Nicola O Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Was going to post here last night, but was busy fussing round a poorly Betty. Sadly she died this monring . She was absolutley fine on Sunday, was out freeranging with the others, but Monday morning I noticed her just sat in the run looking unhappy. At first I thought she could be brewing up a softie but then remembered that she has not laid for about six weeks - she has just finished a really heavy moulting - and her comb had shrunk back small and pink and she did not look ready to lay again yet. She seemed to be off her legs and couldn't walk. If she did move it was a sort of sitting/squatting shuffle. Monday night I checked over her legs and all seemed fine - no breaks or swelling, no damage, not hot etc. and she did not object when I pulled her legs about so I thought it wasn't a problem with her legs. She spent Tuesday morning in the eglu so worried that she wasn't getting to the grub or glug I gave her some inside which she happily ate & drank. Last night I brought her in and checked her again and this time I felt a solid lump, about the size of a golf ball, very low down on the right side of her chest. I wondered about an impacted crop but thought that the crop tended to be on the left side, but anyway this seemed way too low down. My brain then thought 'Oh God, she's got a tumour'. Rang the chicken vets and they could only get me an appointment for thursday evening, but then the receptionist whispered down the phone 'I know chickens can go downhill quickly, so ring back in the morning and ask for an emergency appointment and we'll squeeze you in' which I thought was really nice of her. I kept her inside and she seemed really bright and alert, just not able to walk about, she ate and drank loads and did a couple of poo's which I did notice were just liquidy, nothing solid at all. I s"Ooops, word censored!"ed one off the wooden floor and was going to take it to the vets with me. She was more subdued this morning, wouldn't eat or drink, at about 8am suddenly died. I was so shocked. I know no-one can tell me what happened, just wanted to get it off my chest, so to speak, and writing it all down and reading it through again is helping me think if I had forgotten to do anything. I'm sure I'd done all I could apart from the vet but she died before I could ring them this morning. I just feel so sad, she was such a beautiful chicken and I will miss her . Sorry for rambling on with such a long post, but I know you will all understand how I feel. Nicola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 Sad news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 sorry to hear your news - they are so loveable and losing them is very hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 I'm so sorry Nicola, sending you lots of love. xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenmb Posted November 12, 2008 Share Posted November 12, 2008 I'm really sorry to hear your news I've lost two girls this autumn and its horrible isn't it. Thinking of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola O Posted November 12, 2008 Author Share Posted November 12, 2008 Thanks for your kind words - it's always horrible when one of our little ladies pass away isn't it. I rang the vet this morning to cancel the appointment for tomorrow and the receptionist was so upset for me she said she would get the chicken vet to ring me - a lovely gesture and I was surprised as I've never had that before. He rang this afternoon and we chatted for a while about what has happened and her symptoms over the last couple of days, and he agreed that the lump I described and it's position did not seem like a crop problem, and could possibly a tumour. He was concerned about the very liquidy poo and said that as that could be a sign of infection, if I wanted he could do a post mortem to check if was something that could not be passed to her pals. I've taken him up on the offer - it was only £20 - and he will ring me tomorrow with the results. She will then be cremated and I will have her back to scatter in her garden. Nicola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Sorry to hear about Betty. Rest in peace little chook. *hugs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 bless her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HENthusiastic Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Sorry for your loss. R.I.P. Betty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Hello Nicola , So sorry to hear about little Betty Allisonx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 So sorry to hear about Betty xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola O Posted November 19, 2008 Author Share Posted November 19, 2008 Just to update:- The vet phoned this afternoon with the post mortem results. Betty died of kidney failure brought on by a huge e-coli infection !! Apparenty something was not right with her insides, the vet was talking about a'genetic malformation of .....?......' - I can't remember the other bit - but basically something was not right inside and that allowed e-coli to move up from her gut, which settled in her kidneys and set about destroying them - he said one kidney was rock solid and the other was full of pus.......poor girl . It was something she was born with, and not something I would have never known she had wrong or something I could have done anything about. He checked the poo sample and that was free of e-coli (so it means that the others are not in any danger of catching it) and free from any worms and parasites. Nicola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Poor you, but sounds like it's the best thing for Betty, and such a relief that the other chooks are not at risk. I hope that our vets are as understanding with the chooks as & when we need them, they always are with the girls, we even have the vet's mobile number in case of emergency! Thinking of you, Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
