Head Tilt from Head Trauma: Advice

[Eggrigg]

Hey, so quick background.

I got a couple healthy young chicks a few weeks ago and they were all doing very well. Unfortunately our cat got into the brooder (a messy mistake on my part) and as a result, two of our 2.5 week old Americauna chicks were injured. There is one I’m mostly worried about. She sustained a couple scratches on her back but my greatest concern is it seems she also got some sort of head trauma. She has a pretty noticeable head tilt, she hangs it low and off to one side. I’ve separated her along with another chick who got scratched. They’re both eating and drinking on their own, and I’ve taken them to the vet and got some medication.

My question is it anyone thinks this tilt is permanent or will go away with time. I know wry neck is treated with supplements, particular Vitamin E, but this isn’t the typical case of wry neck so I do not know if going that route will help. The tilt does get more extreme when she is stressed or excited. Rarely she does straighten it out on her own. This happened about 3 days ago, Wednesday.

Any suggestions or advice is appreciated!

 

[Eggcessive]

Getting enough food and water into the baby chick may be a challenge. Mix a small bowl with chick crumbles and wet them with a lot of water to make a thin oatmeal mash. Add a few bits of soft cooked egg. Take her and hold her to try and feed her often throughout the day. The B complex 1/4 tablet can be crushed or grated into her food, along with piercing the vitamin E capsule.

 

[Eggrigg]

Hi @Eggrigg Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry to hear about your chicks. If you have photos you would like to share that would be great.

It's good you sought vet care, you mention that you received medication - can you tell us what they gave you?

"Wry Neck" is a term used for neurological symptoms - some common causes are head injury/trauma, vitamin deficiency and certain diseases (Marek's / Newcastle).

Vitamin therapy can be used as supportive care so you may want to add those. 400IU Vitamin E daily along with 1/4 tablet B-Complex. Give a little egg daily as well.

No one can say if the damage is permanent or if it will improve over time. All you can do is see that they are eating/drinking well and hope for the best.

Here a couple of photos. Some are more extreme because she has a stronger tilt when stressed or excited. The other is how she usually is.
The medication is a topical ointment as well as two oral which are Doxycycline and Metacam syrup.

I’ll start adding the vitamins!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She has a pretty noticeable head tilt, she hangs it low and off to one side. I’ve separated her along with another chick who got scratched. They’re both eating and drinking on their own, and I’ve taken them to the vet and got some medication.

My question is it anyone thinks this tilt is permanent or will go away with time. I know wry neck is treated with supplements, particular Vitamin E, but this isn’t the typical case of wry neck so I do not know if going that route will help. The tilt does get more extreme when she is stressed or excited. Rarely she does straighten it out on her own. This happened about 3 days ago, Wednesday.

Hi @Eggrigg Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry to hear about your chicks. If you have photos you would like to share that would be great.

It's good you sought vet care, you mention that you received medication - can you tell us what they gave you?

"Wry Neck" is a term used for neurological symptoms - some common causes are head injury/trauma, vitamin deficiency and certain diseases (Marek's / Newcastle).

Vitamin therapy can be used as supportive care so you may want to add those. 400IU Vitamin E daily along with 1/4 tablet B-Complex. Give a little egg daily as well.

No one can say if the damage is permanent or if it will improve over time. All you can do is see that they are eating/drinking well and hope for the best.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Here a couple of photos. Some are more extreme because she has a stronger tilt when stressed or excited. The other is how she usually is.
The medication is a topical ointment as well as two oral which are Doxycycline and Metacam syrup.

I’ll start adding the vitamins!

She's very cute!
I hope she recovers from her injury quickly. Keep us posted.

 

[Eggrigg]

Could she have aspirated any food/water?
If the head tilt is getting worse, that may also be causing her airway to be blocked.
You see the vet in the morning?

I won’t see a vet for three more days (I meant Thursday whoops). I can’t imagine she aspirated anything unless potentially the medication I gave her since she was fighting to not take it.

 

[Eggrigg]

Can she walk/move o.k.?
If she can, then I would try leaving the feed in her enclosure and see if she will eat/drink on her own.
Stress can make symptoms worse, so if she can manage without being handled as much, I think it would be better.

Her movements are fine for the most part, she is occasionally lethargic. I’ll leave the food in and observe if she takes it on her own

 

[Eggrigg]

UPDATE: Her tilt seems to have gotten worst and now she is breathing with her mouth open. They seem like little gasps or breath. She is still eating and drinking on her own. She occasionally has a whistle sounding chirp on the exhale. Nothing else is out of the ordinary. Feces is normal, brooder is clean, and she is active. The irregular breathing was just sudden. Any help is appreciated, I’m extremely worried and she won’t see a vet until Tuesday.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

UPDATE: Her tilt seems to have gotten worst and now she is breathing with her mouth open. They seem like little gasps or breath. She is still eating and drinking on her own. She occasionally has a whistle sounding chirp on the exhale. Nothing else is out of the ordinary. Feces is normal, brooder is clean, and she is active. The irregular breathing was just sudden. Any help is appreciated, I’m extremely worried and she won’t see a vet until Tuesday.

Could she have aspirated any food/water?
If the head tilt is getting worse, that may also be causing her airway to be blocked.
You see the vet in the morning?

 

[Eggrigg]

Getting enough food and water into the baby chick may be a challenge. Mix a small bowl with chick crumbles and wet them with a lot of water to make a thin oatmeal mash. Add a few bits of soft cooked egg. Take her and hold her to try and feed her often throughout the day. The B complex 1/4 tablet can be crushed or grated into her food, along with piercing the vitamin E capsule.

View attachment 1721225

Do you think it’s acceptable if I leave the mix in her enclosure for her to eat on her own? She gets extremely stressed when I pick her up, twisting her neck nearly totally upside and I’m worried the panic she goes into will simply makes things worse. Thoughts?