Colloidal Silver Dosage

[chicken vet girl]

@casportpony

I tried to tube feed my hen. She struggled against the tube going down. I could feel the tube in her crop. I double-checked by holding the other end of the tube under water and watching for bubbles. After several minutes of tube-feeding, she started turning purple and was gasping for air. I immediately removed the tube and used a bulb syringe to force air into her throat. She is very stressed now. I believe she does not have enough room left to breathe once the tube is in her throat, since there is so much bacteria growth. She is not eating enough on her own anymore.

What do you advise at this point?

 

[Kiki]

Have you tried to remove the stuff that is growing in her throat yet?

 

[casportpony]

Have you tried to remove the stuff that is growing in her throat yet?

I was just gonna ask that. The pus definitely needs to come out.

 

[casportpony]

Some questions...

1. What size tube are you using?
2. What size syringe are you using?
3. How much did you tube?
4. What food are you tubing?
5. How much does she weigh?

I'm gonna guess that the pus is in her mouth and around her tongue? Can you post a picture of it?

 

[chicken vet girl]

1. What size tube are you using?
I'm not sure the size. I know it is 16 inches long (definitely do not put all down)

2. What size syringe are you using?
6 ml.
3. How much did you tube?
6 ml. +/-
4. What food are you tubing?
a mixture of: 2 tsp hemp protein powder, 800 mg echinacea, 1,100 mg ginger, 3 billion CFU probiotic powder, 40 mg garlic, 660 mg omega-3 oil, and 4 tsp. water
5. How much does she weigh?
will have to weigh her in the morning, but guessing probably 3 lbs. She is still in good condition (no major weight loss).

I guess you could call it coagulated pus in her throat. I have not been able to see her glottis for sometime. It appears like the bacteria starts at the back of her tongue (not on her tongue) and continues to at least the glottis. Her crop is still emptying, so I don't think the bacteria has infected her GI tract yet. Today is the first time I have seen growth on her tongue.

I did remove a good bit of the build-up Tuesday, but it has grown back since then. Even if I did manage to extract all the growth, would that stop the growth or only help her to eat? I can try to get a picture.

About a month ago, I had a choanal swab from her sent to the lab to identify the bacteria and check for antibiotic susceptibility. Samples from several chickens were pooled together. The results showed Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia Coli.

 

[Kiki]

You have had respiratory illness/disease in your flock in the past correct?

 

[casportpony]

Can you go to your vet or Tractor Supply and get a 30 or 60 ml syringe? The 6 ml syringe is too small and that's why it's taking so long to tube her. FYI, when I tube 120 ml to my 7 pound peahen it takes less than 30 seconds.

While you're out, stop by Petsmart or Petco and get some Kaytee Exact baby bird food or see if your vet has any Harrison's Critical Care powder.

If your hen weighs 3 pounds that's about 1300 grams. A hen this size needs no less than 65 ml water per day. If she were mine I would give 130 ml per day.

Food - start with 25 ml and increase a little at each feeding until you get to 60 ml. Study this link:
https://lafeber.com/vet/tube-feeding-birds/

 

[chicken vet girl]

Can you go to your vet or Tractor Supply and get a 30 or 60 ml syringe? The 6 ml syringe is too small and that's why it's taking so long to tube her. FYI, when I tube 120 ml to my 7 pound peahen it takes less than 30 seconds.

While you're out, stop by Petsmart or Petco and get some Kaytee Exact baby bird food or see if your vet has any Harrison's Critical Care powder.

If your hen weighs 3 pounds that's about 1300 grams. A hen this size needs no less than 65 ml water per day. If she were mine I would give 130 ml per day.

Food - start with 25 ml and increase a little at each feeding until you get to 60 ml.

Wouldn't tubing that fast be make her try to vomit from the pressure? I have 60 and 30 ml syringes. I also have Critical Care. Will the hemp protein meal not work? I have tubed chickens in the past and never had them react like they couldn't get air. The tube hadn't even been in her throat long enough for me to get the whole 6 ml. down. I am really uncomfortable trying to tube her again. She almost died from this last time.

Will tube-feeding her help in the long run if she is not being treated for the bacteria. What I mean to say is tube feeding her will keep her nutritional status good. But if the bacteria continues to grow and spread, it will possibly block her windpipe or invade her GI tract (in which case her crop would stop emptying anyhow). It seems like I'm up against a brick wall.

Advise please!

 

[chicken vet girl]

You have had respiratory illness/disease in your flock in the past correct?

According to the lab tests, it is overgrowth over bacteria(s) which naturally live in a chicken's body.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I would recommend trying to remove some of the puss, bacteria, cheese whatever you want to call it. If it’s blocking her airway it’s not good. I had a hen with stuff in the opening of her glottis. She didn’t like it, but every few days I would check her throat and remove what I could. I treated her with acidified copper sulfate. I honestly think me initially removing the substance saved her life.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-kind-of-worm.1253974/