# Silkie bleeding from cloaca



## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

Hi all,
I'm wanting to pick all the experienced chicken-keeping brains you lovely people have here 

My white silkie "Big Bird" has had a bit of diarrhoea over the last week or so- but as she was active and lively and eating well I wasn't too concerned (plus was working too many hours to give her my full attention  ).

Today we noticed a couple of the larger ex-commercial hybrids having a bit of a peck at her rear, and saw a bit of blood. She was also in a bit of a mess on her rear end so we brought her in and I've given her a bum-bath. She's currently in a dog crate on clean paper until she's fully dried- but I'm tempted to keep her in for a day or 2 while I work out what to do next with her.

There appears to be a small tear at the edge of her cloaca (we think she laid an egg this morning because there was a silkie egg with blood streaks on it). But what I don't know is if this was caused by someone pecking at her- or if they were only pecking her because of the blood.

I could send away some faeces for analysis but the diagnostic labs are mostly shut down over xmas and the post won't get there for days- so I probably need to presumptively treat her. She was wormed with flubendazole less that a month ago.

Stuff I have here I could use are:
Purple spray with aloe vera.
Anti-peck spray (if I put her back out with the others I will use this).
Antibiotics (oral Baytril (enrofloxacin, also have injectable).
Amprolium for coccidiosis.
Some live probiotic stuff in my fridge (I would give this after any antibiotics).
Ivermectin spot on.
Fenbendazole liquid wormer.

What would you all recommend in this situation? Should I keep her indoors once she's dried or treat the area and put her back out?


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

IMO, and that's all, I would keep her inside or at least away from the others until she heals a few days.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

I am feeling inclined to do this- if nothing else it will keep her safe from being cannibalised to death!

Here is Big Bird in happier times last summer:


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## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

Wow, she's beautiful! !


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Same here, keep her up. Once she's dry you will probably be able to assess better what is going on. I've never heard of one tearing externally from laying an egg so that's a first for me. 

BTW, she looks like she's got some US genetics there. And maybe the splash in the background. She's got a lot of fluff going on that those in Europe have pointed out when comparing the two countries.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

I might try and get a photo of her rear when she's awake again (it's 6pm and dark here now so she's gone to sleep).
Unfortunately because she has dark blue skin it's a bit hard to see what's going on!

She has passed 3 fairly firm poos in the cage so doesn't seem to have diarrhoea currently after all- maybe what I though was diarrhoea was dried blood??

She has a nice beard as well as a big pom pom, whereas Elmo my lilac splash and Gonzo my cuckoo don't have so much beard. I would be gutted to lose Big Bird- she's a lovely chicken.

The 3 of them when I bought them POL last May
IMG_1412 by Lara Day, on Flickr


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I agree with Patty and Robin. It would be best to keep her inside until the wound heals, the others will peck at it if you dont. An antibiotic ointment on the wound will prevent infection and help it heal quicker.
If she is eating and drinking normally and acting like a chicken should, I wouldnt worry about it.
BTW, beautiful birds!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I was going to say that if she acts sick, it might need further looking into. But you're doing the right thing, wash, pat dry, and protect with ointment. You may want to trim the fluff off that gets dirty all the time. My poop on feathers birds all get hiney haircuts. And the silkie females get their bangs trimmed.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

Well she still seems very well in herself- eating and drinking and not pleased about being indoors in the dog crate.
Her poos overnight have been a mixture of normal with chalky capping and a little bit of foamy brown stuff on top.
Her rear has no more blood on- but isn't exactly clean either. We have just given her another bum wash- in plain warm water only this time as it was nowhere near as bad. I took a before-shower pic although not sure it shows very much due to the pigment! No egg yet today.

Big Bird rear by Lara Day, on Flickr


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Will your vet do a fecal float? I know you mentioned the labs being closed. Our vets here in the states will do them.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

If there is a very foul odor around her rear end, it could possibly be vent gleet. I've seen worse vent gleet than that though.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Will your vet do a fecal float? I know you mentioned the labs being closed. Our vets here in the states will do them.


I could do one myself I suppose. I don't have a centrifuge at home but could do a salt solution floatation and have a peek under the microscope. Unfortunately I don't have much time at home currently- working long night shifts until I go away wednesday for a few days. My dad is chicken sitting next week but has limited chicken-care skills (he was a car mechanic!).

I have treated the whole flock today with Ivermectin because I've found lice on a couple of them, and the diatom powder has been totally ineffective. This would cover worms as well as ectoparasites and we don't really have resistance in the UK currently. What I really don't want is Big Bird to get worse while I am away


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

dawg53 said:


> If there is a very foul odor around her rear end, it could possibly be vent gleet. I've seen worse vent gleet than that though.


That's good thinking. I'd not really heard of vent gleet- but a bit of research shows some photos that actually look very similar to the discharge that Big Bird seems to have 

It explains why the area below her vent is wet when she hadn't passed any diarrhoea. To be honest I can't smell much but I have virtually no sense of smell so that doesn't mean much.
I do have some anti-fungal cream here so when I clean her up in the morning I will apply it- nothing to lose there!
Thanks


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## SuzieAuvergne (Dec 9, 2015)

Diatom is useless against any worm infestation...as you will by now know...not that I am advocating that she may have a worm problem;.

If you have any honey...it is anti bacterial and may help her healing...you can apply a little to her vent..if her backside is messy you can (as has already been suggested) trim the feathers and maybe put a small amount of vaseline on her...it can help with any poop issues....you don't want any residue poop sticking to areas where she has a wound... 

If you feel her injury is not healing within a few days she may need antibiotics...oxytetracycline should be available at your local UK Vet...it can be added to her drinking water.

Wishing you and her good luck!


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## SuzieAuvergne (Dec 9, 2015)

For any de worming..if you ever need an effective product...Fenbendazole is available from a UK Vet...it is a good all round de wormer


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Ivermectin is ineffective against poultry lice. Poultry lice dont bite and suck blood, but will opportunistically suck it up if there is a wound or injury and blood is present.
Here's a link regarding vent gleet and treatments:
http://ultimatefowl.com/wiki/index.php?title=Vent_Gleet


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

SuzieAuvergne said:


> For any de worming..if you ever need an effective product...Fenbendazole is available from a UK Vet...it is a good all round de wormer


I have fenbendazole- but it isn't as effective as flubendazole which she had in early december for 5 days.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

dawg53 said:


> Ivermectin is ineffective against poultry lice. Poultry lice dont bite and suck blood, but will opportunistically suck it up if there is a wound or injury and blood is present.
> Here's a link regarding vent gleet and treatments:
> http://ultimatefowl.com/wiki/index.php?title=Vent_Gleet


I've experimented with a few products in my armoury for lice- Advantage and Frontline, but found they didn't work. Ivermectin seems to work in one hit though! I usually do a second treatment 2 weeks later to be sure. My chickens at home have not had lice or mites before- whereas the chickens I'm responsible for where I work have. It could well be that they are getting a different kind of louse in the UK- I will try to get one on sellotape for ID under the microscope!


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Feline said:


> I've experimented with a few products in my armoury for lice- Advantage and Frontline, but found they didn't work. Ivermectin seems to work in one hit though! I usually do a second treatment 2 weeks later to be sure. My chickens at home have not had lice or mites before- whereas the chickens I'm responsible for where I work have. It could well be that they are getting a different kind of louse in the UK- I will try to get one on sellotape for ID under the microscope!


Excellent. Here's a link with detailed microscopic pics of poultry lice/mites and other poultry external parasites. You could use the pics to identify what you're dealing with. Let us know:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig140


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

I was very pleased this morning to find Big Bird has groomed her rear back into a perfect white puff ball again- and it is clean!
Obviously this might not continue- but for now she's looking very good.
I am wondering if yesterdays Ivermectin dose had anything to do with her sudden turnaround. She didn't lay an egg today, but there's no sign of blood around her vent.

I was going to capture a louse for diagnosis today- but couldn't find any on the couple of birds I looked on! Either the Ivermectin worked dramatically fast or I haven't picked the right bird. I will have another look tomorrow when I get home from work. I should have taken a sample before I treated them really. But if the lice are gone I will be pleased anyway!

I am going to send some poo away next week when the labs are open again. I already have a sample pot that came as a pre-paid test kit so might as well use that. I would like to be sure it can't be coccidiosis as an underlying cause.

Thanks for all the help and advice guys


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

SuzieAuvergne said:


> For any de worming..if you ever need an effective product...Fenbendazole is available from a UK Vet...it is a good all round de wormer


Can one get Panacur rabbit de-wormer without a prescription in the UK?


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

I have some pictures somewhere of my hen that had gleet. Turns out her gleet was from worms and bacteria. Will try to find them and post them here. Note that I'm not saying you hen's gleet is/was from bacteria and/or yeast, just that sometimes they aren't fungal.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

casportpony said:


> Can one get Panacur rabbit de-wormer without a prescription in the UK?


Yes, but Flubenvet is a specific chicken wormer and is also available- so there is really no reason to go buying Panacur here.


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## Feline (Nov 8, 2015)

casportpony said:


> I have some pictures somewhere of my hen that had gleet. Turns out her gleet was from worms and bacteria. Will try to find them and post them here. Note that I'm not saying you hen's gleet is/was from bacteria and/or yeast, just that sometimes they aren't fungal.


I have been assuming there is probably some undiagnosed problem underlying the gleet- but bathing her in just warm water and treating her with Ivomec appears to have sorted it. I would prefer to have a definite reason really- so I will be taking some samples in the new year and sending them away to be sure I don't have anything like coccidiosis that I don't know about!


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