Sooo much pooping

[sjackson]

One of my chickens has started breathing very heavily thou' her open beak, she is really struggling for breath.

 

She also makes a noise when she's breathing.

 

I took her to 2 difference vets - 1 gave her some Baytril, the other some pills which were penicillan. Neather have done any good.

 

Her comb is still pink - but not as pink as my other chickens, and she is eating and drinking - she struggles to swallow the water and makes gurgling noises as it goes down.

 

I've also given her some panacur (via a syringe) this morning

 

Can anyone give me some advice??

[Egghead68]

I'm sorry - I really can't help you but one of mine has developed similar symptoms over the last couple of days (audible breathing, beak clacking, gurgling noises when she swallows; slightly blue comb, still eating and drinking, on baytril & now metacam). I don't know what the problem is.

 

I hope yours picks up. Is she indoors in the warm?

 

Do you think there may be some sort of obstruction?

 

I am wondering whether mine has a sore throat (?fungal infection caused by being on antibiotics a long time? May try her on antifungals in case).

[Plum]

Did the vet look down her throat, could it be gapeworm

[sjackson]

The vets were almost useless really - they don't really see any hens here - except mine.

 

I took her to a farmer yesterday and he put her upside down and tried to empty her crop - he said stuff came out, but no worms. He said dose her with Panacur which is good for gapeworm apparently. I tried to massage her crop this afternoon and it made her breathing worse - I am really worried for her.....

[Egghead68]

You are doing everything you can for her.

[Lavenders_Blue]

My first thought was gapeworm too. You can get rid of gapeworm with a double strength course of Flubenvet, it might be worth a try.

[Sue]

Did the vet look down her throat, could it be gapeworm

 

Is it possible to see gapeworm? Linky

[Plum]

Well my vet says that is one of the things she looks down the throat for as well as foriegn bodies and infections.

[Chucky Mama]

It would be wise to have someone have a good look at her to check for foreign bodies both in the throat and crop. She may also need an extended course of antibiotics or a change of antibiotics - you will need to see a vet for this. In terms of gapeworm, it wouldn't hurt to treat her but if you are unsure it might be worth getting a vet to either check a poo sample if they have an inhouse lab or to send one off to check her worm status. Be a little careful dosing her orally while she is mouth breathing as it will be quiet easy for her to aspirate and struggling with her can be dangerous if she is having issues breathing.

[Cathy A]

I have an Orpington who has her mouth breathed, gaped and coughed since we got her albeit it getting progressively worse. It was also noticeably worse during the hot weather. My first thought was gape worm and I treated her with flubenvet. The vet also did a throat swab for parasites which came back negative. She's had two doses of broad spectrum antibiotics and the vet now thinks that she has permanent lung damage caused by a previous infection. In fact you can see little nodules down her throat and he believes that she has more deeper in her lungs causing the non-stop growling and coughing. He basically sent her away saying that her life expectancy will be drastically reduced. However 3 months on she is still showing all the same sympoms but is happy as larry and laying well. The only issue is that she's very prone to lice and I think she's a little blind. Not sure if any of this helps or is applicable in your case but I was worried sick and now am reassured that for as long or as short as she lives she is happy and not suffering.

[Egghead68]

Do you think it could be something fungal?

[chickencam]

My Bluebelle who has just died today, has had similar syptoms for about 9 months. She puffed out her neck a lot when breathing and recently could be heard making a whistling sound sometimes too. She has been generally happy and eating and drinking but went downhill over the last couple of days and her comb had gone purple today. I thought that she might have a tumour but I couldn't feel anything. She was never as healthy and robust looking as her flock mates but she lived for 3 years. I presume that it was either a heart problem or a problem with her lungs, she was a large framed bird who always felt a few degrees hotter than the others.

[Egghead68]

I am sorry about your Bluebelle, Liz.

[sjackson]

Have been to the vets with her this morning & have been told it's Infectious Bronchitis - does this mean the end for her?

 

The vet wanted to put her down then and there but I said NO! (wanted some advice from here first)

[Plum]

No I wouldn't, she needs antibiotics and nursing to make sure she gets fluids. They can have ongoing problems with laying afterwards but I'd definately try antibiotics. I know you've had them but you often need two courses to knock it on the head so 10days +.

[sjackson]

We took our poorly chicken(the one who breathes throu' her beak all the time) to a vet (John Chitty - recommended!)

who stuck a camera down her throat and found that half way down her pipe it becomes smaller - he thinks that sometime in the past she's had an obstruction, managed to get rid of it but it's left this growth/sore spot.

 

He's offered to do an operation to cut it out and sew her back up - but I wanted to see if this has happened to any other members and if so, did the hen survive?

 

I'm still giving her Baytrill to fight the infection, but not sure she's getting any better.

[Egghead68]

No experience but sounds like you're giving her excellent care. Good luck with your decision.

[sandyhas3chucks]

only twice but in intestines

[Egluntyne]

Eh?

[Plum]

Sandy have you really had abdominal surgery on 3 of your girls

[sandyhas3chucks]

Sorry no they had stricture /narrowing /blockage of intestines. Shownup sadly only on post mortem. Succesful eye removal surgery. O

[Plum]

Poor chooks we love them and loose them

[sjackson]

We sadly had to put my lovely girl to sleep this morning, she couldn't breathe properly and was suffering

We had her for 3 years and she was so gentle and a good layer - God bless my darling

[Plum]

So sorry

[Egghead68]

So sorry to hear that.