Backyard Poultry Forum

My 8 year old cross breed hen has damaged her left leg and is in the cat carrier on pain meds from the vet.

I have bandaged her and given her access to water and food. She eats a little and drinks a little. Not great but ok.

However I have noticed that despite cool Melbourne temps she intermittently pants with beak open, and her whole body moves.

This suggests to me some sort of discomfort.

She has been on Metacam Cat Oral since Friday and the panting persisted so vet as of yesterday changed her to a morphine based pain relief - Butordyne. She did seem to pant less on this. Tonight I absent mindedly gave her the old meds instead of the new and she seemed to pant more than she had been.


I would appreciate any informed opinions on what might be going on.

The video would not upload for me directly to the forum so with apologies here is a link on the web.

https://thefeatheredgarden.blogspot.com.au/

I can't get the video to play. But if the panting was present before the meloxicam, persisted until you gave the Butordyne, then came back after you forgot about it and gave the Metacam again...My guess is the Metacam is simply ineffective for the birds level of pain.

They saw relief with the Butordyne, panting and other stress signs decreased as a result. The accidental discontinuation of the Butordyne meant pain levels rose again, so in turn the stress signs came back.

Meloxicam is primarily an anti-inflammatory. The pain relief it provides comes as a result of the reduction in inflammation and swelling, but it's primary mode of action is not analgesia like the Butordyne is.

That is what I'd guess is going on. It's not that the Metacam is causing the painting, merely that it is ineffective in treating the levels of pain she is experiencing. Which the Butordyne is able to adequately relieve.

That makes sense to me however if her pain level is still extreme (i'd expect some relief by now Fri - Wed) I would question her chance of recovery.

Thank you Azira and Sue55 for your responses. My only wondering is whether the panting is a breathing constriction of some sort rather than pain?

I dosed her correctly later this evening with the Butordyne (around 8pm) and on checking her just now see she is still panting.

Given she ate (at conservative estimate) 50 mealies around 5pm I was hopeful she was turning a corner.

Vet advice was doses of .2ml by mouth 3-4 times a day. However she has only had two of the 4 potential daily doses (no-one was home between 10.30am and 5pm to dose her) so am wondering if another dose around midnight might improve her pain levels.

That is what I will try at any rate.

Thank you for your comments (Azira sorry video didn't work for you - have just checked it and it seems fine for me so can't say what is going on there).

Another dose of Burordyne and not panting. Chook and carer now going to get some kip.

Panting again and not eating mealies. Back to the vet.

Hmm, does seem like there might be something else going on. Hopefully the vet can get to the bottom of it.

I tried again and the video is working, something must have gone wrong on my end.

Best of luck, keep us updated.

Thanks Azira.

Vet confirmed my suspicions that the breathing was a physical restriction - presumably from a tumour in her left breast area that was the size of a small golf ball - can highly recommend all chook owners checking their birds ALL over - not just crops as i did - at least once a week if possible. Am so heartbroken that I missed this sign.

Shelley's breathing became very laboured - she breathed with her whole body as you saw in the video, beak wide open.

Vet recommended the gas and so last Thursday we did the kind thing- but very very very very sad - many tears for my first gal ever, mother of more than 20 new babies over the years, feisty defender of her bubs and all round personality chicken.
Her loss is not commensurate with her actual size (weighing in at around 800g) but with her personal stature and insouciant attitude to rules (oh is that the flock in the wrong (forbidden) part of the garden? Never mind - they will all obediently climb the steps and return to their allocated area pronto - EXCEPT for Shelley - who thinks the rules simply don't apply to her - blithely ignoring vocal and broom hints she scratches and forages under the cumquats).

Her vocalisations sounded like an old crone when annoyed and her care for her chicks was legendary defensive and loving.

Vale Shelley Winters - you are missed every day and you will be missed every day there are chickens in my garden.

I'm sorry to hear of the outcome, rest peacefully Shelly.

She truly sounds like a lovely bird, full of character and attitude. I'm sure you've got many stories about the things she got up to, and it's in those memories that she'll always be with you.

You really did all you could for her, and I'm sure she knew she was loved and cared for.

Sorry for your loss xo.

Thanks so much for that Azira - I appreciate it.