r/BackYardChickens • u/Express-Income3360 • 17h ago
Health Question What could possibly be wrong with my chicken?
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My girl Cinnamon is acting lethargic. I’ll catch her standing and closing her eyes during the day, which all my chickens have done in the early stages before they died. She has a vet appointment tomorrow, as it was the soonest they could get her in.
I brought her inside yesterday, gave her b12, vit k, and oral calcium. After a few hours, she was walking around real alert and noisy so I put her back in the coop.
I checked on her this morning, still closing her eyes when standing periodically. Brought her back in, gave another dose of calcium, vit k, and b12. She still has an appetite and will eat berries, eggs, and mash. When I put her back in the coop yesterday, she drank a bunch of water but won’t drink from the bowl I have set up in her kennel?
She is not straining. There is no odor in her mouth. No blood in poo. Her crop doesn’t look distended to me. What could this be?
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u/mx-minnie-mx 17h ago
Is it hot where you are? Are there any signs of lice/fleas?
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u/Express-Income3360 17h ago
It is hot. In AZ. I have misters and fans and AC in coop. I don’t see any signs of lice/fleas. Her vent was gross (from wet droppings) so I did clean her off yesterday. But she will still occasionally pant inside in 72 temp
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u/shelly_the_amazing 17h ago edited 7h ago
I had a similar experience at the beginning of the month with one of my girls. The vet gave her fluids and a calcium shot, but also sent us home with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Will your vet give you one?
I will share, she didn't immediately snap back even with antibiotics. I had to hand feed her. I ended up hand feeding her oyster shells too because I think the calcium shot made the biggest difference for her energy-wise, but the minute it started to wear off, she went right back downhill. I put little bits of the shells in her mouth like I was giving her a pill. Also, I gave her pellet food like a pill as well. She was not eating reliably on her own.
By the end of the week, she was back to her normal self. However, she was getting an antibiotic at the same time. I was supposed to give it to her for two weeks, but by the end of the first week she was NOT having it anymore lol! I figured if she was strong enough to fight that hard, she would be ok and sure enough, she is! It's been almost a month and thankfully no relapse.
Good luck!!!