Help! Tongue stuck in the throat of a baby chick

[Chicksgowild]

I wish you luck these little guys can be a hassle( well all birds/animals), if only we could understand birds

Yes, it really is a hassle. This month has been such a hassle for me with my chickens. I wish I had more knowledge about chickens and how to properly treat them

 

[alinas2010]

No, I don't have antibiotics. But what antibiotics can I use. Heck, can I even give her food? Is it safe to give her food. I've been thinking about giving her food but I am scared to try it.

Have you tried wetting her chick feed down into a mash with water? She might be able to eat that a little easier.

I tried looking some more but she moves a lot so I can't really see anything

try using a small towel to wrap around her pinning her wings to her sides. She might hold more still then. It’s important to see if she has anything that shouldn’t be there attached to her tongue

 

[Eggcessive]

If they get a small string or a hair in their beaks, it can wrap around the tongue, and when they swallow the string it goes down and pulls the tongue down as well. Unfortunately this can be common. If that is what happened, cutting the hair or string is about all you can do.

 

[Chicksgowild]

Have you tried wetting her chick feed down into a mash with water? She might be able to eat that a little easier.

try using a small towel to wrap around her pinning her wings to her sides. She might hold more still then. It’s important to see if she has anything that shouldn’t be there attached to her tongue

I have the mash ready just I am unsure if I should give it to her. I checked again and I don't see a single strand of hair or anything like that. I believe her tongue is twisted. I can see the tip of the tongue and the end of the tongue but I don't know if her tongue is covering the esophagus. And if it is covering the esophagus, I don't think it's safe to feed her.

 

[Chicksgowild]

If they get a small string or a hair in their beaks, it can wrap around the tongue, and when they swallow the string it goes down and pulls the tongue down as well. Unfortunately this can be common. If that is what happened, cutting the hair or string is about all you can do.

Yes, that is what @alinas2010 told me but I checked and no I don't see a string or a strand of hair. I believe that she twisted her tongue somehow

 

[D Uccle Uncle]

If the chick has a red bump on only one side of the neck, I would wonder how that connects, if at all, to the tongue problem. Again, if it
were part of an abscess, it could cause the tongue to retract. If it were an abscess, simple amoxicillin would suffice; topical medicine like a cream wouldn't work.

Does the bump on the neck feel warm? Is it compressible at all? Do you have a knitting hook with a well-rounded tip to use as a probe to see if the spot in the mouth is compressible? The hook otherwise could be used to gently scrape from the back of the tongue forward,
catching any hair or string.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Also, looking back at some pics on your other thread, is it possible there is a pocket right here that the tongue is falling into? Check that area gently push up on it maybe and see if the tongue pops back up into the mouth.View attachment 4154138

I believe her tongue is twisted. I can see the tip of the tongue and the end of the tongue but I don't know if her tongue is covering the esophagus.

If you can see the tip of the tongue, can you pull it out?
I agree, I think it may be in a pocket underneath. You may have to push back pull up, then forward. Being able to see the tip and the end, is odd.

 

[Chicksgowild]

If the chick has a red bump on only one side of the neck, I would wonder how that connects, if at all, to the tongue problem. Again, if it
were part of an abscess, it could cause the tongue to retract. If it were an abscess, simple amoxicillin would suffice; topical medicine like a cream wouldn't work.

Does the bump on the neck feel warm? Is it compressible at all? Do you have a knitting hook with a well-rounded tip to use as a probe to see if the spot in the mouth is compressible? The hook otherwise could be used to gently scrape from the back of the tongue forward,
catching any hair or string.

I am unsure if it is an abscess. For the bump I don't know because I took her to a wildlife rescue center. I called several local wildlife rescue centers and one of them accepted the challenge. They took my baby chick, I don't know how she is doing but I am going to contact them soon to see if she is even alive. Thank you, I appreciate your concern. I might just need this info. In the future. Thanks again

 

[Chicksgowild]

If you can see the tip of the tongue, can you pull it out?
I agree, I think it may be in a pocket underneath. You may have to push back pull up, then forward. Being able to see the tip and the end, is odd.

Yes, it is one of the strangest thing I have ever seen in a baby chick. Then her tongue is probably twisted. I took her to a local Sparrow rescue, I called and to my surprise they said that they can help. So, I dropped her off there. I haven't been updated with what is happening to her. I just pray she is still alive. Thank you for your concern as well, I hope this thread can help someone else or even myself in the future. Thanks everyone. I'll have to wait and see

 

[alinas2010]

I’m glad someone can try to help her. Keep us updated. Sorry this is happening to her.