4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[laurmurf]

Hi all,

We're very worried and waiting for the vet's appointment but any ideas? Appt at 2.20 today with 'poultry specialist' (i'll believe it when i meet him...)

 

Buffy (18/19 week old buff orpington) keeps falling over and is wobbly.

 

She's got bright eyes, is very hungry (is always the first one to the food) still has an appetite, feels a bit 'keel-y' though - possibly underweight despite her appetite? She does seem to have an odd eating action - pecks hard at the food but doesn't seem to open her mouth wide to eat it ( i can't describe it otherwise, she just seems to eat differently than the others).

 

Was given a week's worth of flubenvet which ended last weekend, so shouldn't be worms and i've checked for mites on her and red mite in the eglu and no sign of either. No sign of the rattly chest that we brought her home with.

 

She started free ranging last weekend, but is still separated from the big girls and no sign of attack, pecking, bullying or bleeding.

 

What am I missing? !

 

 

edited to update on vet's appt.

[Daphne]

I'm not sure what could be wrong with her, tho we once had an orp with similar symptoms (she kept falling over when bending down to eat). She had a shot of something from the vet tho we never knew what the matter was. It did help. However, I've also had another orp with eating probs like you describe and I switched the birds to mash (well pellets soaked in water) for a while as I felt it helped them eat/digest more easily. I'm sure going to the vet is the right thing to do. Fingers crossed for you.

[purple hen]

Poor Buffy, hope she's ok, good luck at the vets.

[dancing cloud]

All the best for this afternoon - ((hugs)) to Buffy

[Egluntyne]

Could she have an ear infection? It might explain the wobbliness.

[laurmurf]

Just back from the vet - he spent ages with us, really went over her and talked to me about what her circumstances are (he keeps brahmas so knows his hens).

 

He pointed out something surprising which i hadn't noticed: Buffy is blind in one eye, and thinks there may be some neurological problem. He thinks the wobbliness might either be congenital or down to a weakness related to a congenital problem.

 

He noted she had a full crop and that we'd said she'd been eating well, if anything eating obsessively, but he was concerned that she is too thin (I'd been describing her as 'keel-y'). He was pleased that I'd wormed her and confirmed we were feeding her all the right things and doing the right things to boost her and encourage her to eat, but wasn't sure why she was so thin. He checked her poos and confirmed all was well there too.

 

He did, carefully, suggest that we may not know anything outside a post mortem. He's given her Baytril 'just in case' and i did say that it's worked for other wobbly chooks on the forum, in case it is an ear infection. But he's more worried about her loss of condition.

 

She's bright eyed (even if it is just one that works), she's eating hugely - we've just made up a fresh batch of growers porridge with lots of extra protein in live mealworms (to encourage her to eat more); she's got some Battles in her water too.

 

I've given her the first daily dose of Baytril so we'll see..... Let's just say that a hen that eats hugely but doesn't put on weight doesn't sound terribly healthy. I thought i was doing all the right things by her but didn't spot failure to develop well: i put it down to her being much more chick-like than Willow, without understanding why.

 

Keep your fingers crossed for her and let's hope that Baytril works its magic.

[dancing cloud]

Lots of fingers crossed and hoping the baytril helps

[Daphne]

your vet sounds like a good one ....and you sound like you've picked up on the nuances of how difficult these things are - guarded optimism might be the best option. Our girl was fine after whatever it was, but in fact she was never what you might call a 'good doer'. She was our one of our first hens and in retrospect we learnt a lot about chickens-being-slightly-under-the-weather with her; she was never as robust as her eglu mate. Anyway I hope your Buffy gets better; keep an eye on her wanting to eat but maybe not actually eating that much, and also make sure she is drinking. Best of luck.

[laurmurf]

I've been reading up on symptoms elsewhere - I wonder whether the vet was thinking of a cerebral hernia when he was talking about neurological symptoms, if so then it may not be great news but it may not be fatal either...management seems to be Baytril and steroids.

 

I do remember the breeder showing us another buff orpington she had that suffered from 'head shake' (another symptom of cerebral hernia) - I imagine my Buffy is related to this one, so it could be a genetic problem.

 

Cautious optimism and royal treatment for a poorly girl seem to be order of the day.

 

(her skinniness symptom has got me worried it's crop impaction, but surely he'd have noticed this when he felt her crop, wouldn't he? Does an impacted crop feel quite different than a full one? )

 

edited to correct cerebral haemorrage to cerebral hernia (also known as 'Seahorse syndrome' Feb 08)

Edited December 5, 2008 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

It feels hard and full.....and remains so overnight

 

If her crop is emptying properly, it will have gone down by morning.

[purple hen]

Hope the baytril works and she is soon better.

[laurmurf]

thanks Egluntine, she's staying indoors for the next week so i can keep an eye on her and it'll be easier to check on her crop too. The vet would have noticed if it was impacted, I'm sure, since he gave her a good exam... I'm clutching at straws I think.

 

My real fear is that it's a tumour of some sort - that might explain the weight loss despite her appetite, full crop, and managed diet. The wobbliness would then be down to weakness; I just don't want to think it's that serious.

[mostin]

So sorry to read all this about Buffy, at least it sounds like you've got a really good vet. I know you must be really worried but you must believe that you are doing eveything you can for her right now, we've all just got to wait and hope. That is the hardest part. I don't know what else to say, but I'll be thinking of you all and sending posotive thoughts your way, that it turns out to be just a small infection and nothing more sinister .

 

Big hugs to you all xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[laurmurf]

thanks for the lovely messages of support!

 

I'm going to try your rescue remedy, mostin, and give her some tuna tomorrow. I want to get as much protein into her as i can to counteract the muscle wastage. I'd heard that soaked cat food can be good, but i don't know if it would be any better than her usual growers porridge. She's also getting (and eating!) lots of dried and not-so-dried mealworms.

 

I've spent all day and night researching on this and Practical Poultry's forum but keep getting the same range of responses that my vet outlined. So we're on a build-her-up regime while keeping her warm, contained, and medicated... bless the darling girl!

 

Prayers to the saints of chickens please: St Gallus, St Eggbert and St Hugh

[mostin]

I'll be praying for her, don't you worry.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[laurmurf]

Day 2 - we've been up since 5.30; she's had her meds, had a few drinks and eaten lots of live mealworms ...oh, and we've been reading the Omlet forum together

 

 

 

the table is covered in back copies of Practical Poultry, various chicken books and researchers, it's how we react to a crisis

[Daphne]

lovely pic, lovely girl...tlc is the best you can do.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Sorry to hear about your poorly girlie . Your vet sounds great though, so I hope she perks up a bit with all your TLC. She's a lucky girl .

[laurmurf]

end of day 2 - she's had her meds (thanks so much to Claret for explaining the syringing technique: it worked an absolute treat this time and no Baytril loss!), she's eaten hugely of live and dried mealworms (the live being the favourite ), porridge, AND tuna (thanks mostin, very popular teatime treat). Even if we don't see a big improvement yet, we feel we're doing everything for her:

 

[mostin]

I'm so glad she's eating and drinking ok. You are doing everything you can do for her, she is such as lovely girl. I hope she begins to show some improvement for you soon. she's not going to like going back to normal meals after all these goodies bless her.

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Egluntyne]

She looks perky in that photo.

 

She is getting the best care and attention.

 

Here's hoping her improvement continues.

[laurmurf]

Yesterday morning she was giving up completely - refusing all food and water, we were syringing fluids into her. Before I reluctantly left for work, she got her meds and a mirror to keep her company. by the time I got home, she was eating and drinking - not as much as she needs but it was an improvement.

 

back to cautious optimism!

 

 

 

[Egluntyne]

Fingers crossed.

 

That is a heck of a mirror for a hen!

[laurmurf]

she's a rather rococo girl...

 

Well, you wouldn't expect an orpington to be ordinary, now would you?

[The Dogmother]

I've just read this right through again Laurie and can't put my finger on anything apart from a cerebral haemorrage or tumour as you mentioned. All you can do is to carry on with your excellent care and treat the symptoms; fate will play a part in her future, but whatever happens, you will have done your best by her. Losing one that you have nursed is never easy I hope that she pulls through.