chicken with vertigo?

[cluckinnewbie]

I have 6 young guys about 10 weeks or so all living together happily. One of them however is acting weird.... it runs around like normal the suddenly tips over. It also sometimes bobs and weaves and when laying down it lays with tummy on the dirt but head completely twisted upside down. I thought neck was broken but it seems okay. Its more like vertigo??? Any help?? Im worried **edited to add pics**

 

[cluckinnewbie]

*bump*

 

[TeamChaos]

Any chance the little one bumped it's head? I know that sounds like a stretch, but it's the one I have personal experience with- my little jersey giant went from healthy to "star gazing" and backing up and bobbing and weaving and I had found her jammed in a corner. I think she tried to fly out and knocked her noggin. I treated w/ prednisone as the brown egg/blue egg blog talked about and she cleared. She's still with me years after the event.
Beyond that, I'd make sure there's no vitamin deficiency. Have you checked the chick over? Make sure there's nothing stuck in the ear hole or nostril, that s/he can see normally, nothing wrong with butt or legs? It CAN flex it's legs to lay down, right? It just doesn't do it?
Hmmm... what a puzzler.

 

[Michieb]

My almost year old chicken was recently walking around confused, I thought she got hurt somehow and picked her up and brought her inside right away. After checking her I instantly thought she es eggbound so I gave her a warm rosin salt bath. After gently feeling around her abdomen I realized I couldn’t feel anything hard, nor see anything near her vent to indicate an egg was stuck. I finally took her to a vet . She had X-ray and did not have inner ear infection, she had fecal matter exam and a dozen other routine exams they do. Nothing showed the doctor any abnormalities in fact she walked in circles, had a small twitch of the head, also left eye. When being fed could not eat as when she pecked at her feed she couldn’t figure out where exactly it was. The vet said the only thing she thought it was has to do with vertigo. So far, she’s being observed for 12-24 hours to see if there is progress. There’s definitely a neurological issue and she may be on medication for a while. She also asked me if there was a possibilities of ingesting metallic objects as this would cause infection in the brain and swelling, which could be treated fairly quickly and birds did well after the specific medication. After her X-rays she indicated everything looked clear though and nothing at all was blocking her insides, nothing in the oviduct, and her brain also looks clear. The vet also mentioned parasites which would infect her nervous system and cause brain swelling too which would explain her current issues. I’m still waiting on the results for parasites. Needless to say she’s home now and on two antibiotics along with anti seizure meds.

And I have to crop feed her myself, basically syringe soft food into her little mouth. I’m also giving her pedialyte So far she’s ok but not out of the woods yet. I give my flock great layer feed and only snacks occasionally. I also offer them oyster shell. When they were chicks I gave them Corid as a precaution in their water, and they have been vaccinated too. I’m praying she gets better. Only time will tell.