Silkie not able to bear weight

[Ahardin17]

I have a 8mo Silkie roo that up until 3 days ago was perfectly healthy. He started stumbling while walking and within 5 hours unable to bear weight. He can still move his legs and sits with them straight out in front. He is on the skinny side and I never noticed it until now because of his fluffy feathers. He is eating and drinking and pooping. I have given high protein food, vet RX and nutri drench. What else can I do to help my Charlie?

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Did you check if he had lice/mites?

 

[Ahardin17]

Hi.

Did you check if he had lice/mites?

I have not. Thank you!

 

[Ahardin17]

Hi.

Did you check if he had lice/mites?

I’m not sure if it’s lice or mites, tiny light brown bugs! What do I do?

Hi.

Did you check if he had lice/mites?

 

[Papaye]

Treat him fast!

Do you have something for that...?

For the record, I use food grade Diatomaceous Earth.
I rub A LOT OF that on and in the feathers (on all the body, just not around the eyes), and that is always 100% effective.

I saved a dying rooster thanks to that. (Not even mine.)
He was so weakened because of lice/mites (not sure what the English word is compared with French) he was scaringly skinny and had even become blind, so I was not sure I could save him... but the next day (after I put DE on him), he could see again, and began to eat and drink more.

Treat your rooster.
You can even mix this food grade Diatomaceous Earth in his feed : that could help him.

You can also put Apple Cider Vinegar in your rooster waterer (plastic, not metal!) tomorrow. I did to the dying rooster, and he survived.

 

[Ahardin17]

Awesome! Thank you so so much!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a 8mo Silkie roo that up until 3 days ago was perfectly healthy. He started stumbling while walking and within 5 hours unable to bear weight. He can still move his legs and sits with them straight out in front. He is on the skinny side and I never noticed it until now because of his fluffy feathers. He is eating and drinking and pooping. I have given high protein food, vet RX and nutri drench. What else can I do to help my Charlie?

If you are seeing bugs on him, treat him asap.

You can find Permethrin based poultry dust (or spray) at Tractor Supply or similar feed stores.
Put the dust in a sock and use it like a powder puff to dust him all over. Work the dust down through the feathers all the way to the skin.
Repeat in 5-7day intervals.

What do you feed him?

Looks like he may need some feathers trimmed from around his eyes.

Look at his feet too, any raised scales or indication of Scaly Leg Mites (photos of his feet may help).

Work on hydration, then offer him a wet mash of feed.

Silkies are susceptible to having neurological problems, so I would start him on vitamin therapy.
Give him 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a small amount of egg.

While a lot of folks do use DE (Diatomaceous Earth) in dust bathing areas and even as a "preventative", miracle product, it is not effective against an active infestation, and it would be wise to use Permethrin to kill the bugs dead now.

 

[Papaye]

While a lot of folks do use DE (Diatomaceous Earth) in dust bathing areas and even as a "preventative", miracle product, it is not effective against an active infestation, and it would be wise to use Permethrin to kill the bugs dead now.

Dont know about the chemical products, since I'm not American, and so, I don't know them...
But to answer your comment about DE : naaaah...
(I have a lot of experiences with DE!)

The rooster I saved with Diatomaceous Earth was so infested (by different kinds of lice/mites) I did not even know how he was still alive.
That was sad... I had never seen such an infestation in my life!

Fact is, if I did not have used DE on him, I would not have found him alive the next morning : he was incredibly skinny, became blind before the night (and I'm pretty sure he also became deaf), and could not even walk anymore...
Poor boy... only 3 years old...!

But he is alive now.
Not thanks to some miracle : that actually just BECAUSE I put a lot of Diatomaceous Earth on him...
In fact, I find DE to be so great I even mixed some in his food...! Just in case...
(In addition, I also put Apple Cider Vinegar in his water, in order to boost his immune system... hoping it could help him...!)

The next day, the rooster could walk and see again. And he was clearly not deaf (anymore?)!
He could also eat and drink, even if not enough in my opinion... So I also gave him some melon and watermelon, to at least try to keep him sufficiently hydrated, and to make him want to eat...
And the next days, he was getting better and better, took some weight, and could even make some healthy sounds again!

(Note : I put Diatomaceous Earth on him again once he was better, just in case the lice/mites eggs still on him hatched!!)

Americans use a lot of chemical products, but we are not less capable elsewhere in the world because we tend to use what we have more easily access to, or because we trust more natural products than the chemical ones.
After all, these work greatly for us and for our animals!

(Some people say that Diatomaceous Earth don't work as dewormer for the birds, right?
And yet, there are people who use that successfully as dewormer for themselves...)

So... in case chemical products are not accessible, natural products like Diatomaceous Earth can always be good to use.

I really think that is easy to put an end to an infestation of lice/mites by using DE.
(NOT talking about scaly legs mites or the same kind that concern the feathers - don't know how to call them in English, SORRY : for these ones, I would exclusively use Cade Oil from La Distillerie des Cévennes. 100% success rate!)

 

[Ahardin17]

If you are seeing bugs on him, treat him asap.

You can find Permethrin based poultry dust (or spray) at Tractor Supply or similar feed stores.
Put the dust in a sock and use it like a powder puff to dust him all over. Work the dust down through the feathers all the way to the skin.
Repeat in 5-7day intervals.

What do you feed him?

Looks like he may need some feathers trimmed from around his eyes.

Look at his feet too, any raised scales or indication of Scaly Leg Mites (photos of his feet may help).

Work on hydration, then offer him a wet mash of feed.

Silkies are susceptible to having neurological problems, so I would start him on vitamin therapy.
Give him 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex daily along with a small amount of egg.

While a lot of folks do use DE (Diatomaceous Earth) in dust bathing areas and even as a "preventative", miracle product, it is not effective against an active infestation, and it would be wise to use Permethrin to kill the bugs dead now.

I used the DE because I had it on hand but I will buy the other tomorrow. I feed him Purina high protein from tractor supply. Is there any thing I can like soak him in to help also?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I used the DE because I had it on hand but I will buy the other tomorrow. I feed him Purina high protein from tractor supply. Is there any thing I can like soak him in to help also?

I would not soak him if he's lethargic and not feeling well, it may send him over the edge.

Work on hydration, get the vitamins into him and see that he's eating.

Hopefully he'll come around. Do you know if he was vaccinated for Marek's?