Her legs are strong but her balance is off

[fanficfreezone]

Fiona saw the vet today and he was pleased with her progress. He said it’s possible that her condition is due to vitamin deficiency. He also suspects a stroke, but it sounded like more of a minor possibility according to him.

We changed the feed we buy and I started her on B complex pills today. Let’s see how it goes. She has been trying to walk more often and with more success. She take two or three small steps at a time. The vet’s assistant said she actually drank water at the clinic. Stood and drank from the bowl on the floor, they said. We tried to recreate that at home but she didn’t do it.

First time in a while that she’s sitting with her ”tail” normal (not down).

 

[rotorman]

Repl

Over Memorial weekend, we noticed that my hen Fiona was unable to walk. Her legs still worked but her balance was not right.

When we first saw the vet he said she was emaciated, and since she was refusing to eat, we have been tube-feeding her.

Over the last two weeks (since Memorial weekend) she was given Metacam and amoxicillin and calcium as well.

My vet said it wasn’t egg binding or salpingitis. She’s also too old for Marek’s. He even did a fine needle aspiration test which came back negative.

Her legs were never paralyzed but because she can’t balance, she doesn’t walk. When she tries she keeps falling forward.

However she can move her legs and she can stand. Since we started tube-feeding her she has regained some strength, but her comb is still down and when she sits, her butt feathers are down.

Lately she has also been trying to take some steps, but it’s like 2 tiny steps with her legs crouched and then she sits because her balance is off. She tries hard but that’s all she can manage. It’s better than how she was at first.

She is 4 years old and a cinnamon queen. I adopted her 2 years ago.

Unfortunately my vet isn’t sure what’s going on. Any insight would be appreciated.

REPLY FROM DR. GARY BUTCHER, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA VETERINARY SCHOOL POULTRY VET. THIS IS WITHOUT A CHANCE TO EXAMINE YOUR CHICKEN:

As noted, her legs, joints and muscle seem to be in order, but she cane not balance. I see this a good bit in commercial farms where there are many chickens. In some cases, it has been due to an inner ear infection. Sometimes an insect or other foreign body is present and often there is even infection. Possibly Dr. Octavio can take a look into the ear??

In some cases, I have related this to head trauma. If the bird is strartled, she could panic and ‘knock; her head against an object.

These are the two main causes. There are some neurologic diseases but the age for the bird makes these unlikely- AE, Vit E deficiency,… Since it is an individual bird the 2 above are higher on the list. Gary

YOU NEED A GOOD EXOTIC VET. IF YOU WERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA I WOULD REFER YOU TO A VERY GOOD ONE, DR. OCTAVIO ROMO IN LAKE WORTH. HE IS THE BEST AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A FEW OF THEM. GOOD LUCK HOPE THIS HELPS!! STEVE

 

[nuthatched]

Fiona saw the vet today and he was pleased with her progress. He said it’s possible that her condition is due to vitamin deficiency. He also suspects a stroke, but it sounded like more of a minor possibility according to him.

We changed the feed we buy and I started her on B complex pills today. Let’s see how it goes. She has been trying to walk more often and with more success. She take two or three small steps at a time. The vet’s assistant said she actually drank water at the clinic. Stood and drank from the bowl on the floor, they said. We tried to recreate that at home but she didn’t do it.View attachment 3543336

First time in a while that she’s sitting with her ”tail” normal (not down).

I'm glad she's doing better. Vitamin deficiency is common and can cause drastic issues but it's easy to cure and usually has no long term side effects.

 

[rotorman]

Over Memorial weekend, we noticed that my hen Fiona was unable to walk. Her legs still worked but her balance was not right.

When we first saw the vet he said she was emaciated, and since she was refusing to eat, we have been tube-feeding her.

Over the last two weeks (since Memorial weekend) she was given Metacam and amoxicillin and calcium as well.

My vet said it wasn’t egg binding or salpingitis. She’s also too old for Marek’s. He even did a fine needle aspiration test which came back negative.

Her legs were never paralyzed but because she can’t balance, she doesn’t walk. When she tries she keeps falling forward.

However she can move her legs and she can stand. Since we started tube-feeding her she has regained some strength, but her comb is still down and when she sits, her butt feathers are down.

Lately she has also been trying to take some steps, but it’s like 2 tiny steps with her legs crouched and then she sits because her balance is off. She tries hard but that’s all she can manage. It’s better than how she was at first.

She is 4 years old and a cinnamon queen. I adopted her 2 years ago.

Unfortunately my vet isn’t sure what’s going on. Any insight would be appreciated.

GET the chicken on Vitamin E

 

[Gotalotofpetstoo]

I am not very experienced with chickens, we only started our chicken journey when we rescued a chicken named Ethel. My post is 6 months long so there are hundreds of posts and updates and advice on my post. I will go back here in a minute and look at some of the numbers to refer you to. As far as what I have been feeding Ethel and her vitamin and supplement regimen. It is been a very long road with Ethel but overall despite having Salpingitis and Marek's, She is doing remarkably well.
If you start reading it post 381 you will read where Ethel started losing her balance where she couldn't balance on her perch anymore, which is on the ground anyway since she's blind, but she would take a few steps and sit down. It may take you a while to read but from 381 through 413 there is a lot of information as well as all of the vitamins and supplements that she is on.
Praying that you can get to the bottom of what is going on with your sweet girl.

 

[rotorman]

Over Memorial weekend, we noticed that my hen Fiona was unable to walk. Her legs still worked but her balance was not right.

When we first saw the vet he said she was emaciated, and since she was refusing to eat, we have been tube-feeding her.

Over the last two weeks (since Memorial weekend) she was given Metacam and amoxicillin and calcium as well.

My vet said it wasn’t egg binding or salpingitis. She’s also too old for Marek’s. He even did a fine needle aspiration test which came back negative.

Her legs were never paralyzed but because she can’t balance, she doesn’t walk. When she tries she keeps falling forward.

However she can move her legs and she can stand. Since we started tube-feeding her she has regained some strength, but her comb is still down and when she sits, her butt feathers are down.

Lately she has also been trying to take some steps, but it’s like 2 tiny steps with her legs crouched and then she sits because her balance is off. She tries hard but that’s all she can manage. It’s better than how she was at first.

She is 4 years old and a cinnamon queen. I adopted her 2 years ago.

Unfortunately my vet isn’t sure what’s going on. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[rotorman]

GLAD YOUR BIRD IS DOING WELL. TRY A LITTLE VITAMIN E PER DR GARY BUTCHER AT UNIV OF FLA VETERINARY COLLEGE. DON'T LAUGH TOO HARD AT HIS LAST NAME, HE IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL EVERY TIME I ASK FOR HELP AND A GREAT GUY WHO CARES ABOUT THE CRITTERS!!!!

 

[fanficfreezone]

Update. Fiona has not shown any progress since I last posted. We feel more comfortable leaving her outside (we still check on her) but we always find her standing by a wall when we go check. Even if we put her in the middle of the backyard, she walks to the wall.
The only thing that changed is that my vet switched her from Metacam (1cc twice a day) to a meloxicam tablet.
I’m still giving her 3cc or Poultry cell snd vitamin B complex every day. We still also tube-feed her with baby bird formula.

She can bring her beak to the ground and get back up now. I’ve also seen her drink water a couple of times but she doesn’t drink nearly enough on her own.

 

[Kiki]

Update. Fiona has not shown any progress since I last posted. We feel more comfortable leaving her outside (we still check on her) but we always find her standing by a wall when we go check. Even if we put her in the middle of the backyard, she walks to the wall.
The only thing that changed is that my vet switched her from Metacam (1cc twice a day) to a meloxicam tablet.
I’m still giving her 3cc or Poultry cell snd vitamin B complex every day. We still also tube-feed her with baby bird formula.

She can bring her beak to the ground and get back up now. I’ve also seen her drink water a couple of times but she doesn’t drink nearly enough on her own.

You didn't buy better feed yet or you did?
What's that in the dish behind her?

 

[fanficfreezone]

You didn't buy better feed yet or you did?
What's that in the dish behind her?

We bought Layena, but just a couple of days ago a big moldy chunk came out of the bag. So we’ve put down the old food until I can get my hands on a new bag.
Fiona is tube-fed baby formula though, so for now she’s not getting the old one or the new one.