Viral Arthritis in chickens

 
I think one of my chickens has viral arthritis, havign looked up her symptoms she's showing "classic" waddling and sitting on her hocks symptoms.  I took her to the vet 10 days ago when I first noticed her ooking unwell and the vet gave her antibiotics as she thought it may be a bacterial infection.  The hock sitting and walking difficulties were not as apparent then.  She seems "better" in herself, more hen like behaviour, eating, drinking moving around and looking for food, but is cleary her movement is resticted, she cannot climb the quite steep ramp to the hen house or indeed get down it so we are putting her in and out of the hen house.

Is she likely to recover?

As I have only 2 hens at the moment she is rather special and an important companion for her sister, but if she won't recover then we may have to do the kind thing for her.

Advise needed!

Hi Queen Bee

I have no experience of this I'm afraid
I have had a quick look through some of my books mainly The Chicken Health Handbook by G Damerow
This is what it say's:


Incubation period - 1-13 days
Transmission - contact with infected birds and their droppings or respiratory discharges; spreads from breeders to chicks through hatching eggs.

Treatment - none; mildly infected birds recover in 4-6 weeks; cull severely affected birds, as they rarely recover; following an outbreak, thoroughly clean and disinfect housing wit lye or 0.5% organic iodine solution.

Sorry not much help

Sarah

Thank you for your concern and Sarah's extract very useful, I will persevere as she is definately improving making it all the way down the garden today, eating well and she has been sitting in the sunshine preening, which to me says not unduly distressed.  She has had this for 2 weeks now so I'll give you an update in a few more.