Injured quail "seizures"

[Rossi1969]

Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with a quail with seizures. She has fits where she shakes her head and wings and her legs extend straight out. She can no longer walk. I have to hold her food and water bowl in front of her. She has about 5 seizures a day. Sometimes more. I'm wondering if this is permanent...its such a nice bird and so young...

I wrote this thread last Saturday:

Hi, i have 9 coturnix quails. They are 5 weeks and they have been outside in a large wire cage for one week. They have fresh water with a drop of ACV, non medicated organic quail feed, grit and I give them a bowl of fresh veggies daily. ( a little cucumber, leaf lettuce, watermelon, peas, spinach, currant berries). Every evening I give them meal worm. They are completely spoiled. Their cage also includes a pach of fresh grass, a sandbox, and a hiding enclosure. I've attached a layer of foam to the ceiling in case they fly up.
Yesterday I saw one of my quails stumbling, her neck bent forward. I brought her inside. She is laying down, unable to stand. I felt her body everywhere and did not feel anything abnormal. Her feathers are nice, no plucking.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about your Quail. I don't know much about them at all
Do you know if she flew up and hit her head?
If it were a chicken, I would say get some Poultry Nutri-Drench into her, get her hydrated the best you can and keep her warm.

Also if you have not done so, post on the Quail Forum as well. I'm sorry I wish I had some answers for you.

@TwoCrows wrote any article about Quail.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-issues-and-keeping-your-quail-healthy.67379/

 

[Rossi1969]

I'm sorry to hear about your Quail. I don't know much about them at all
Do you know if she flew up and hit her head?
If it were a chicken, I would say get some Poultry Nutri-Drench into her, get her hydrated the best you can and keep her warm.

Also if you have not done so, post on the Quail Forum as well. I'm sorry I wish I had some answers for you.

@TwoCrows wrote any article about Quail.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-issues-and-keeping-your-quail-healthy.67379/

Thanks, I read the article before. It's a good one. I posted on the quail forum and they told me to try this one. Feedback is mostly about what caused it. I guess ppl want to prevent something like this from happening. I suppose she could have hit her head. It could also be heat stroke, we had a heat wave last week, lasted 4 days.
She is drinking and eating normally. I've been mixing omega 3 with a little quail feed, 3 times a day and the seizures are less frequent and shorter. She needs to walk again, so we make her practice on a soft mat. She can now stand on her own. If she walks she tumbles forward. I will look into the nutrition-drench. Thanks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks, I read the article before. It's a good one. I posted on the quail forum and they told me to try this one. Feedback is mostly about what caused it. I guess ppl want to prevent something like this from happening. I suppose she could have hit her head. It could also be heat stroke, we had a heat wave last week, lasted 4 days.
She is drinking and eating normally. I've been mixing omega 3 with a little quail feed, 3 times a day and the seizures are less frequent and shorter. She needs to walk again, so we make her practice on a soft mat. She can now stand on her own. If she walks she tumbles forward. I will look into the nutrition-drench. Thanks.

So you don't necessarily know the cause of the seizures?
The Nutri-Drench contains vitamin E which can help *sometimes* with neurological symptoms. She may benefit from some B vitamins too. I'm not sure of her size/weight but I would give her 1/4tablet of human B-complex vitamins (no iron) to start (along with the Nutri-Drench). (1/4tab is what I would give a young chicken, just so you know).

It's good that she is now able to stand and is eating/drinking normally. You may want to make her a chick chair or place her in a sling to see if that will further her recovery. A sling allows them to move/work their legs while their body is supported. Some birds tolerate being in a sling very well, but I'm not sure about a Quail, you want to monitor a bird that is in a sling.
Here's a few that people here on BYC have made (you can Google "chicken sling" and get a lot of ideas):
POST#7 https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/three-week-old-chick-leg-injury.1247140/#post-20024422
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Rossi1969]

So you don't necessarily know the cause of the seizures?
The Nutri-Drench contains vitamin E which can help *sometimes* with neurological symptoms. She may benefit from some B vitamins too. I'm not sure of her size/weight but I would give her 1/4tablet of human B-complex vitamins (no iron) to start (along with the Nutri-Drench). (1/4tab is what I would give a young chicken, just so you know).

It's good that she is now able to stand and is eating/drinking normally. You may want to make her a chick chair or place her in a sling to see if that will further her recovery. A sling allows them to move/work their legs while their body is supported. Some birds tolerate being in a sling very well, but I'm not sure about a Quail, you want to monitor a bird that is in a sling.
Here's a few that people here on BYC have made (you can Google "chicken sling" and get a lot of ideas):
POST#7 https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/three-week-old-chick-leg-injury.1247140/#post-20024422
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

Great! Until I can get my hands on nutri- drench. Should I start supplementing with vitamin E. 1/4 tablet? I will run to the store to get the B-complex vitamin. Should I continue with the omega 3? It's just fish oil. I just remembered that it helped my son with his ADD when he was little and didn't know what else to do. There's nothing on the Internet on this topic. I will scratch my head about the sling idea. I have her standing in a towel donut right now so she is exercising her leg muscle without hurting herself. Thanks a bunch for your help. I have a feeling she will pull through with time and effort.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yes, you can just give Vitamin E and the human B-Complex if you wish. Give her a treat of egg or tuna for Selenium this helps with the uptake of Vitamin E.

I don't know much about Omega 3, it is added to a lot of poultry feed, so it's probably o.k. I have not done much reading about it

If she is in a towel doughnut then that should be fine, it sounds like that supports her body so she can steady herself - good idea!

I wish I had better answers for you, I know a teeny tiny bit about chickens and even less about quail, but I'm willing to try to help any way I can. I hope she continues to improve.

 

[TwoCrows]

@Rossi1969 I am sorry you are having trouble with your bird.

Seizures aren't all that common in quail, certain species of birds are highly prone to them however. But this doesn't mean she is not having seizures. Apple Cider Vinegar in the water helps greatly with seizures. I was able to reduce a Lovebird's seizures down from 1 a week to 1 a month using ACV. 3/4 teaspoon ACV per quart of water changed daily.

As @Wyorp Rock mentioned, vitamins are very important with neurological issues.

It IS very possible she boinked her head on the ceiling? Quail are notorious for flushing up into the ceiling injuring their head and or neck. Head and or neck injuries can cause all kinds of neurological issues from walking backwards, unable to stand, can't hold the head upright, paralysis in parts of the body.

As you are doing, keep her on the towel, keep her warm, make SURE she eats and drinks. Feed her what EVER she will eat no matter what it is. Sick quail go off their food easily. Eating keeps the blood sugar up in the brain to help heal from what ever is ailing her.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Rossi1969]

@Rossi1969 I am sorry you are having trouble with your bird.

Seizures aren't all that common in quail, certain species of birds are highly prone to them however. But this doesn't mean she is not having seizures. Apple Cider Vinegar in the water helps greatly with seizures. I was able to reduce a Lovebird's seizures down from 1 a week to 1 a month using ACV. 3/4 teaspoon ACV per quart of water changed daily.

As @Wyorp Rock mentioned, vitamins are very important with neurological issues.

It IS very possible she boinked her head on the ceiling? Quail are notorious for flushing up into the ceiling injuring their head and or neck. Head and or neck injuries can cause all kinds of neurological issues from walking backwards, unable to stand, can't hold the head upright, paralysis in parts of the body.

As you are doing, keep her on the towel, keep her warm, make SURE she eats and drinks. Feed her what EVER she will eat no matter what it is. Sick quail go off their food easily. Eating keeps the blood sugar up in the brain to help heal from what ever is ailing her.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Thanks! I looked at utube videos of chickens with seizures, she does the same thing. I'm doing the ACV in the water but only 5 drops per quarts. I'll up that, I hope she still wants it. She either boinked her head. I had put foam on he ceiling of the cage to soften the hit.
Or it was a heat stroke. Their was a heat wave alert. We had high temps for 4 days. I found her stumbling forward as if she had a stroke. She eats and drinks a lot and she is able to stand a do 3 steps, then she tumbles. She didn't have a seizure yet today and only 2 yesterday. We will continue our efforts, I think she will be ok.

 

[TwoCrows]

She is in good hands with you. All you can do at this point is good supportive care while her body heals.

Definitely keep posted!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She sure is cute! I hope she gets better soon.