Neurological episode - eye flashing (video) - any thoughts?

[My Three Chicks]

My 1.5 year old Olive Egger is very ill. Started with a sudden onset of wry neck 3 nights ago. Which wasn't severe and seemed to get better the next day.

But yesterday she developed new symptoms. Including a pinpoint pupil in her left eye and apparent vision loss. Which I think started when the wry neck did. Then yesterday her right eye started flashing/pinning (rapid dilating and constricting of pupil) and her beak would chatter. At the onset she starts backing up and crouching because she's terrified. Then afterwards she would run frantic and like she was blind into stuff. She wouldn't leave the run or eat or drink.

So last night I took her to the Avian ER. After 5 hours, $1k, fluid iv, 3 fecal tests, xray, and bloodwork its still inconclusive as to what's causing what the Dr is calling "neurological episodes" or seizures.

They did see on the xrays she had some small metal objects in her gizzard so they are treating her for metal poisoning.

Fecal test showed a high amount of bad bacteria. So they are treating her gut for that.

Bloodwork comes in late this week.

And I am now admistering 6 different medications.

They don't think it's Marek's or Avian flu.

She is very ill. I don't want her to suffer. She's very terrified and I am too.

Please see the video and let me know if you've ever seen anything like this and you're thoughts.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh the poor thing!

Just so folks can find the other thread and view photos her pinpointed eye, here's that https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...l-pupil-and-now-blindness-in-the-eye.1552823/

I'm glad you are able to see the vet, hopefully the medications will make her more comfortable and if the main cause is infection these will help clear it up.

Hardware toxicity may be the cause of the neurological episodes.
Here's a bit of info on that too.
https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2015/07/preventing-hardware-disease-heavy-metal.html
https://www.metzerfarms.com/blog/hardware-disease.html

I think you are doing all you can for her. I'm going to tag in @microchick and @coach723 who both have their own experiences with Marek's. Hopefully they can chime with their thoughts/suggestions.

I'm sorry she's not doing well, at least you are there to speak with her and give her comfort. Please keep us posted on how it's going.

 

[coach723]

Doesn't look like what I've seen with Marek's. I've never had one with metal toxicity, so no personal experience with what that might look like. I do have one that I suspect is having periodic seizures, started 4 or 5 months ago, no idea the cause, mine is a 7 1/2 year old hen. It's happened 4 or 5 times that I've witnessed. Very different from yours, mine seems stress induced or possibly photosensitive. So maybe epilepsy, but info on that in chickens is limited. Once I saw it happen after a rooster mounted her, the last one was when I opened the coop up after being closed up for a cold night, when the daylight hit her it happened. She gets wobbly, looks like wry neck sets in, she falls over, and goes unconscious. Looks dead for all practical purposes, except she's still breathing. She thus far has not been injured by the flock, so I don't know if there are episodes that I haven't seen. When I do witness it I remove her from the run, I've given warmed fluids and nutridrench. She usually comes around in a few minutes, longest was about 10 minutes. Once she's balanced aware, she gets cranky about being messed with, goes back to the flock and seems as normal as all the others. I'm not planning on trying to have treatment beyond what I'm doing. She'll stay as long as it's feasable to do so.

 

[microchick]

I agree with @coach723. It doesn't fit the description of my birds that suffered neurological symptoms of Marek's either but it is definitely neurological in nature.

My young birds with neurological symptoms would suddenly let out a squawk and start running in circles until they fell over. One would circle so fast he would fall over and spin around on his shoulder like Curly in an old Three Stooges movie. The seizures would worsen until I was forced to put them down to keep them from suffering.

Strange thing with this little girl is if you look closely, she is constantly opening and closing the nictitating membrane over her eye. Not the whole eyelid. And if you watch really closely you can see that her pupil isn't staying the same size but still changing sizes minutely.

What is puzzling to me is that in spite of the neurological deficits, she is standing on her left foot and holding the right up. Balance looks unaffected.

Chickens are notoriously guilty of eating what they shouldn't. I can't count the number of sterling silver earrings my birds have pulled out of my earlobes and swallowed so I'm not surprised to read that they found metal in her crop.

I wish I could offer more but frankly I'm at a loss. She is definitely a sick little hen and I think you are doing all for her that you can. Sometimes support is the best medicine. She is a young bird so hopefully she can clear out whatever toxins are in her system. Is she eating and drinking on her own? I would definitely push fluids on her to help flush out her kidneys. They are going to be working hard if she has metal poisoning. Yogurt mixed with scrambled eggs also if she is on antibiotics she will need probiotic support.

All you can do is wait and see what happens. I think it is in your little girl's ball park now. Hopefully you caught it in time and she will pull though. I'll be keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

One thing. Did the avian vet do an xray of her head? Any chance that she could have a brain tumor? That right eye appears to be bulging slightly also like there is pressure behind it.

The good news is that I don't think you are dealing with Marek's disease either. The bad news is that I don't know what you are dealing with. Time will tell. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this problem but I think you are doing all you can for your little girl.

Let us know how she is doing, and what the lab work shows.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Hi. I wanted to provide an update on Olive because you guys are always so kind and caring and generous with your thoughts and offer of help.

The blood work had come back with very high/toxic levels of white blood cells which is an indication her immune system fighting off an infection.

But 11 days since the onset of her 1st symptoms (wry neck & asymmetrical pupil), I can share that she's doing amazing and I returned her to the flock (of 3 other sisters) 2 days ago...no more living in the house!

I did end up taking her in last week for IV fluids because she wasn't drinking. Then had a follow-up on Fri. Dr confirmed that she's responding well to the meds. She hasn't had a 'seizure' in a week now. Her left eye is still a pinpoint but they don't think she's blind. She's eating like a hog and I would say she acts 80% normal...she's not as active and exuberant about scratching and pecking as usual.

She's still on lots of meds:
- Clavamox - antibiotic
- Famotidine - antacid
- DMSA - metal chelating agent
- VetOmega - Omega 3 & 5 for inflammation
- BeneBac - pre/probiotics
- Meloxicam - anti-inflammatory pain meds - she's finished the full course with this one!

So the Drs still believe it's the heavy metal toxicity and microbial imbalance in her gut.

Hope she continues to improve. Just wanted to share the news. Thanks for your time.

 

[microchick]

That is wonderful news!

So glad it was something she could recover from and nothing as deadly as MD.

Thank you so much for the update. That was very considerate of you. Give your girl a pat and a treat for me, please!

 

[coach723]

Thank you for the update, so glad she's doing better! Many of us have had a 'special needs' chicken, even if they aren't 100% the same as others they can often live full and happy lives.
I hope she recovers completely with time, if not, she may still be able to have a happy life.
Best of luck with her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the update, I hope she continues to improve.

Heavy Metal Toxicity (Hardware Disease) is something I had not really considered, but that may be it. It's something that doesn't cross my mind often. It's been a while, but someone else had a hen that was having symptoms similar to what we all mostly think might be Marek's. An Xray revealed metal in the gizzard (can't remember if it was a washer, roofing nail..) anyway. The vet was going to give treatment to see if it would help. I don't remember an update on that, but it will be interesting to see what happens with your Sweet Girl.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Thank you for the update, I hope she continues to improve.

Heavy Metal Toxicity (Hardware Disease) is something I had not really considered, but that may be it. It's something that doesn't cross my mind often. It's been a while, but someone else had a hen that was having symptoms similar to what we all mostly think might be Marek's. An Xray revealed metal in the gizzard (can't remember if it was a washer, roofing nail..) anyway. The vet was going to give treatment to see if it would help. I don't remember an update on that, but it will be interesting to see what happens with your Sweet Girl.

Hi Wyorp Rock. Yea, the Dr had seen some small pieces in her gizzard and crop in the xray. She said that it's not uncommon and most/many chickens will have no side effects from it and can pass it without issue. But since my girl was sick with the symptoms she had (neurological issues is one of the symptoms) that's why they suspected that is the cause.
While at the hospital they gave her a calcium EDTA injection which is a metal chelating drug. Then she's on another oral one for 60 days call DMSA that I'm administering.
It's interesting stuff. I guess it binds to metal ions and stabilizes it. Crazy science stuff!

She has a follow-up appt on Nov 20. They'll do another xray to make sure she's gotten rid of the metal objects.

 

[coach723]

First time I can remember someone posting the treatment given for heavy metal poisoning, thank you for that. Interesting!
I think this is the thread that @Wyorp Rock was referring to:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-is-this.1553079/#post-26275786