listless and eyes closing!!

[Joel]

Hi all,
Need help with this one pretty quick! One of my old hens is very listless. She was fine last week but had trouble laying eggs recently. The 2nd egg didn't come until 4 days after the first and she seemed to be really weak. Now, the condition has worsened with almost no food intake. I've been out of town this weekend and when i returned both her eyes are almost shut with a mucous. (almost completely shut) The top of her head appears to be wet i assume from this same mucous. Her breathing is also labored. Please help.

Thanks
Joel

[TAWhatley]

Hi Joel,

I'm sorry your hen seems to be so sick. If you haven't done so, please get her into a box or cat/dog carrier lined with an old towel. Place a heating pad set on low under about 1/2 of the box or carrier. If no heating pad is available, then a low wattage light bulb (40 or 60 watt) can be used to provide supplemental heat.

I'd then try to get some liquid calcium (from the drugstore) into her along with a couple of drops of avian vitamins. If you've got to go to the drugstore for the calcium, then also get some unflavored Pedialyte or the store brand of the product (in the baby section) and some human baby cereal in case you need to hand feed her for a few days. If you happen to have baby bird formula or can get it quickly, then that will be better than the baby cereal. Syringe or eye dropper 5-10 cc's of the Pedialyte to her. After this, let her warm up and see if she rallies a bit. If so, she may just need some TLC for a bit along with the calcium for a few days to regain her health.

You can gently clean her eyes with warm water or warm saline solution.

The labored breathing is not a good sign nor is the mucous, but let's start with the basics and see how she is tomorrow. Check her mouth to be sure that canker isn't the problem.

Please keep us posted.

Terry

[BillC]

It sound like it's got an upper respiratory infection. Best bet is a vet. My bird had similar symptoms and the vet prescribed 10cc of Flagyl for one week. IT did the trick. Try and take it to an Avian Vet if you can, but in the mean time keep it warm and feed it baby bird formula as prescribed above with a feeding tube. Good luck.

[Karen 210773]

Hi if your unable to get any calcuim liquid, use cuttlefish and score into pea sized lumps and put into the back of the throat. Really hope she makes it, mine had the same thing, but didn't have wet head/eyes, but clapsed after egg and couldn't move or eat. She pulled through, try and get as much calcuim down her as you can. I gave mine about 10 pea sized lumps 2-3 times a day, also break off small pieces of bread and put that to the back of the throat, this will also soak anything that is in the crop, is the crop full of water? - Karen x

[Joel]

Thanks everyone.
She is inside now and seems to be getting a little better but still not eating on her own. One obvious problem is she can't see to eat. One eye is completely covered. The other is almost closed but she can see a little out of it and its not getting any worse. I do have some meds that were given to me. One is baytril 15mg and the other is mycosan-t (for bacterial infections and respiratory tract. Im just not sure if i should use them as im not exactly certain of the problem. Any ideas as to how to clear the eyes up? Im worried about blindness. I tried saline but no help. Also, if it is ornithosis, how much should i be concerned about my own health? Kind of worries me a bit.

Thanks,
Joel

[Reti]

Ornithosis can be diagnosed by a vet or by your dr.
Without lab tests it's just guessing.

Do you have any antibiotic eye drops or ointment? Even if it is for human use, you can use it on your pigeon. As soon as you start the treatment the better a chance for recovery without blindness.

I would also start Baytril, even if the infection is caused by other bacteria or a virus, Baytril will fight off secondary infections.

Keep his eyes moist at all times if you don't use antibiotic on it. Washing the eyes with saline is good. You can do it two-three times a day.

Please let us know how yur pigeon is doing.

Reti

[Karen 210773]

Joel, how's it going? Really hope all is well x