Help!!! Lame chicken, and it's getting worse

[FRlEDeggs]

I posted another post about this earlier, but this one will explain things in further detail.

Pepper, our 22 week old Cuckoo Marans hen has always been a little slow. Then last friday, I noticed she had a severe limp. On Saturday we put her in a dog crate and gave her Poly-Vi-Sol, along with some other bird vitamin
drops in her water. On Sunday we made her a sling. It is basically just a piece of fabric suspended between the two sides of the dog crate with some leg holes and a poop hole. We have noticed that it's her right leg that has the problem. She can't put weight on it. Today she isn't able to walk, and just has to sit there half toppled over with her right leg suspended in mid-air, trembling. She is also losing her appetite, although she will eat very small amounts of some things. There are no visible injuries. What's wrong? What should we do? Help!

I think we might have a bird doctor downtown, but that is a last resort.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Bumblefoot can cause a limp but it will be quite obviouse that the foot is swolen and tender.

Vitamin deficiency can cause movement problems but unfortunatly Marek's seems to show up with limping as an early symptom that can follow along with a chichen that seams slow to grow.

 

[FRlEDeggs]

Quote:
No Bumblefoot... maybe a vitamin deficiency though. Hopefully not Marek's! I read with Marek's though that the leg is paralyzed, and her leg thankfully is not. Plus we got them vaccinated as babies.

What would you suggest for a chicken that is not eating? We have been giving her scrambled eggs, mealworms, honey water, and yogurt.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

A Marek's vacination does not make than 100% immune, still possible to develop symptoms but typically it will be milder.

As for food, what ever they will eat that is high in nutrients and energy, canned fish, wet cat foot, eggs are good, stay away from empty calorie or bulky type foods white bread, cracked corn, vegie treats ect.

Vitamines are a slow steady prgress, watch though sometimes chickens with marek's seam to improve a little with isolation and TLC but then relaps.

 

[FRlEDeggs]

What are some other symptoms of Marek's?

 

[FRlEDeggs]

I looked it up and she has none of the symptoms of Marek's. Her leg is not paralyzed, she just can't put weight on it. I'm assuming this is just an injured leg/foot and it will get better with time

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Here is hoping it will just resolve its self... But?

None of the symptoms? There are different manifestations. One starts with a limp or on leg or wing partially paralyzed unable to bear weight on the leg, possible posturing fallen on side with legs stuck out at weird angles front/back something maybe like you describe. Generally progressive as you also described.

Your bird is right in the prime age for it, so I would certainly watch for symptoms that might confirm or dismiss and obviously quarantine until you can be sure.

Poisoning, bad feed, avian botulisim are also ones that can cause some simmilar things.

A bad jump from the roost or a rough roo can also cause injury but those sorts of things tend to get better over time not worse.