comatose, limber twisted neck, random head shaking, unable to eat, Help Please! VIDEOS & PICTURES AD

[Wyorp Rock]

Often times, I think it's hard to handle a chicken in my lap for examination, I prefer sitting or standing them on a table. You may find that you have a bit more control of her when trying to syringe or feed her if you place her on a work surface. To help keep her from flapping around, gently swaddle her in a towel.

If she ever becomes more alert, you may find this helpful - showing how to hold and feed.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am in Ohio, but cannot get to S.Charleston. Here are some good links to learn how to tube feed and giving medicines or liquid:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-go-team-tube-feeding.805728/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-go-team-tube-feeding.805728/

Tube should go down the right side of the chicken’s throat avoaiding the airway or hole at the base of the tongue.

 

[Eggcessive]

I just contacted the state poultry vet in WV, and unfortunately, they do not do necropsies on chickens at all anymore. I have contacted my own state vet in Ohio, and they will perform necropsies on backyard chickens for $23 if you bring the chilled body into Columbus to their lab. If you have a local vet, they will send all results to them. They also said that your local vet may be able to perform the necropsy, although many vets do not know chickens.

Hopefully, you can save her with suppostive care. She just seems so very sick to me, and I wonder about her having something that she may not recover from. Also, it would be good to know what, just in case it could affect your other chickens or poultry.

 

[mommaschicklets]

Lots of things can make a chicken sick. And from this vantage point, that's about all we can tell you - your hen is quite sick.

Precisely what's making her sick is something that would require that bacterial stain test. It could tell us what bacteria is making her sick. However, the fact that she's showing neurological symptoms with her wry neck could indicate a botulism toxin. How she encountered that would require you to think back on where your hen had been ranging and what she might have encountered. Usually, botulism toxin thrives in anaerobic conditions, so the bottom of a compost pile is a likely source. Sometimes insects inhabiting the dank and damp and slimy layers of soil deep enough to escape air circulation are infected with the toxin and if a chicken scratches them up and eats them, she will get sick very quickly.

The fact that you took her to the vet right away and was started on a good antibiotic immediately has probably saved her life if this toxin is what made her sick. Just keep doing what the vet told you to do and keep up with the B vitamins (I'd go with the B-complex to address neurological damage) and the E 400iu and this could help repair the damage. Your hen could make a dramatic recovery or she could die by morning. It's up to her now.

I took a poo sample to the vet yesterday. She finally called this am. The float test showed no parasites. The gram stain showed no terrible bacteria however it did show a lot of yeast. She said this could be from diet change... Our flock is enclosed so she couldn't have wandered into something unless it crawled or slithered into the run... The vet consulted her colleague who deals with chicken farms (mass numbers) who seemed to think Mareks disease.... I'm getting ready to study Mareks disease again. From what I remember she doesn't have all the symptoms of it but the vet said it can present differently in each chicken. Some can just pass it through their system.... We will probably put her down soon. She also said the swollen head/eyes could be from where she sleeps with her head down all the time...
Thanks for all your advice!

 

[mommaschicklets]

I just contacted the state poultry vet in WV, and unfortunately, they do not do necropsies on chickens at all anymore. I have contacted my own state vet in Ohio, and they will perform necropsies on backyard chickens for $23 if you bring the chilled body into Columbus to their lab. If you have a local vet, they will send all results to them. They also said that your local vet may be able to perform the necropsy, although many vets do not know chickens.

Hopefully, you can save her with suppostive care. She just seems so very sick to me, and I wonder about her having something that she may not recover from. Also, it would be good to know what, just in case it could affect your other chickens or poultry.

I just contacted the state poultry vet in WV, and unfortunately, they do not do necropsies on chickens at all anymore. I have contacted my own state vet in Ohio, and they will perform necropsies on backyard chickens for $23 if you bring the chilled body into Columbus to their lab. If you have a local vet, they will send all results to them. They also said that your local vet may be able to perform the necropsy, although many vets do not know chickens.

Hopefully, you can save her with supportive care. She just seems so very sick to me, and I wonder about her having something that she may not recover from. Also, it would be good to know what, just in case it could affect your other chickens or poultry.

Thank you! $23 is cheap. Just so far away.(frown face) The vet I've been taking her too is getting ready to call WV Agriculture too. She hasn't dealt with chickens since school but is willing and wants to learn more due to so many backyard flocks now.... She will charge $75 to euthanize and do an in house necropsy. I just replied about the poo test in the post above if you want to read it. No parasites, no abundance of terrible bacteria, but did show lots of yeast.... Thank you so much for all your help!

 

[mommaschicklets]

I am in Ohio, but cannot get to S.Charleston. Here are some good links to learn how to tube feed and giving medicines or liquid:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-go-team-tube-feeding.805728/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-go-team-tube-feeding.805728/

View attachment 1702519
Tube should go down the right side of the chicken’s throat avoaiding the airway or hole at the base of the tongue.

Thank you so much!

 

[mommaschicklets]

The eyes look swollen to me in the last video.

I am not sure what is causing the eye swelling along with a symptom of Wry Neck. To me, your hen is very ill.
In your video, you mention that she has dried up feed inside her beak. Are you sure what you are seeing is dried up feed - look again.

I would not try to double/triple vitamins, go with 400IU vitamin E. You are giving PolyviSol, that contains b-vitamins (including B1) so either stick the Polyvisol or give her 1/4 tablet B-Complex. Your Katee baby bird formula also have some b - vitamins too.

View attachment 1702261

I was able to get her beak cleaned out with a warm washcloth. Ok I will slow down on the vitamins... probably going to put her down( sad face)

 

[azygous]

As I just found out very graphically this past week, yeast colonizes a very sick chicken due to opportunity and very compromised immune system. Treatment probably won't accomplish anything.

At this stage, I think it's time to end things for both of you and turn her over to the vet for a necropsy. You're getting a very good price from your vet for the necropsy which can give you a lot of information.

All of your hen's symptoms point to something going on that isn't going to be treatable. I think you can make this decision with confidence you're doing the right thing for your hen.

 

[mommaschicklets]

As I just found out very graphically this past week, yeast colonizes a very sick chicken due to opportunity and very compromised immune system. Treatment probably won't accomplish anything.

At this stage, I think it's time to end things for both of you and turn her over to the vet for a necropsy. You're getting a very good price from your vet for the necropsy which can give you a lot of information.

All of your hen's symptoms point to something going on that isn't going to be treatable. I think you can make this decision with confidence you're doing the right thing for your hen.

Thank you.. The vet is in til noon I'll take her now. Can you tell me more about what you know about yeast please... Did it present differently or did you see it in a necropsy? Is the only way to know a poo test?

 

[Eggcessive]

I am so sorry, but you are doing the right thing. I am glad your set is willing to euthanize and do a necropsy. She surely would have suffered if you had not made this decision. There are many links on line that show necropsies and how to do them. In Mareks, there can be very different symptoms in each chicken or with each strain. Ocular Mareks, for example, which affects the eyes, may not be seen in some flocks. Tumors on internal organs is common, and may be visible. Nerve tumors may be seen with an enlarged sciatic nerve in the legs. If your vet could take any pictures of organs to share, that would be wonderful. Please post your necropsy results here.