Chicken can't stand or walk, paralyzed??

[mrskenmore]

Glad to hear Ethel is on the right track again. It may be that she needs the supplements and meds to do so. I had a hen once that had this raspy old voice- she was quite cute and would sound like an old car getting started when she would "sing" her egg song lol. Thinking of you and Ethel today and hoping she continues to improve this week!

Come on Ethel- you got this!

 

[Gotalotofpetstoo]

So something new is happening with Ethel. I have checked her eyes in the past with a flashlight to see if there was any reaction to the pupil getting larger and smaller and there was not. My husband noticed today when we were tube feeding her. He ran the flashlight across her eye and her pupils immediately reacted in both eyes. So I'm wondering if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I did read with certain conditions the people won't react at all but with other conditions the pupils will react. But being that I had checked it before and never saw a reaction, I just wonder if this could be good news?

 

[azygous]

Reactive pupils is a good thing. It means there's a connection between her eyes and brain that's active. She can see.

 

[mrskenmore]

I was going to say the same, I am pretty sure she can see- dangle a worm in front of her

 

[Gotalotofpetstoo]

I've been reading up on why a chicken might take a few steps and sit down and one of the reasons could be something called rickets. It says it can be a imbalance of calcium and phosphorus. She has been on vitamin d for quite a while now, at least several weeks if not more. I'll Have to look back and see exactly. But how do I know what the proper balance is of calcium and phosphorus?
@Allsfairinloveandbugs
@wyorprock
@azygous
@mrskenmore

 

[azygous]

The recommendation of a ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 1:1 for moderate layers and 1:2 for prolific layers. Usually, you wouldn't need to worry about this as phosphorus is added to commercial feeds.

You can't know if the hen is deficient without a blood test.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I mentioned this previously, but do watch the manufacture/mill date, which is printed on the tag of each feed bag. The rule of thumb is that chicken feed has a shelf life of approx. 6 months. But nutrients can begin to degrade before then, so try to buy bags as fresh as possible. Rickets in chickens usually occurs due to old feed. I now look at the manufacture date every single time I purchase feed, after a bad experience several years ago, when I bought chick starter that I later discovered was 14 months old at the time I purchased the feed.
https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/2020/03/30/r...try is caused,has been destroyed by rancidity.

 

[Gotalotofpetstoo]

So just a quick update on Ethel. I haven't been on here in a little while and just read the messages about her pupils reacting. She definitely cannot see. She doesn't respond to any movement and she continuously misses her bowl, pecking around looking for her food. We are still tube feeding her. She has gotten stronger, and whatever was causing her to take a few steps and sit down is no longer affecting her because she can stand as long as she wants, basically. The video I attached, I took last night. Good news is, it shows Ethel taking a few steps and staying on her feet, sad news is, my kitty Echo, who has been sick for the last several weeks, passed away in my husband's arms a few hours ago. Echo got her wings and Ethel continues to flap hers every time we tube feed her lol. I expect her one day just to jump off Curt's lap and fly across the room

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NCY1HHomhKM4AkL16

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I'm so glad to hear that Ethel has rebounded again. Maybe her full name should be Ethel The Comeback Kid.
I'm sorry about your cat. Was it the one in the video with Ethel? If so, they look like they made quite the pair.

When you commented several posts ago that Ethel was again losing mobility and that the mass in her abdomen seemed to be growing again, both Azygous and Wyorp Rock said that it's not advisable to insert a finger more than an inch or so into the vent, and Wyorp Rock also mentioned that a diagram of chicken anatomy might be helpful to you. Here is a diagram. As you can see, the exit of the large intestine and oviduct are both very near to the vent opening.

 

[mrskenmore]

So sorry to hear about your kitty sending hugs to you and your hubby. Glad Ethel is feeling better!