PLEASE HELP SILKIE CAN'T HOLD UP HER HEAD

My silkie can't pick up her head. Her neck keeps curling down and she shakes her head. What can be wrong with her. It's almost like she is haveing a sezure.

She has a vitamin E deficiency, which is common in Silkies.

You will need to get some vitamin 400mg E capsules with selenium and squirt one capsule into her beak twice a day. You also need some liquid vitamin B and will give her one squirt, once a day. Do this until her neck has fully recovered.

It is very important that you make sure she gets enough to eat and drink during this treatment time. If her neck is bent to the point she cannot straighten it herself, she won't be able to eat or drink on her own.

Best of luck with your Silkie!

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Yep!!! Sounds like wry neck! You will need to seperate it immediately as they can easily get stomped on by the other chicks(it is not contagious or a disease--just a deficency that can be fixed). Run to the store, buy some Polyvisol drops( you can buy this anywhere--grocery storem, walmart, etc in the infant or meds section). You will administer 1/4 dropperful 2x a day for the first few days...it looks horrible when they do this and scary, but easily cured. I have never seen a chick die from wry neck and all have recovered when given the drops consistently. Give him his own warm area with food and water. Be careful to only give him a small dish for water as they can drown while in their, "seizure like state."

Thak you all. I got the drops and started giving to her, my favorite of course. Should I give some to my other silkies as well.

mine is doing the same thing- i have heard baby liquid vitamins also- would this work in this case, or specificaly vit e?

I have 8 silkie chicks-1 week old-I put one or two drops of poly vi sol in their their little water bowl--will this cover vitamin deficiency?

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You can as it won't hurt them, but I just usually only treat the ones with it.

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I like to use the Polyvisol drops, but you could try just straight viatmin E.

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Possibly--not really sure but it's worth a shot!

An absolutely wonderful article and insight to wry neck, limber neck or crooked neck. He gives a lot of info as this can relate to silkie at times. Scroll down to go to site of article, I think dlh unicorn also has on her site.

Treating "Crookneck"
by Alan Stanford
Permission to share this is granted as long as you give credit to the Author

Here is my theory and therapy for what some call "limber neck" and I call crookneck. The symptoms first show as a crook in the neck. It progresses to
tucking the head, then tucking the head between the legs, then backing up, and tumbling over. It usually hits young birds but can happen at any age.

It is unclear what causes crookneck. American Silkie Bantam Club members suggest water on the brain, vitamin E deficiency, and injury to the brain that
is outside the skull and forms the knob on the top of Silkie's heads. The brain injury is the cause I feel fairly certain about.

Water on the brain was seen in a necropsy of an affected bird. Prednisone was suggested as symptomatic relief. Vitamin E and B complex are both good for neurological disorders. Selenium helps absorb vitamin E.

Here's what I do for affected birds. If started before symptoms get severe, the bird will totally recover. To give vitamin E - just cut the end off a human capsule and squirt it in the bird's mouth.

It is important to be sure the bird gets enough to eat and drink while it has this problem. Birds with severe cases of crookneck can't eat and drink enough to survive. You will need to gently place their head in the feed dish and carefully dip just the tip of the beak in water. Be careful not to dip too far into the water and to not stress the bird while trying to help.

The following is for an adult about 2 pound bird. Scale back for smaller birds.

For the first week I give

Twice a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E

Once a day
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)

For the second week I give

Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins

Every other day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)

For the following weeks I give

Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins

Every third day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)

Do not abruptly stop prednisone, the swelling rebounds, decrease dose
gradually.
Vitamin E recovery can be slow; continue the vitamin E for several weeks at
least.

You can get the prednisone from a vet; just describe the problem of
swelling in
the brain probably due to injury. Yes Silkies' brains do stick out through a
hole on the top of the skull.

You can get the vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin B complex or liquid
vitamins at
any pharmacy.

To get prednisone, print the pictures at
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/HoleInHead.html
and take them to a vet. (for those unable to access this article, Alan has generously given his permission to repost the article/photos below)