First thought was CRD, then Wry Neck...is it Sour Crop?

[offdagridsoon]

I originally posted in the thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=541184

At first we thought our 2 year old Partridge Chantecler rooster had CRD, and dosed him with Tylan 50, injected. He started off seeming off-balance and then stopped walking completely, though the muscles in his legs still worked. His symptoms got progressively worse, with his head twisting around him, flupping his wings at the same time, and being very listless after the 'episode'.

I posted his symptoms in the above thread and learned it was likely Wry Neck. We got prednisone, selenium, Poly Vi Sol and Vit E for him, and also started giving him yogurt (as well as apple cider vinegar in his water, which he has always gotten). A few days later he stopped with the 'neck twisting' episodes but, after a brief one day period where he seemed to be getting more energetic (ie: fighting against us when we picked him up, really attacking his food), he has gotten progressively more lethargic over the past two days. We've also been giving him Pedialyte as it's been pretty warm here, and we thought maybe he was low on electrolytes.

Last night we gave him 0.1cc of Ivermectin, injected, as we noticed he and the other birds have lice. Not sure about other parasites, but if there are some I'm sure they've not been helping his condition.

He's not so much eating or drinking today without being prompted, and it looks like his wattles are starting to lighten a bit in color. His crop feels a bit larger and squishier than the other Chantecler rooster's.

Is there a chance that he's got sour crop?

 

[offdagridsoon]

This is absolutely maddening...so many illnesses in chickens look like any number of other ones and none of the vets around here are aces with birds. We can't tell what's wrong with him and it just seems like he's getting worse and we're just prolonging his agony.

He pecks furiously at his feed for a few bites, but then it's just too much effort for him and he just lays there like a rag doll. He doesn't want to lift his own head up, though he will pull it back if he doesn't want any more water.

I just don't know what to do for him!

Is it possible that the Ivermectin was hard on him and it's going to take him a little bit to get over it, or is it sour crop, or was it wry neck, or....

Sorry...just venting because I have no idea what's wrong with him and it feels like there's nothing I can do to help him..

 

[edselpdx]

I'm sorry I don't have an exact answer for you, but unless you really know what you're doing, messing around with prednisone is really not a good idea. Steroids like this depress the immune system and can mask symptoms of illness. Sudden withdrawal of steroids can cause adrenal insufficiency, which is nothing to mess with either (cardiovascular collapse is the biggest worry.)

 

[offdagridsoon]

I know you mean well, but please understand that I didn't administer prednisone to my chook for laughs, nor without doing a lot of looking into it and asking the advice of people who have far more experience than I do. In fact, our local vet was of zero help as far as what could be wrong with him, and she was the one who gave us the prednisone.

Believing he had wry neck, and having read that prednisone is the standard treatment for it (as well as Poly Vi Sol, Selenium and Vitamin E), I'm not sure what else you thought I should have done..?

 

[thegoldengirls]

You were wondering about sour crop.. if you open his mouth, does it smell foul?
If it is sour crop causing his ailment, then I believe you should be able to smell it.

"This is absolutely maddening...so many illnesses in chickens look like any number of other ones..." I totally understand and share this frustration.
If only they could talk to us, as I'm sure most of us talk to them.

I wish you and your roo the best!