boiled egg to get her immune system and strength built back up.
Here's a couple of pics of my sick bay commando. I cleaned the the tray before taking the pics.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Cocci would be the most common ailment with those symptoms. I'm sure you've examined her for any common physical problem. I'm sure you'll be keeping an eye on what she eats and drinks. 

I would probably wait and see if Corid is working, and if not give Tylan. But that's me, not everyone agrees with "nothing to lose" by trying.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

Hope she gets better!

Here is an interesting article that a friend of mine sent me.
http://www.scienceinternational.com/fulltext/?doi=sciintl.2013.261.265

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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

That's a good article. I do like sulfadimethoxine. I like the fact that it has antibiotic qualities.

Dawg, how is the hen? I think your worming program is fine, your birds are healthy, I don't think you have any new birds. You don't seem to have a problem with immunosuppression. Did you check for a blockage? Has the poop gotten any better? How is her weight?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Not a good day yesterday as she was excreting watery dark and bright green poop, but mostly bright green in color that was tubular in shape, almost like you'd see with normal feces except the color difference. The corid was ineffective. I gave her pyrantel pamoate since green poop can possibly be a sign of worms, but I'm sure she was worm free to begin with anyway. She ate all the chopped boiled egg mixed with buttermilk. The buttermilk wouldve coated her intestinal lining slowing and preventing the spread of protozoal infection, but still no normal looking feces. I gave her one 250mg metronidazole pill in case I was dealing with anaerobic bacteria but was inconclusive.
She's in molt and preens herself normally. She eats like a hog and drinks alot of water most likely due to the heat (mid 90's.) I have the ceiling fan running. 
You'd never know there's anything wrong with her except for her discolored poop. I have some expired cephalexin (2015) but I'm reluctant to give it to her.
Late yesterday afternoon I decided to go the probiotic route and mix Probios in her water and made a watery slurry of Probios with feed in a bowl. She was really scoffing up the slurry and I actually had to remove it from her as it was almost sunset. 

If there is something internally wrong with her such as her liver, kidneys or even cancer...you'd never know it because she is acting normal. I did alot of research last night and everything points to a liver problem, however one key symptom is missing; she's not acting lethargic, sick or anything....just her abnormal looking feces. 
If there's no improvement in her feces today, I'm going to buy some Fishcillin (Ampicillin) at the feed store tomorrow, and follow it up with the metronidazole that I already have.
Another important thing is that I'm keeping her caged/separated from the others due to her feces contaminating the soil. We know chickens constantly pick the soil and if it's something contagious, I dont want my other birds picking up whatever it is. I dont mess around with chicken problems because I know how infective problems can be when it comes to birds. I throw the kitchen sink at them until there's a slight hint of something working, then I pinpoint what worked and treat accordingly. I'll let everyone know how it goes later today.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Graphic poop pics: I just checked on the hen for the first time this morning. Here are pics of the over night results. You can see in the pics the feathers, more importantly the feces looks like there is some brown in it, maybe a slight improvement without the bright green color. Note the smaller tubular shape.
I may have spoken too soon; she is dozing off while standing, not eating nor drinking...not good. She has just excreted clear watery feces, twice while I'm sitting here.
I just mixed up a batch of Sulmet and gave her 8cc's orally a little at a time, wait and see time.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

That poop looks like the mess my African Gray makes every time I go get her and for her that's normal.I hope your hen gets better,sometimes they get a little worse before they get better.Too bad they can't talk and tell you what's wrong instead of guessing by behavior and symptoms.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

The skinny poop does look like part of her intestine is constricted. Seen that in a couple of mine this year, but don't know what it was because I treated them for protozoas, worms, and bacteria.

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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

casportpony said:


> The skinny poop does look like part of her intestine is constricted. Seen that in a couple of mine this year, but don't know what it was because I treated them for protozoas, worms, and bacteria.
> .


Dawg, I would be doing what Kathy did, treat for protozoa, worms and bacteria. Maybe not for worms-I doubt you have a chicken with worms.
I would Not give probiotics especially with antibiotics. It defeats the purpose. Probiotics I believe, are for healthy chickens.
I would stick to one antibiotic, anticoccidial, and something for protozoa. Don't switch antibiotics. Amp is good. I have that in my medicine bag.

Is she skinny?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Thank you CQ, Kathy and Karen. She has been drinking the sulmet treated water quite a bit but only eating a little feed. Good point Kathy about the constricted gut, never thought about that, but I'm not so sure that's the problem. She just excreted, no tubular feces seen; still runny, green with white urates. See pic.
I stopped the probios late yesterday evening. I'll be getting the ampicillin in the morning.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

What does her cecal poop look like?

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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

Oh, and when I say constricted, I don't mean just something physical, like worms or damage from worms... I think that inflammation of the gut could constrict, but I can't back that up with any data, it's just a theory.

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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

There hasnt been any cecal poop for 2 days. I agree, it makes sense that inflammation could cause constriction or binding. But the abdomen would also be visibly swollen or by touch at the least. There isnt any swelling whatsoever in her case.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

Update?

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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I'm still giving her sulmet. She is excreting green and white feces, still runny but not in great quantity as before. She is eating and drinking well. Other than the feces and dropping feathers, she is acting normal.
I'm going to order Baytril 10% later on and see if it will clear her up. By the time I get it in the mail, the sulmet will have run its course.
The feed store that I was going to purchase the Fishcillin (ampicillin) went out of business GRRRRR! This is why I'm ordering the Baytril instead. The only reason I havnt culled her is that she is acting completely normal.
She even 'talks' to me while caged. (sigh)


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Dawg, you can get Ampicillin or meds thru twincitiespoultrysupply pretty quick.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

IS SHE skinny? Like wasting? Whatever antibiotic you use make sure it covers e. coli and clostridium. I wish you could get a syringe and tubing even something 3 inches long and give her a few tube feedings. I think it's important to see if the food going thru is actually going thru. Also give her some grit. When my hen was sick, when I let her back she was gobbling up grit and oyster shell. 4 weeks without . I've also learned that a few tube feedings kind of "jump start" a system.

I have spare tubing. If you wash it out it lasts a long time. I can send you one. In a pinch I buy Ensure (generic) .


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

A combo of Baytril and metronidazole should treat most things, and it is okay to give them together.

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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

She hasnt lost weight and looks good, no lethargy, acts and eats normal... except for the green and white runny poop. She has grit and oyster shell, she only pecked at it and didnt consume any. I called Allbirdproducts around noon our time, they are Pacific time...and left a message regarding purchasing liquid baytril, no one has returned my call. 
I decided to skip the baytril and get Fishcillin from Revival Animal Health tomorrow. I've dealt with them before, no problem.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

dawg53 said:


> She hasnt lost weight and looks good, no lethargy, acts and eats normal... except for the green and white runny poop. She has grit and oyster shell, she only pecked at it and didnt consume any. I called Allbirdproducts around noon our time, they are Pacific time...and left a message regarding purchasing liquid baytril, no one has returned my call.
> I decided to skip the baytril and get Fishcillin from Revival Animal Health tomorrow. I've dealt with them before, no problem.


Are you sure you want to use ampicillin? What I just read suggests that it might not be your best choice because it's not absorbed well when given orally.
http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/18.pdf


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I read that, thanks. I'll have to give it to her over a longer period of time to be effective. I'll be adding metromidazole to the mix as well.
She's on day 3 with the sulmet, no improvement with the feces. It's still runny green and white.
I have neomycin sulfate solution which I'll try if the amp/metro treatment fails.

I'll keep everyone posted.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

hope she improves


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

This also has interesting info on ampicillin:
http://avianmedicine.net/content/uploads/2013/03/17.pdf

do a CTRL f (control f) on your keyboard and search for ampicillin


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Thank you Kathy for the info, I saved it. I have good news that perhaps the sulmet might be working as the photo below indicates. As you can see there is brown feces for the first time in 3 days. There is still a small amount of green in one separate piece of feces. I hope she doesnt relapse. You can also see her scoffing up some treats mixed with grit and crushed oyster shell. She is so happy that she is "chirping," kinda like a rooster finding a treat for his hens.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

That does look better... looks like maybe there is a little cecal poop in there, too?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

That's a substantial improvement. I'm glad she's getting better.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Back to runny green and white feces today. Today was the last day with the sulmet. She is acting fine as usual. I gave her some boiled white rice this afternoon and she gobbled it up. If I have time tomorrow, I'm going to let her out in the yard for awhile.
I'll be getting the ampicillin tomorrow afternoon.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

So her green runny poop is not from grass, right?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

seminolewind said:


> So her green runny poop is not from grass, right?


No grass.
Edited: Got the ampicillin and gave it to her. Wait see now.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

How is your hen doing?


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Yesterday I donated her to the local feed store.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Oh,no! I thought she may be better. Sorry.


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