barely conscious hen

[chickenfan]

I have a hen that has had diarrohea and impacted crop and is now dying. I've seen a vet but we have not won the battle. Poor girl has been in a collapsed state since yesterday evening and is not eating or drinking. She is on painkillers and I thought I would let her die naturally but she has remained in a barely conscious state for 24 hours. How much is she suffering? She responds to stroking and being spoken to by moving her head but otherwise is just lying flat out and breathing slowly. I wonder if it is better to have her shot?

 

[bigyetiman]

Sorry to read this, but dispatching her would be the kindest thing. It's not an easy thing to do the first time for any of us. I wring the neck of the bird, OH she goes for the block and axe approach.
Do you have someone who could do it for you if you are not up to it ?

 

[Tweetypie]

Hi Chickenfan
I cannot help, I am afraid, but hope one of the regulars will see your message.
It must be terrible to be faced with this. If it was me, I would have taken her to the vets to be put to sleep, as I cannot stand the thought of any creature suffering. If you can do this yourself, then so be it, no point delaying the inevitable?

 

[Marigold]

i agree with the other people who have responded. I feel it's our responsibility as poultry keepers to provide a swift end for a bird who is clearly suffering and will not recover. If she were mine, and I had taken her to the vet, it would have been a one-way trip.
Not easy, I know - but put yourself in her place, what would you want?
Sadly, hens don't live very long, but the ones in your care are very lucky to have such a loving home.

 

[chickenfan]

Thankyou all. Cathy looked very bright after her crop op last Monday and she was expected to recover, but must have had another problem lower down. I thought long and hard about the offer to have her shot, but as she is barely conscious and looks comfortable, she is dying naturally in my kitchen like a person would. I did some research and decided it would be what I would prefer.

Incidentally if anyone has their bird pts at the vet, its important to ask for gas for them first as, according to my poultry vet, the injection in the head can be extremely painful.

 

[Marigold]

I'm glad she doesnt seem to be in pain. That being so, I can see why you want to give her space to die in peace.
When I've had birds PTS at the vet, the injection has been in the thigh and the whole process has seemed peaceful and painless, as one would expect.

 

[chrismahon]

Our vet said the lethal dose of anaesthetic injection was very painful because of the quantity necessary. In the case of 6Kg Basil he had a small general anaesthetic injection, which to the amazement of the vet took about 5 minutes to work. She wasn't convinced he was completely unconscious so he then had gas before an injection of anaesthetic into his brain. RIP Basil.

 

[Tweetypie]

Gosh I am surprised about the lethal dose for a hen being painful! When I had to have our elderly, blind, cat pts, she had an injection and died almost instantly.

 

[Margaid]

Gosh I am surprised about the lethal dose for a hen being painful! When I had to have our elderly, blind, cat pts, she had an injection and died almost instantly.

Animals vary considerably in their reaction to anaesthetics. My elderly cat needed a second injection and she was tiny, only weighed six pounds. Everything else had been shutting down over a few hours - but not her heart.

The thought of an injection into the head (especially my head!) is enough to give me the horrors!!!

 

[Tweetypie]

EEEK I agree, Margaid, I think that would be the most awful thing - an injection in the head. Seems cruel. :-(
I've had to go through a few traumatising experiences with animals. My 6 month old colt somehow broke his leg. Never knew how, just saw him lying down in the paddock one morning and knew when he didn't get up straight away, it was doom. He was put to sleep my lethal injection. He dropped down slowly. It seemed to be as peaceful as it gets, but for me, it was a long time getting over it.
Our pets give us us as much pleasure as pain, when things go wrong.

 

[rick]

Aaaah - dont go there!
It is an unfortunate fact with chickens (well birds generally) that they don't do these things easily. Its almost impossible to find a vein in a chicken otherwise it would be easier. That said, who of anyone avoids all pain or discomfort whatsoever - we do our best and try to be swift and brave for the best when duty calls (bird logic prescribes broomsticks but exactly when is a much harder call!)
For the record, and to put things into perspective, the only 'instant switch off' method out there is a carbon monoxide chamber but that is for laboratories only and only because they want to dissect the bird with no injury or chemical trace. Absolutely lethal! I doubt that buying the bottled gas is even legally possible without strict licence and facilities. Decapitation is the next best thing (but would be messy!)
Going to the vet is absolutely fine (what else are you supposed to do?) Doing it yourself properly is absolutely fine.

 

[rick]

Hopefully she has made a miraculous recovery Chickenfan but if not you need to go to the vet, sign the piece of paper and then leave and trust that they know what they are doing. We all know you love your birds - you were absolutely right when I was being compulsive and inexperienced when I took on Linden (well everyone here was!)
And if anything else has happened - well there are much, much worse lots in life for a hen than getting to live at your place.

 

[chickenfan]

I'm no longer sure about the whole process of putting animals to sleep. Most people in poor countries (especially women) die with no medication and often in pain, but no-one ever asks to be shot (people often have guns for hunting) to be put out of their misery. Death is obviously extremely difficult but it is a natural process which requires some spiritual preparation. I'm not sure it is entirely physical and whether perhaps people and animals don't decide at some level when they are ready to 'let go'.

 

[rick]

Well yes, so far as if you look at the other way round in those situations where you come across a wild bird in a bad way - obviously going to hide under a bush if it can and die within 24 hours - there is no moral duty to catch it and put it out of its misery In fact you probably would fail in catching it but have just harassed it in its final day!. Hard to walk away as it is. But then I've come across rabbits with broken legs from being hit by a car and then the responsibility to do something as a human (even not being your own car) seems more pressing. Thing is, pets (if you think of them as such) are not in a natural process. Their food comes through an industry, their breeding has maintenance baggage and by breeding them or buying them from a breeder (creating a demand) the breeding is something that has been taken on with responsibility to uphold the human side of the bargain.
I'm just looking at my legbars now. They are having a pretty good time jumping up the fence to get the small, fresh ivy leaves and in a bit Ill throw them a handful of grain which will cause great excitement. They didn't choose to be here and if I freed them from all the constraints of being safe they would probably not last a week - but they would love giving it a go and die without blame or regret on their part.

 

[rick]

Have you ever read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry? Its a mad and extraordinary tale but the the Fox in the story, by allowing itself to 'tamed', 'loved' by the Prince gains those things but loses its independence forever and becomes the responsibility of the Prince forever however distant in the universe they are.

its a similar flight of fancy to Jonathan Livingston Seagull