Help please?! Wry neck? Second post

[Susanjoans]

My silkie/seabright bantam began turning her head sideways on Tuesday. Wednesday at dusk she didn't go in the coop with the others, found her under the coop laying on her side. Brought her in, began the vitamin e, selenium, b vitamin regime, and hand feeding her (all gleaned from posts here, and brownandblue egg site. Brought in her best bud, a d'uccle bantam, also. I'm keeping her in to keep an eye on her, and to make it easier to do the frequent hand feedings and vitamin dosings. These are my two explorer birds, though, and they don't much like the dog crate (even though it's extra extra large).

She seems a LITTLE better today, maybe. At times, her head is turned just a little to the side. Other times, though, her head is down between her front legs, or tilted way back to her back.

It's hard to get her to eat. Tried moistening food, all she is interested in eating are black oiled sunflower seeds and sunflower hearts. She will peck at a dish to get those. Can she survive on those??

Is this painful for her? I've read that improvement can take from a couple days to a month, does that sound right?
I've been reading about euthanasia, should that be necessary. Don't know if I could do it, but I think my BF may help. At what point does one consider this??

I posted about this a few days ago, and got no response. I could really use some encouragement - I'm tired, anxious, and confused.

Thanks.

 

[Makomd]

I would give it a week or two before I considered culling her.

I had a hen last year go through wry neck to the point she was scooting backwards rather than forward.

We gave her liquid vitamins for poutlry that you can get at an feed store and we fed her scrambled or hard boiled yolks.

She recovered in a couple of weeks and was fine for over the last year, and was wry neck free and laying great. We just rehomed her and the others from our laying pen to make room for the under a years old for this spring.

Good luck it will take a good week before you see some good and it may look worse in the early stages.

 

[Susanjoans]

Thanks for your input - your response will keep me going! I do think she's beginning to get better.

 

[country]

Here is a copy/paste of one of my posts from another thread. You can get the selenium from a pharmacy or health foods store. Good luck.
Sheri/Country

Here is my treatment for wry neck that has been very successful.
A.M.
50 mg of selenium - I give mine by putting it in the back of the chick's throat & then massaging the neck until it's swallowed. Chicks can overdose on selenium so do not give more than 50 mg each day. Could probably be given in crushed form mixed with water or even mixed with vit. E & given with eyedropper.
1000 units of vit. E - I cut off the end & squeeze the liquid into the chicks mouth. Vit. E is needed to help the chick absorb the selenium.
Polyvisol (without added iron) - a few drops in the chicks mouth about 3 times a day.
P.M. 1000 units of vit. E
Once the chick appears normal, continue treatment for at least another 2 weeks before integrating back into the flock. I usually put a chick of the same age in with the wry chick for a few days & let them bond before putting both back into the flock.

Do everything possible to keep stress levels down - quiet room, low lighting, etc. I would also suggest putting a small stuffed animal in with the chick so it can cuddle with it. Lowers stress & helps keep them from being lonely. Depending on how early treatment was started, you could see results in a couple of days & near normalcy in a week.

 

[Makomd]

Keep us posted.

 

[Susanjoans]

Here is my girl Pila. Day 5 and I'm cautiously hopeful.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

It took 2 weeks of twice a day treatments of Polyvisol and Vitamin E to correct the wry neck in one of our Silkie chicks. Keep at it.

 

[Susanjoans]

She recovered very well and I began letting her free range with the others and she slept in the coop a couple of mild nights when she seemed back to herself. Kept up vitamins, then backed off to every other day. Monday she began the tilt again, but milder, but had one eye closed. I washed it with saline, put non-pain relief neosporin on it and moved her back inside.
She's now in full relapse with wry neck - head upside down, and I'm hand feeding and watering her; am able to get the vitamins in her. She's not that interested in food, but will drink well from a dropper.
I found a chicken vet here in Louisville and am going to call in the morning.
Regardless, she won't be going back outside for quite awhile - I feel like an idiot, even though she was doing so very well I knew relapse was possible ... I guess I was so pleased to see her recover that I jumped the gun.
I could use some encouragement please, if anyone has any to spare
Thanks.

 

[Makomd]

Sorry to hear about the relapse, maybe just too stressful too soon. How is she doing now?

 

[Susanjoans]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/747506/wry-neck-closed-eye-vet-visit-update-input-please

She didn't make it. But she introduced me to a wonderful vet, who I am continuing to work with on local animal issues