# What's Going On?



## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

My 5 month old Easter Egger started limping about 5 days ago. I've been keeping her contained in my small coop/run away from the others (except for Lilah her buddy) to recoup. Figuring she must of landed wrong coming down off the roost which is low. Maybe 24" off the floor at the most. 

She's not eating the greatest. I see little green poops in the wood chips. Some of it is normal consistency with the white caps, but there is green staining on the chips. I got her to eat some watery consistency cooked oatmeal made with milk. Also have her drinking some save-a-chick water mix. Noticed after she ate slowly for a bit, she sat back, stuck her neck out, then started taking gasps of air. Went back to eating a bit more after that. She hasn't been drinking much as normal either so that's why I dug out the save-a-chick mix for the electrolytes. Mixed it weak for her. 

I don't know what more to do. Any suggestions? I don't want to lose her. Love my girls so much.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I had kind of similar symptoms a few weeks ago. People were telling me it could be Mareks disease. I hope it's not what your hen has. I lost about 6 hens to it. I seperated the hens with symptoms from all my others.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Oh god I hope not. I'm just sick right now. I brought her in the house now and set her in a bin. She's just breathing lightly with her mouth open.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm so so so sorry. I have no idea how my birds got sick. Didnt introduce any new birds or feed. They just started dying and had paralysis of the legs. Right before they died they would flap their wings wildly while laying flat on the ground. I wish I wouldn't have said anything now. I'm so sorry


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

She's been resting a lot. Does sit to eat rather than stand. She did come out of the coop this afternoon when I got home from work and laid in the partial shade for a while. I got her just over a month ago. Its so hard with them because like a little kid, they can't tell you a thing. I watch my girls like an obssesive crazy lady.  Guess I should have had kids huh. Maybe that is part of the problem and my attachment to these girls. They are just such a respite from the cruelties and craziness of life. I do have some tetracycline antibiotic on hand. Maybe that would help?


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I think you're already doing the best things which are aggressive supportive care. Keep feeding her and keeping her hydrated with the electrolyte mix. Those are your best tools. Let's see how she responds.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Have to leave for work shortly. Mixed up some fresh water with the save-a-chick. Dish inside the coop and in the run. Even leaving her a little dish of mixed fruit so she gets hydrated no matter what she eats.  Made it through the night. No green poops. Just her normal little brown/white ones.  Stood up for awhile then layed back down. Will have her go back into the little coop for the day alone so she can rest. The other girls are in sight so she won't be too lonely. Going to be a rush, rush day to get back home and check on my girl. She's a sweetie.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Good luck. I'll try to keep checking back to look for more posts. Have a great day.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Home at last. Holley is still here. Hasn't really changed much health wise. I see she did eat some of the mixed fruit I left for her this morning. Got her to take a few sips of the electrolyte water. Will bring her back in the house with me for bedtime so I can keep close eye on her.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Okay. Well see how she fares. I have a missing cat at the moment. Really hope he shows up. I'm very worried.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I hope she gets better. It's a hard thing to go through. An I hope your cat turns up. Even though I don't like cats. Only animal I really don't bond with. Except for the bobcat kitten we found. She was awesome.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

He was a sickly kitten I took in like 15 years ago. I named him Jack cause I thought he would loose his eye. He got well and the scab fell away and he had two perfect little eyes. He's been really sick the past few weeks. I started letting him out in the sunshine cause I thought he would feel better. He wasn't eating and the second day I let him out he caught a mouse and ate it in front of me. He got better and was still pretty thin. He disappeared today when I was out in he garden with the dogs. He like to hunt in the wild area over the fence. He goes there all the time but always returns when I call him. I've been calling all day. I've looked everywhere he hides - No Jack. I'll miss him if this is it. I can't help but be concerned for my little old skinny cat. 

Thanks for listening to my tale of woe.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Gosh I was hoping to get on here and hear he had come back home. =( Cats are such peculiar animals. Its hard when they just disappear. I've had a few of mine do that. The not knowing is awful. Will keep sending good thoughts that all works out well. You've been through enough lately! Hugs! 

Brought Holley (chicken) in for the night. Got her to eat 4 very well chopped up cherry tomatoes. Added in some water as the dish got down. She ate every bite & drank almost all of the tomato juice & water. Resting again now. Still doing that funny breathing thing. Notice she adjusts her throat a lot after she eats.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Hi. Thanks for caring. So I was talking to my son at college and a call comes in from the veterinary referral hospital. Someone had picked him up thinking he was a stray. So I had to 30 minutes away to pick him up. He's home now. Tucked in for the night with my others. The only reason I got him back was because he was microchipped. I microchip all my animals. I was in the back yard with the dogs and my other cat, and they were taking him from he front yard. Whew! Glad that's over. 

I'm happy your chicky seems to be holding her own. I want you to look up gape worm and chicken pox (wet or dry form) and see if either of those seem to fit her symptoms. There is some of that going around the New England area chickens supposedly so I thought I would mention it to you. This is a "diagnosis" from a farmer so I don't know how much to trust it but I thought it might be helpful to you.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Here is his picture


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Awww, I'm soooo glad Jack is back! He's beautiful! I have my older rat terrier microchipped. Plan to do the same with my rescue rat. She was so under weight when I got her 6 months ago that it wasn't a good time. Now she's nice & healthy. 

Holley made it through another night!  Giving me hope she will get through this. I'll definitely be looking up what you mentioned above. Wanted to give an up-date first thing this morning. Gotta run for work but will be back later this afternoon. Thank you so much for your support Energyvet. Means a lot!!!


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Same here. As I was driving home with Jack in the carrier meowing in the back seat, all I could think was telling you he was home so we could celebrate together. Good to have connections! Thanks for your friendship.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Okay, looking up gape worm. She does that neck stretching for air on occasion. Does a lot of readjusting her throat after so many small bites of food. I've been keeping her isolated for the past few days. She came out of her coop when I got home and has been laying in the run this afternoon. Hubby made her some oatmeal this morning and she did take a few bites then. If she has gape worm, I was reading to look down her throat because you will see them. Just how on earth do you get a chicken to sit still enough to look?


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Just sat with Holley and looked in her throat. Lots of heavy mucus in there. Rubbed her chest a little and all of the sudden she started vomiting a bunch of clear to cloudy mucus along with inch long piece of grass, piece of leaf, and a couple pieces of very small tomato skin. Now I'm really at a huge loss as to what to do.


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## annlouise (Jul 29, 2012)

maybe you have cleared what was causing her problem?? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you x


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Here I am again. Apparently when I was rubbing her chest area, I managed to start dislodging stuff blocking her crop! Looked up her symptoms from earlier post and found its called sour crop and let me tell you, does it ever smell sour!!! Got her to bring up some more gunk and up came a piece of wood chip! Site I found said I can give her canola oil or olive oil in her water to help the rest work its way loose. Just gave her a couple little doses with a dropper syringe. Cannot believe how much that little girl brought up! Poor thing. Now I have the problem and the fix. Suppose to do a clear liquid diet for a couple days then introduce soft like yogurt. I do keep oyster shell in with their food. If I keep it separate, they never eat it. Maybe its time to go back to regular gravel for them? Or add in chick grit? I don't want this to happen again. No more eating in their coop either. From now on, dine before bedtime girls. No last minute snacks after the run is close for the night. Keeping her in the small coop and not the run now so she can't be eating the grass either. Have just the canola oil/water in there for now until her belly settles. Will try some broth later this evening like suggested. Hopefully now she can be on her road to recovery. The leg limp still looks like its from landing wrong coming off the roost. She's quite a flyer so who knows where she might have flown up to and then down from when I wasn't looking.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

You have a good handle on this. Partots get Sour crop so I know what you are talking about with mucous and smell. If broth (chicken soup) is suggested then by all means. We owed to syringe/tube feed all kinds of birds with vitamins and meat baby foods. Works wonders. I think warm broth sounds yummy. Glad it's not gape worm. She is still eating and lively so that's always good too. I use vanilla stoney field farms or Dannon yogurt. Use what you have.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I bought her some baby food this morning figuring its got a lot of good vitamins and easy to eat being she was swallowing so funny last night. Will be perfect now that I know what's wrong. Her poor little tummy is growling so I thought I'd make her up some broth and see how that goes. Want to get her some yogurt tomorrow to get that good bacteria back into her system. Thank gosh for the internet and awesome people on this forum!!! Nice to not feel so alone anymore when something does go wrong. (And boy, does that vomit stink by the way!!!) =P Hope this never happens again!


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Me too! Although next time you will be an expert!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Even after all she got up and out, still making a lot of goose-like-snoring noises. Can I trust she'll be able to get the rest of whatever might be stuck out or passed through now? She did drink some more of the canola oil water mix on her own. Took a couple sips of the beef broth then went back to the water.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm so happy to hear all these posts. Happy cat/healing chickens. Glad everything is going well for yall


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

So generally with sour crop you do a crop flush. That means that you sort of fill the crop with warm Saline and then suck it back out. Kind of dilutes the contents and allows it to go down normally. I think you emptied it and now are using warm broth (salty) to achieve the same thing. Generally I would Prescribe an antifungal like Ketoconazole or Fluconazole but we don't have that option here. Probiotics will give her good flora. Yogurt has some nutritional value but acidophilus capsules in the broth might give you bigger bang for your buck. Do you have any of those in the house for people? You can get acidophilus at the health food store it regular drug store. Get the refrigerated one if possible as they are more potent. So does that give you some ideas and tools to do your good work? I like the chicken soup idea. Chicken soup really is incredibly useful And nourishing when you're ill. Or you dog or cat or bird....


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Looks like I'll have some shopping to do. Not sure much will open tomorrow being Labor Day here. The one health food store we had locally at the mall closed. Maybe something I can get at Walmart? Not much for stores where I'm at unfortunately. =/


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Walmart will likely have it. I have so much stuff from Walmart from when I lived in Nebraska. Hahaha


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Can't live without Walmart. ; ) Only store we have here with remotely reasonable prices. Rest of the stores act like they're selling gold. 

Holley's drinking more broth at a time now.  Now, if I can just get that leg to heal up! Keeping her pretty confined today and in her bin in the house with me so I can keep my eye on her. Easier to make sure she's drinking okay & regularly. Still making a bit of a goose-like noise on occasion then a cough/sneeze after that sweeps her off her feet. Eyes are looking brighter today.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I really hope she does well. Keep her close. That will help her heal up faster - your good energy being around her. It's always good when they have an appetite. Makes both of you feel better. 

Yeah, I know about Walmart. When I was in Nebraska, that was the only place that seemed remotely in line with what I needed and what I could spend. I hate their corporate politics. The only way I could feel good about it was to own stock in the company do when they profited so did I. And that parking lot was always filled.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Well for pete sakes. Now my poor girl has mites!!! How did I not notice? I don't know how long they are usually around before they show up. Fast trip to the shed for the dust for them this morning and I sprinkled it all over in the coop & run for the big girls (especially in their dust bath they made themselves). Mini-coop Holley is confined to, I only have wood chips in the nest box for her. Rest of the floor is covered with piddle pads. Safe way for me to ensure no wood chips make their way into her food again. I doused all 8 hens before I left too. Just nicely got home from class and held my breath checking on Holley. She was standing there looking at me. Still breathing kind of funny and boy are there the mites dead on the floor around her! Will clean up the floor and put in new pads shortly. How long will I have to worry about dusting them? The other girls aren't showing signs of the mites but I don't want to take any chances. Holley has been away from all of them for about 4 days.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

She may just be overrun because she is immune suppressed. Likely what you've done is adequate. Recheck in a week. If you need to redust at that time you can.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

She looks very dehydrated. I keep getting her to take little sips and she does drink some without coaxing. Not sure she is going to pull out of this. Maybe she's been sick since I got her and it just now has become symptomatic? Have had her for 1 1/2 months. Feel so sorry for her.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Aggressive supportive care is hydration broth, soup, pedialite, warmth and safety. If she like meal worms or grubs they are a great source of protein. It may be she's do relieved the mites aren't making her crazy anymore. Wish you the very best of luck. I really hope you have a good outcome. Fingers crossed!


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

She's dying. I can't stop this train wreck no matter what I do or how hard I try. I'm so sad. Shoot, I get so darned attached to things like my pets. Her breathing is shallow. Her eyes so sunken. I know she's dehydrated. Been forcing liquids down her for the past 2 days. More so today. Yesterday she'd try to drink yet a little bit.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

I'm so sorry. Wish I could do more to ease your pain and hers. She was lucky to have someone like you who cares so very much. I'm sharing your sadness for whatever that may be worth. So sorry you are losing your little feathered friend.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Thank you. Love her to bits. 

Gave the big coop a thorough cleaning and spray down with raid; the wood frame of run included this afternoon. Let it air out for a few hours before putting in fresh wood chips. Hopefully this will take care of any mites for the older girls. I did also dust their run after raking it out since they won't be in there until tomorrow. I really hope that what ever all Holley has, doesn't get to my other girls. That would kill me. 

You know, my Australorp likes to ride on the rider lawn mower with me sometimes. Seriously. She's the reason I brought home this little Easter Egger Holley. She's been my lonely hen that the others have been pecking on since I got her May 2011. Holley was a perfect buddy for her.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Once again. I'm so very sorry for your heartbreak. The world closes a door and opens a window. Hang in there.


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