Chicken wobbly on feet and unable to stand and poorly vet does not know what’s wrong any help ?

[Boergoatlover]

My 9 months old Silkie has been Broodie for the last 3 weeks, I kept taking her out of the coop but she had lost a fair amount of weight. Yesterday was the first day she was not broody.

This morning she has come out of the coop unable to stand she keeps tipping backwards on her feet and is wobbly, she’s puffed up eyes shut and refusing to eat anything. She’s got diarrhoea and other than having lost weight seemed ok.

I’ve rushed her to my emergency vet who could not find anything “acute” she’s been given Baytril antibiotics, anti inflammatory pain relief, emiprid to help digest food, Beryls probiotic and recovery formula. I’ve been giving her critical care and the recovery food every 4 hours.

She’s still no better and I think I’m going to loose her I don’t know what else to do and would be grateful if any advice.

I wondered if it could be any of the below?:

Mareks- she came from a vaccinated breeder I know this does not stop them getting it but would it come on this fast ?

Vitamin deficiency- if she’s not been eating could it have caused a deficiency I’ve given her Nettex poultry drops but didn’t know if there was something better I could give her

the only other thing I wondered is if she hit her head and had an injury ?

I’d be extremely grateful or any advice and or suggestions I can’t bear the thought of loosing her

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try to get her taking some wet chicken feed, cooked egg, and give vitamins and electrolytes. Hold a small tuna tin or cup up to her beak. Feed her every few hours. Check if her crop is emptying. Hopefully, she will respond to the fluids and food. I usually break my broody hens within a few days if I am not planning to hatch eggs. Unfortunately chickens can still get Mareks even with a vaccine. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[Boergoatlover]

I would try to get her taking some wet chicken feed, cooked egg, and give vitamins and electrolytes. Hold a small tuna tin or cup up to her beak. Feed her every few hours. Check if her crop is emptying. Hopefully, she will respond to the fluids and food. I usually break my broody hens within a few days if I am not planning to hatch eggs. Unfortunately chickens can still get Mareks even with a vaccine. Let us know how she gets along.

Thank you so so much for your reply, I forgot to mention I had an outbreak of red mite and cleaned coop etc but didn’t do anything more than that she does seem very itchy could red mite cause these symptoms if bad enough ? I was wondering if i should ask my vet for a specific red mite treatment toom

 

[A Swede in France]

How did you both get on @Boergoatlover? I have the same thing happening with my silkie. She's about the same age as yours. She wasn't broody but one morning her face was a bit swollen and she was all fluffed up. The swelling went down by the next day but her overall state deteriorated fast. She stopped eating and drinking, and got increasigly wobbly on her feet. Now one of her legs is just limp and useless and she cannot stand up. We're tube feeding/hydrating her or she would have passed already I think. I also made her a sling today so that she can be a bit more upright and comfortable while that leg is out of commission. We started her off on Doxycyclin but saw no improvement so switched to Baytril after three days. Now we suspect that might actually be making her sick because she is much worse after she gets her meds. We also gave her small doses of pain meds / anti inflammatories, and probiotics in the form of live yogurt. This is her sixth day ill, and three days since she stopped eating and drinking by herself (although she managed to nibble half a peeled grape this afternoon - small wins!)