Ataxic Chicken

[PurpleFoxglove]

So my splash marans girl is worrying me quite a bit. A few weeks ago I found lice and nits on her. Dusted her with permethrin a few times, and it seems like this problem has resolved - don't see anymore crawlies. But last week I started to see her standing in the run looking a little puffed up, head tucked under her wing. Now, it is very very cold outside right now, so I attributed it to that. Her poo looks completely normal. Then she started to look a bit pale in the face. Yesterday morning I found her missing a pretty significant amount of feathers on her back between/just behind her wings. The area was pretty raw and bloody so I brought her inside, carefully gave her a warm rinse and blew her dry. Kept her in the laundry room last night, got some egg yolk, yogurt and crumbles into her - she's eating okay, a little less interest in drinking. But as per the feed stores advice, I started her on duramycin-10. Also added a packet of save-a-chick to her water.

Her balance was off a bit last night but this morning seems quite a bit worse. She's pretty alert and still interested in eating, but tires easily and the more active she gets, the worse the ataxia gets. She's actually started to put her head down and still have her butt in the air when she gets sleepy. My other five girls look vibrant and healthy, so I'm pretty worried about my sweet splash girl.

Any ideas or advice? :/

 

[PurpleFoxglove]

Update!

Just got this poo out of her. First time there has been any unusual discoloration - does that look like possible coccidiosis redness to anyone? Also, first time I've seen anything long and wormlike?? Can anyone offer any insight as to what I might be looking at here?

 

[ryanhodapp]

What happened to the feathers yo cause the bloody back?

Are you sure the mites are gone? Do you have any heart guard for a dog, see if she will eat a morsel to kill any internal parasite.

Hopefully some others chime in.

 

[PurpleFoxglove]

I think that either she picked them out or the other girls did. I upped her protein intake in case she was eating the feathers as an additional protein source. I dont see any lice or nits on her anymore. Her vent looks normal, no discharge or crawlies around it.

I can run out and get some wormer to worm her with, but could worms cause the ataxia?

 

[ryanhodapp]

I think they can if they are making them so weak from basically sucking the life out of them.

But I'm not an expert,on worms, just thinking out loud. For the life of me, I don't know how mites or anything else make it when it is so cold.

 

[PurpleFoxglove]

Have been alternating Wazine and the Duramycin-10 for about 24 hours now, so I'm going to stop the Wazine. I've been going in and letting her out of the carrier, prompting her to eat and drink every couple of hours throughout the day.

I wish I could say that there was much, or any, improvement. She's still eating, and reluctantly drinking if I give it to her with a plastic spoon. But she's still extremely ataxic, and struggling to walk even a couple steps. She doesn't favor either side, and neither of her feet look paralyzed...she just looks like she's in an earthquake and the more she struggles, the faster she exhausts herself.

I'm not sure what else to do.

Advice? Wisdom?? Experiences???

 

[PurpleFoxglove]

Update 5:00pm- Just passed a stool with several enormous roundworms in it. There were a couple protruding from her vent as well. Gross. So obviously worms are either causing or contributing to the problem. I guess I need to decide whether to just continue with the Duramycin, or treat a little longer with the Wazine...

Update 8:00pm- More worms. They're pretty much still slowly writhing when they come out. Which makes my skin crawl. I guess Wazine "paralyzes" them so that they can more easily be excreted. I'm a little worried about the possibility of a blockage if there are a ton in there that all die at once. At the same time, I really want them dead if they're what is making her this sick. Words of wisdom welcomed, if anyone has ever dealt with a bad case of roundworms.

 

[ryanhodapp]

I have never treated worms. It must be really gross to have those worms coming out.

@casports may be able to help

 

[PurpleFoxglove]

Update 10:00pm- Well, she's still in chicken hospital. Waited seven days from the Wazine and then dewormed her with Eprinex pour-on, 0.5 mL. She still has an appetite, though less for the applesauce/yogurt/eggs/anything I offer her, and more for her own food. She's drinking well, better than before. Still no funky swelling or discharge anywhere.

I have noticed two flat, tiny, black scabs on each of her feet, but no redness/swelling/tenderness. Could be early bumblefoot, but I'm thinking could also be just a couple little scabs. Planning on soaking her feet in epsom salts, but to be honest, it's comparatively a little low on the priority list.

She's still extremely ataxic. Her legs work. She kicks off of things with the strength of ten chickens, and can pop herself up in the air, but when it comes to the fine motor skills of walking or holding herself up - no dice. Very frustrating. I guess my game plan right now is just to keep waiting to see if eating and drinking right will maybe correct a very poor nutritional state that roundworms might have created.

As always, input appreciated.

Update 11:30am- Did some more reading last night and it occurred to me that maybe she could be low on protein/nutrients both from worms, and from trying to regrow the feathers on her back that were plucked out. So I decided to try giving her some tuna, since it's protein-rich and it's something new to her. She chowed down last night and this morning. So, here's hoping that we see some improvements this week.

 

[PurpleFoxglove]

Update: Well, I thought I would update this once more. Haven't seen much, if any, progress. Still can't seem to get herself upright/moving forward. Just kind of propels herself backward, or falls forward and ends up on her back. Got her a vet appointment almost an hour away for later this morning. I don't have enough experience to say whether this looks like Marek's, so, I guess we'll see whether the vet thinks this is something my girl can recover from, or not. She really is the sweetest chicken, and trills to herself when she's content, or falling asleep, or sees a wild bird outside. I am completely bummed knowing that she may not come back from this vet visit today, and that the last couple weeks may have been for nothing.