Help me please chick opening and closing mouth/sneezing

[ChikkiDoodleRoo]

Hi my loves, Im back and a bit anxious.

Edit to add: After researching I did see that those symptoms are present in Gapeworms, but like I said, she is only kept indoors, alone, in a sterile brooder, so how would she have gotten gapeworms? It says they get it from infected feces of earthworms, snails, and slugs .... So I don't think thats it.

For those that never saw my other post I have had chickens on and off throughout my life, but this is the first time I have hatched a lone chick from an egg (we saved her ) and so I am being an anxious chicky momma.

So my baby is 2 weeks and 2 days old and we keep him/her inside our home, she is the lone chick so no other chicks or chickens have been introduced.....also has had no contact with other animals or birds. She stays indoors in her brooder (we give her lots of attention and she has a mirror and loves talking to her chicken "buddy" on the other side of the mirror ) and has not had ANY contact with any other birds, as I said, she was born here.

She has been great, but tonight I noticed her poo is a little runny, some of it is normal, but some is runny and she is opening and closing her mouth (no it is not panting) and sneezing/has a runny nose. I do not keep her on shavings (like I said, I am a paranoid chicky mommy lol ) and instead keep her on a non slip shelf liner, with a bird cage absorbent liner underneath. Yes its more work, but it was doable as it's only one chick and I did it exactly for the reason that I didn't want to risk respiratory issues from the dust that unavoidably comes with shavings, so it's ironic that this happened .......I am at a loss for what could be going on . Please help me, Im so worried

Sincerely,
Worried Chicky momma, ChikkiDoodle

 

[Pigpie]

Sounds like she may have a respiratory thing going on, probably not gapeworm

 

[Pigpie]

Have you tried any electrolytes?

 

[ChikkiDoodleRoo]

Have you tried any electrolytes?

No as this only started an hour ago and its 11pm where I am. I can't get any until tomorrow, but was planning and getting some in the morning.

Seems upper respiratory to me honestly. I did check his little mouth to make sure he hadn't somehow gotten to the bird pad underneath, chewed it, and gotten it lodged, but I don't see anything. I had come across a thread where 3 different people's chicks had these symptoms and all three had baby chicks with puppy pad plastic lodged in their throats. I have the shelf liner over the bird cage liner so it was VERY unlikely, but I wanted to make sure.....and nope, I didn't see anything, at least not under the tongue, on the tongue, or at the very opening of the throat (obviously any further back just looks like a black abyss and there is no way to keep his little mouth open long enough to see all the way back with a flashlight) so it doesn't appear to be an obstruction of that sort.

He is sneezing a lot so I guess he somehow caught an upper respiratory issue, which is frustrating as, like I said, I keep it hospital style sterile in there lol (within reason of course as I can't pick up every tiny pile of poop as it comes out haha ). I am praying that by tomorrow he is better. Other people who had this issue said it randomly went away within a day or two so I am hoping it clears on its own.

 

[ChikkiDoodleRoo]

Also, thanks for replying love, I do appreciate it tons.

 

[Pigpie]

It may resolve itself especially since it's only been an hour if not try some electrolytes in water and keep an eye on the little guy!

 

[ChikkiDoodleRoo]

It may resolve itself especially since it's only been an hour if not try some electrolytes in water and keep an eye on the little guy!

Yep!! Ok my loves, I am so so so so happy to report that he is better!! It was a piece of string from the little sterile duster thing I had in there from the time he was a newborn to keep him warm and company. He for some reason got a few pieces loose and swallowed them. Luckily he regurgitated it and seems fine now . I was so worried, but the best part of tonight is that after he expelled the string he got VERY hyper and was up to his silly self playing, peeping, and running around lol Its amazing the things these little guys can swallow. I am actually shocked that people had issues with even puppy pads and that a chick with a straight beak can rip plastic like that .

Thank you so much to everyone who responded, you are so kind.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just make sure it has good ventilation, a warm spot and lots of cool space.
Good on you for providing a mirror. I always feel bad for lone chicks.

 

[ChikkiDoodleRoo]

Just make sure it has good ventilation, a warm spot and lots of cool space.
Good on you for providing a mirror. I always feel bad for lone chicks.

He isn't going to be a lone chick long (I hatched him/ he was a rescue egg, the long story was on my other post), but I also didn't want to throw random chicks in there and risk spreading disease, it just wasn't worth it to me. He spends most of his time with me as right now I am home all day . He seems like a pretty happy little guy, no crazy loud peeping or anxious pacing. He will have his little flock one day, but not until I can make sure that I find a breeder who I know vaccinates and takes care of their animals as its just not something I want to risk. This guy will live out his days here as I can't bring myself to kill something I have raised and has trusted me like that...... We didn't get him for food anyway, all the chickens we will have will be pets, simply because I like them and I think they deserve to live a happy life just like any other living being. So cockerel or pullet, he/she will stay with us . (I keep calling him a she and she a him because we don't know the sex yet hahahahaha so sorry for the confusing switches )

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped me, I was so worried. You guys are amazing out here (you guys should get paid for the amount you help people on these forums) and it really did help me take a deep breath and just wait it out without freaking out too badly.