Author Topic: chickens and vets (Read 3525 times)

Heather B · « **on:** January 14, 2015, 06:52:09 pm »

Am feeling slightly uncomfortable about my visit to the vet with an egg bound/peritonitis (?) hen. I had tried the tips suggested in the text books but to no avail. To be honest the vet was good in terms of medication - calcium, metacalm and oxy (?) to assist in contractions in order to release the egg. However, her physical examination of Goldie was slightly unbearable to watch and I wonder if this sort of treatment just adds additional stress and pain to the hen. I was slightly nervous about doing this myself as her bottom seemed very red and inflamed.
I would really like to know more about how to deal with medical problems. I do try very hard and can deal with cuts, crop impacts, giving Tylan, lice treatment, feather pecking and what not but things like bumble foot and egg problems seem a lot more difficult. Is there a course out there for us smallholders so we can perhaps learn more about how to deal with these problems? I appreciate this probably comes with experience. I have looked on the 'Chicken Vet' website but the nearest 'hen vet' is miles away from us and the vet this evening was very honest in saying that chickens are difficult to deal with and not many have the experience unless it is their chosen field.

JMB · « **Reply #1 on:** January 14, 2015, 07:52:08 pm »

Sorry to hear about your hen. Mine had the same problem and the vet just put her to sleep. I read up on it and it seems that unless you can find an avian vet, there's very little they can do.
I assume if most vets can't deal with it, it's unlikely I'd be able to treat it myself.
But someone with more experience will hopefully tell you otherwise xxxx good luck

Me · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2015, 08:18:25 pm »

I wonder if this sort of treatment just adds additional stress and pain to the hen

Yes it is inevitably going to add pain and stress compared to treating on a presumptive diagnosis without a clinical exam or pts on sight (unless the presumptive diagnosis is wrong!)

Sometimes you have to ask if it is in the animals interest to be treated or not. Personally, I think that the rise of animal insurances have reduced animal welfare as people are more likely to demand often painful and futile treatments where the uninsured would just have pts previously.

Stereo · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2015, 09:24:25 pm »

I took on some pet hens for a family in the village who had got into it as a fad and then realised they would trash their garden. I promised to keep them as long as they lived but they would have to pay any vet bills as I don't use a vet for chickens. 2 of them got peritonitis and they spent a fortune, despite being told it was a short term fix. It all got a bit uncomfortable as the hens were done for and miserable, probably in pain and we kept them going for too long. In the end it was inevitable and lots of tears etc.

I won't be doing that again. I spent days looking at hens which needed to go to a better place but couldn't do it until the previous owners could ease their conscience. It came to a point where I just had to tell them, unless they could come up with a better reality.

HesterF · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2015, 10:28:51 pm »

I think we're just lucky with our vets. They're specialist small animals vets and have done the 'exotics' courses that poultry apparently come under. I've had fab experience with two of the vets in particular - the third was a couple of steps ahead of me but no expert - and they treat the birds with the greatest respect. I had a goose in just before Christmas who'd got tied up in once of the fences and hurt her wing and the vet bound it all up, talked me through the options, suggested X-raying was a pointless expense because it would be too complex to fix surgically anyway and worst case scenario would be amputation but she'd still live a long and happy life. He had her back for a free check-up after a few days too. Fortunately the outcome has been 100% positive and she's absolutely back to her normal flappy self.

My principle is that I take a bird in the first time I come across a problem. Then I learn what the vet's approach is and if I can do it myself next time, I do. I also learn what can't be sorted easily so I can save my money next time. Finally I learn what is worth getting the vet involved in and where I will always need their help. But it does help that I don't think the birds are overly stressed by the experience (although the ducks are pretty easily freaked - the chickens are all calm creatures).

Blondie · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2015, 11:18:19 am »

The vet I used for my hens was very good. They did a fair amount of farm work and saw quite a lot of birds. As I only had a few, the vet would sell me a very small amount of wormer or antibiotics, and after the first couple of visits I didn't have to physically take them in. I could just phone and order the prescription. When one of my hens got a cancerous lump, he euthanised her, but only once her quality of life began to suffer.

Attain it's just about being lucky with your vet. Mine didn't really know much about hens but could apply what he knew about other things and would look up anything he didn't know.

Heather B · « **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2015, 09:47:35 am »

Thanks so much for your replies. Poor Goldie is still in a bad way and I now suspect peritonitis. Insofar as vets are concerned, yes they are all great and care a lot about animals and it seems that the 'exotic' course is a choice for many vets to do. We do have a choice of two vetinarny surgeries which is good and one of the senior vets does keep poultry so I do try and go to him sometimes. I did ask how larger flocks would be managed medically by vets and was told there would be a vet who would deal with these but in many respects may not know what to do with an egg bound hen, which is curious. My plan now is to gather as much information I can in order that I can be more prepared in the future for more serious ailments which includes organising a sick bay which doesn't involve cardboard boxes and pet carriers under the stairs and isolation in cold and draughty coops!

Stereo · « **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2015, 09:53:55 am »

I suspect in a larger flock, it would bye bye for any egg bound hen. When you can buy a replacement layer for 3 or 4 pounds, it's hard to justify a vet's bill for something that is likely to come back. If it's a pet then it's a totally different matter.

chrismahon · « **Reply #8 on:** January 20, 2015, 02:57:57 pm »

Vets with commercial experience with chickens wouldn't have much of a clue when dealing with a pet. For a start they often diagnose illness by post-mortem, which isn't particularly helpful on an individual basis. The best domestic chicken vets are on the BHWT list I'm told. We are in a similar problem with vets here because the poultry keepers just kill the sickies, make no apparent attempt at diagnosis and won't spend the money at the vets anyway.

Interesting to know what the symptoms are that lead you to diagnose egg bound or peritonitis HeatherB? Egg bound would be repeated trips to the nest box and a pulsating vent, sometimes the egg can be seen. A wipe inside the vent with vaseline works. Peritonitis will be a penguin stance with distended firm rear abdomen. Green poos would signify infection. One condition is pretty harmless, unless they prolapse or the egg breaks, and the other should be PTS- unless you go down the abdominal drain and hormone implant route (about £200).