Help, my pullet is crooked!!!!!

[ashelt]

I need some advise. My pullet isn't any better, actually worse, she now has her head completely on her spine, looking at her tail, her neck/chest is way up in the air, she falls over on her back all the time and cannot get up. from falling and trying to get up she has scratched up the inside of one of her wings so bad that there are holes in her skin from her nails digging in and getting stuck in there and tearing it up. I have wrapped her up and made her a body like traction box that I put her in. Now her one leg isn't working properly or maybe its her little food, not sure. She seems smaller now than over a month ago when this started. She still eats and drinks on her own. I have been giving her prednisone, liquid vitamins, vitamin E and selenium as recommended, I keep starting the regime over and over. I even started giving her crushed vitamin B complex, since crook or wry neck is a vitamin def. I am really wondering if she may have mareks disease. I am having a really hard time deciding to put her down. She loves me, calls for me and purrs at me when I talk to her. She doesn't seem to be in pain, and I have treated her wounds on her wings. Help, should I just cull her....... and if I should, what is the best way so she doesn't feel any pain. This may sound silly, but I really do love her, but I don't want her to suffer. I started this thread about a month ago and she is no better, worse. help.....

 

[theoldchick]

Oh, wow, you've really done your best for your little girl. She could possibly have Mareks or some other viral disease. Since her quality of life is now a concern, euthanasia might be the best thing for her.

So sorry she did not improve as you hoped.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I am so sorry your pullet isn't better!

Wry neck can be caused by infection, brain swelling from an injury, vitamin deficiency, and maybe other things too.

Here:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
at the bottom are diagnosis charts...twisted necks are mentioned in a couple of the charts...I hope it helps but necropsy might give more information. Unfortunately that is an autopsy and would require putting your girl down and keeping the body refrigerated until you sent it off for study. If you wish to go that route, you can contact your state vet or county extension agent. I understand though if she is a pet that might not be bearable.

Many many people on BYC have used vitamin therapy for wry neck with good results eventually. I hope your girl gets better soon! I have no experience with wry neck except a 2 day injury-related episode of it that self-resolved.

 

[ashelt]

here is a pic I just took of her, she has been in chicken traction for a while so she isn't that messed up yet, give her a little while and she will be falling over after she tries to walk backwards from that position. I will post more, waiting for them to get to my email...

 

[theoldchick]

Heartbreaking. She's obviously being well cared for.

 

[ashelt]

The first pic shows how she falls over and cannot get up. The rest are how she looks all of the time. I am not sure now that her foot or leg is messed up, maybe she just doesn't us it when she is in chicken traction, not sure, but she is using it now. I did start to crush up the vitamin b complex and selenium into powder instead of just making her swallow the little bits, maybe just maybe that will help. I am going to give her still more time. I did notice that she has lice..... none of my other chickens have it. EWWWWW I have been cuddling with her for a month!!!!! I have seven and Diatamacous earth, will either of these work?
ANY advise however will be deeply appreciated, even if anyone thinks she just needs more time to heal. oops gotta go she flipped over again!!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/publications/6/diseases-of-poultry/218/vitamin-e-deficiency
I know you have been giving vitamins already but thought this might help somehow.

 

[ashelt]

good info, just read it. thanks...I feel like I am overdosing her with the vitamins, but I am giving her now, since last week-ish, 1 half dropper of polyvisol without iron, 2 (meaning twice a day) 400 units of vitamin E. Split the 200 selenium pill into 25mg servings, (out of prednisone, had to give her a weeks worth and save the rest to wean her off a couple weeks ago) and 2 days now, I am giving her adult B complex that I crushed and giving her 1/4 of that a day! She doesn't act poisoned though.......

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

good info, just read it. thanks...I feel like I am overdosing her with the vitamins, but I am giving her now, since last week-ish, 1 half dropper of polyvisol without iron, 2 (meaning twice a day) 400 units of vitamin E. Split the 200 selenium pill into 25mg servings, (out of prednisone, had to give her a weeks worth and save the rest to wean her off a couple weeks ago) and 2 days now, I am giving her adult B complex that I crushed and giving her 1/4 of that a day! She doesn't act poisoned though.......

browneggblueegg.com mentions vit E dosage of twice a day for the first week and then goes down from there...might want to recheck that.

I don't know dosages myself but twice a day 400 IU sounds like a lot to me, ongoing. I would NOT give that much ongoing if it were me...sounds like too much.

Here:http://www.jefferspet.com/avian-super-pack/p/AB-P1/
You might try switching to a poultry vitamin pack now that you have tried the intensive vitamins with no improvement, just to be safe and not overdose on especially the fat soluble vitamins. That is what I would do now if it were my chicken. I would be worried as are you about vitamin overdosing now that the time is stretching out into a month and beyond.

I have never tried the avian super pack myself but have seen an esteemed member of BYC recommending it.

 

[ashelt]

that actually sounds like great advise. I wonder if I can just stop the selenium or if it has to be weaned off. I am going to just give her the b vitamins and no other vitamins. Since it is a B1 thiamine deficienty anyways, at least that is what I keep reading. We'll see what happens!!!!!