Need your expertise. Is it an ear infection?

[kidsmaw]

Hello all, and first off, thank you for all the resources you provide. You are so very helpful.

Here's my situation:

I have a 6 week old silkie. When she was born she was a little wobbly in the legs then over time got stronger & more stable.

I let her go on her first 'field trip' outside when she was 3 weeks old, and she did a strange little thing. She made a move with her head that I can only come up with one way to explain... She looks like Stevie Wonder singing. You know the head sway?

I watched her over a period of time, and then watched her when I brought her back inside to her cozy bathtub brooder, and it stopped. Took her back outside and waited and it started up again, but only when the wind blew.

I started researching and thought maybe it was from a vitamin deficiency so I started her on Poly Vi Sol yesterday (I will get vitamin E today). After I put the drops in her beak she immediately started doing the head sway thing and scratched at her left ear for a few moments and then was done with both the swaying and scratching.

When the wind isn't blowing she acts perfectly normal.


The more I think about it the more I am sure it's an ear infection that she was born with. So my question is, how do I treat her? If she needs antibiotics, which is my guess, then can I purchase those at my local feed store or can I only get them at a vet?

Any help you would like to offer would be most appreciated. And an ear infection is just my best uneducated guess, so if you think it's something else, please say so.

 

[kidsmaw]

Still waiting patiently... would love some advice.

 

[k2chickens]

i don't really know what to tell you unless we could see some pic's

 

[kidsmaw]

I got this response from a bird veterinarian. I thought maybe it would be helpful to some of you, so here it is:

I'm not convinced that this is an ear infection- if it was then she would show symptoms all the time, rather than just when it's windy or she's been stimulated.

It definitely sounds neurological- and you may well be on the right lines with a vitamin deficiency, as Vit A deficiency can cause weakness and paralysis, however Vit E deficiency can cause 'stargazing' which basically describes them pointing their head upwards and very often they will sway from side to side when they do this, similar symptoms also occur with Vit B (thiamine) deficiency, as this vitamin is especially important in neurological development.

The thing with nerves is that when they are not being over stimulated the bird can look normal, but once you start stimulating more senses (which is what the wind does) this overburdens the under developed nerves, so you see the weird head swaying.

I would start supplementing Vit E and thiamine(B vitamins) and see if things improve.