First, a little background, then I'll do the 12 questions. I'm a registered vet tech, but no one at my hospital knows about chickens.
About 2.5 weeks ago I noticed one of my d'Uccle bantams (~3 weeks old at the time) falling over sometimes when she walked. At first I thought it was just because her foot feathers were really starting to come in and trip her up so I left it alone. When it continued to get worse over the course of a few days, I did some online research and then separated her from the other babies (a mixed bunch but all the same age) in case it was something contagious. Even though she was previously eating and drinking normally, she would not eat or drink while separated. I put one of the other chickens (my least favorite) in there to keep her company, and that worked somewhat, but then they both got really stressed out and stopped eating. After about 3 days I moved them back with the others.
Her balance progressively got worse to the point where now she has trouble even standing still and will sometimes just fall forward or to the side, where she will just lay there kicking until she eventually manages to push herself back up and flail her way to the food. I saw no other symptoms...no nasal discharge, no sneezing, just a mild head tick that I would normally associate with neurological damage. She has a healthy appetite, and her stool looks completely normal (when she's not laying on her side kicking with other chickens walking on top of her).
Last Saturday after almost 2 weeks of degeneration instead of improvement, I started her on a 5 days regimen of tetracycline (which was really annoying to dilute down to her dose). Not only is there no improvement (last dose was today), but since starting the antibiotic she has now started shaking her head every few seconds as well as breathing through her mouth. I don't know if it is coincidence with the timing or have something to do with a bad reaction to the antibiotic. Her stool as of today is a little soft, but not completely watery, but I'm blaming that on the antibiotics. She's still a little piglet when it comes to food, when she can get to it. I've started scooping up some on a large spoon and letting her sit on my lap to eat when I have the time.
Now for the answers to the 'Standard Questions':
1) bantam Mille d'Uccle - 5.5 weeks - normal weight compared to the other d'Uccle
2) See behavior details above
3) symptoms for 2.5 weeks
4) No other birds (out of almost 30 she resides with) showing any symptoms at all.
5) No bleeding or any sign of trauma Legs, wings, etc all look completely normal
6) I have no idea what could have caused it
7) I leave dry Coyote Creek organic baby chick feed down for them 24/7 and feed them fermented feed (of the same type) 2-3 times a day. I start a new batch of fermented feed every week to keep it from spoiling. They drink well water that has gone through a water softener and has a little raw apple cider vinegar added.
8) Stool was completely normal before antibiotics but has been a little soft the last 2 days
9) Treatment so far: Tetracycline for 5 days through this morning....started Virbactra Plus this evening
10 ) I would like to treat completely myself. I don't know of a doctor around me that will see chickens and give any diagnosis other than "cull it"
11) No picture as she looks completely normal. I would post a video, but I'm not certain how to easily do so.
12) All the babies are kept inside in the enclosed garage. They were on aspen bedding until just over a week ago when I switched to pine to see if maybe this was an allergic reaction to the aspen. They've never been outside or exposed to any animals other than brief contact (nose touching) with my 3 dogs. I'd like to move them to the new outside coop this weekend, but since it is raised I'm afraid she will fall off the ramp and break her neck.
About 2.5 weeks ago I noticed one of my d'Uccle bantams (~3 weeks old at the time) falling over sometimes when she walked. At first I thought it was just because her foot feathers were really starting to come in and trip her up so I left it alone. When it continued to get worse over the course of a few days, I did some online research and then separated her from the other babies (a mixed bunch but all the same age) in case it was something contagious. Even though she was previously eating and drinking normally, she would not eat or drink while separated. I put one of the other chickens (my least favorite) in there to keep her company, and that worked somewhat, but then they both got really stressed out and stopped eating. After about 3 days I moved them back with the others.
Her balance progressively got worse to the point where now she has trouble even standing still and will sometimes just fall forward or to the side, where she will just lay there kicking until she eventually manages to push herself back up and flail her way to the food. I saw no other symptoms...no nasal discharge, no sneezing, just a mild head tick that I would normally associate with neurological damage. She has a healthy appetite, and her stool looks completely normal (when she's not laying on her side kicking with other chickens walking on top of her).
Last Saturday after almost 2 weeks of degeneration instead of improvement, I started her on a 5 days regimen of tetracycline (which was really annoying to dilute down to her dose). Not only is there no improvement (last dose was today), but since starting the antibiotic she has now started shaking her head every few seconds as well as breathing through her mouth. I don't know if it is coincidence with the timing or have something to do with a bad reaction to the antibiotic. Her stool as of today is a little soft, but not completely watery, but I'm blaming that on the antibiotics. She's still a little piglet when it comes to food, when she can get to it. I've started scooping up some on a large spoon and letting her sit on my lap to eat when I have the time.
Now for the answers to the 'Standard Questions':
1) bantam Mille d'Uccle - 5.5 weeks - normal weight compared to the other d'Uccle
2) See behavior details above
3) symptoms for 2.5 weeks
4) No other birds (out of almost 30 she resides with) showing any symptoms at all.
5) No bleeding or any sign of trauma Legs, wings, etc all look completely normal
6) I have no idea what could have caused it
7) I leave dry Coyote Creek organic baby chick feed down for them 24/7 and feed them fermented feed (of the same type) 2-3 times a day. I start a new batch of fermented feed every week to keep it from spoiling. They drink well water that has gone through a water softener and has a little raw apple cider vinegar added.
8) Stool was completely normal before antibiotics but has been a little soft the last 2 days
9) Treatment so far: Tetracycline for 5 days through this morning....started Virbactra Plus this evening
10 ) I would like to treat completely myself. I don't know of a doctor around me that will see chickens and give any diagnosis other than "cull it"
11) No picture as she looks completely normal. I would post a video, but I'm not certain how to easily do so.
12) All the babies are kept inside in the enclosed garage. They were on aspen bedding until just over a week ago when I switched to pine to see if maybe this was an allergic reaction to the aspen. They've never been outside or exposed to any animals other than brief contact (nose touching) with my 3 dogs. I'd like to move them to the new outside coop this weekend, but since it is raised I'm afraid she will fall off the ramp and break her neck.
