Heat exhaustion or other? Legs paralyzed

[froggiesheins]

I dearly hope some one will be able to take her......

 

[horsegal47]

Do not give up on this girl if she is recovering. We had a young hen that somehow broke both legs. We kept her in a rabbit cage with pine shavings on the "floor", but left her with the birds she had grown up with. I worked full time at that point and was only able to check on her before work and in the evening...it took a month, but she fully recovered. A chicken can live in your bathroom for a month. It is inconvenient, but if she is making progress, don't give up on her.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

I don't want to give up on her, because she really is making daily progress, but I also don't want to be unfair to her. If somebody else can give her lots of attention when I can't, then I want her to be with them because I think she will do so much better with frequent handling and "excersize". If no one takes her then she'll continue to live in my bathroom, unless and until it appears that she is suffering or her progression toward once again standing and walking comes to a standstill.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Well it looks like the girl is progressing. Yesterday I noticed that she could scoot backwards about a foot, using her legs as "pushers" and wings as rudders to keep her balance. Today she even managed to turn herself around! She can also support herself on her legs for a few seconds at a time, but there seems to be no coordination there for trying to take a step. Oh, and I think she's milking the kindness thing... she hasn't touched her crumbles since yesterday, instead holding out for a treat of some grapes. I'm going to open a can of nearly-expired corn here in a while to feed to all the chickens, so she'll get some of that too.

 

[froggiesheins]

e :cd :yiipchick Such great news!!!!

 

[ChickChickChicky]

Well she is getting just a tiny bit better each day... stronger, but still can't really walk or stand. This morning I found her about 3 feet away from her "nest", wedged between the vanity and trash can. She can only go one direction, backwards. I emailed the veterinary school at the state college yesterday to inquire when, if ever, her eggs might again be safe to eat. A vet promptly wrote back saying first off that he wasn't convinced by my description that it was botulism, saying a differential diagnosis would also have to include a lack of calcium in her blood, Marek's, injury to hips or legs, and a tumor of the adrenal, ovary or cranial pole of the kidney affecting the sciatic nerve. A botulism test is very expensive and can be done at only one lab in the country... that ain't happening. He recommended just giving her supportive care to see if she can continue to improve. I am really worried about her food and water intake, though... she doesn't seem to be eating her crumbles or drinking water at all, although she will eagerly go after treats like melon if I offer it. I can't possibly be around enough to give her enough nutrition by hand, so I hope she will get back to eating and drinking. As far as ever being able to eat her eggs (or meat), the vet said that he wouldn't answer that question because no scientific literature existed on the subject, but that generally speaking, one should not consume ANY products from an animal that is anything but entirely healthy.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

This is one tough chicken! As far as I can tell, she has not eaten or drank anything for 2 days... but today I caught her actually STANDING (and standing like a normal chicken, although she still can't walk)! She is alert and talkative. Because I can't discern that she's eaten or drank, I keep thinking that I need to just put her down, but then she seems to get stronger! Because I don't have any work for tomorrow

I am going to work with her in the morning, give her plenty of nutritious treats and a long epsom salts soak. She is a fighter and as long as she is fighting so hard I won't give up on her. Am I wrong, and just prolonging the inevitable? I cannot see where she is in any pain.

 

[Cryptkeeper]

This is one tough chicken! As far as I can tell, she has not eaten or drank anything for 2 days... but today I caught her actually STANDING (and standing like a normal chicken, although she still can't walk)! She is alert and talkative. Because I can't discern that she's eaten or drank, I keep thinking that I need to just put her down, but then she seems to get stronger! Because I don't have any work for tomorrow

I am going to work with her in the morning, give her plenty of nutritious treats and a long epsom salts soak. She is a fighter and as long as she is fighting so hard I won't give up on her. Am I wrong, and just prolonging the inevitable? I cannot see where she is in any pain.

I don't think you are wrong at all, a couple months ago one of my girls had a piece of grass/weed stuck in her eye socket, I don't know how long it was in there but my daughter found it and it looked a couple days old already. I washed both her eyes out everyday for 3 1/2 weeks, during that time, about 1 1/2 week into this ordeal, she had lost most of her weight, skin, feathers, and bones, I told her she had one more day to start showing improvements or I would have to cull her. Low and behold the next day I saw her drinking for the first time, and 4 days after that she started eating again. She is now completely blind in that eye, but has re-established herself in the pecking order of the flock. DW renamed her blinky.

 

[ChickChickChicky]

I don't think you are wrong at all, a couple months ago one of my girls had a piece of grass/weed stuck in her eye socket, I don't know how long it was in there but my daughter found it and it looked a couple days old already. I washed both her eyes out everyday for 3 1/2 weeks, during that time, about 1 1/2 week into this ordeal, she had lost most of her weight, skin, feathers, and bones, I told her she had one more day to start showing improvements or I would have to cull her. Low and behold the next day I saw her drinking for the first time, and 4 days after that she started eating again. She is now completely blind in that eye, but has re-established herself in the pecking order of the flock. DW renamed her blinky.

Blinky..... I LOVE it!

 

[jjthink]

Just seeing this thread and am rooting for your girl. She has a will to live and to thrive and it seems she is on her way to recovery I know it's hard with work - I've had times when irresponsible people have let their dogs run loose and one of my birds would get attacked (on my own property) and the amount of time I took off work to nurse them back to health was weeks and weeks - not easy at all. Happily, a good outcome each time, but not easy at all.....
JJ