New chick dying...please help! She is very critical

[kari_dawn]

My new babies arrived yesterday, I was concerned about two of them. One has not opened her eyes, but otherwise seems normal. The other is the smallest in the group. She got stuck in the corner of the box durring shipping, and it rubbed all the feathers off of part of her back. She is now laying sprawled on a heating pad not moving. Her body temp is very low, She has been given 4cc of pedialite water from a dropper onto the tip of her beak which she eagerly drank, and tiny piece of boiled egg yolk which she did not try to eat.

What else can I do for her? I think I am going to loose her

 

[Leslieb118]

I wish I knew what to tell you. Maybe a little bit of sugar water from a dropper might help give her a little energy? Hopefully someone will come along soon with some good advice. The only thing I can think of is lots of heat and like I said, maybe a little sugar water to help perk her up enough to maybe eat something? Good luck!!

 

[kari_dawn]

She is still going down hill

The pedialite I gave her was sweetened, and she is on a heating pad, but now her head just lolls over when I pick her up

 

[chella]

I do not have experience rescuing day olds + ... however I will throw some words of advice I have learned from nursing back a 7 month old from severe illness. (Learned alot reading)

I would immediately use Rescue Remedy ... reduces stress ...

As for water and feed ... you will need to get more water and food into the little one. Dropping on the beak is great to see if they will take it ... since she is swallowing ... you can place some in her mouth ... if you are not use to it, it can be scary but a couple of drops will not sustain nor bring her back from the stress/injury. You can find really specific directions online ... it can be done wrong and could cause harm or death if the chick aspirates (it's put into the lungs). The tip is to angle the syringe into the check and go slowly til the chick starts to swallow. I use a dropper or very small syringe ... I would feed chick saver or whisked egg yolk.

Another good addition ... Vitamins will be good to get on board ... there are special bird vitamins ... I was originally told to use in a pinch children's Poly Vi Sol (without iron) - this would do, especially if you don't have or can't get something like Lafeber's. The Poly vi Sol is easier to find quickly and less expensive - but the bird one had tons more

 

[chella]

you mentioned heating pad ... do you have her under a heat lamp as well ... they need the heat from all around ... about 80 degrees is best

 

[chella]

so sorry to learn she is quickly going down hill

... as resilient as day old's are for shipping. they really are so fragile at the same time and often you loose some in shipping and near impossible to pull them out of it. I know it doesn't make it easier.

 

[kari_dawn]

yes, she is on a heating pad, with a heat lamp over off to the side. I don't want to get her too hot as she does not have the ability to move away from the heat...I am using the same technique I use when bringing back baby sqirrels. Pedialite has vitamins in it, I am considering some raw egg yolk added to it. I am using a 1cc syringe with a catac nipple very carefully (I broke into my wildlife rehab supplies for this one). If she aspirates at this point, she is done for. She is still taking pedialite, she is in a low light, quite room.

Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of supplies on hand, so I am going to have to work with what I DO have...I fear if I leave her to go get supplies she won't be here when I get back....I am going to try raw egg yolk

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Heat, water and food energy, sounds like you have those covered. Beyond that there is not much to do but hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.

Vitamins, different stress formulas and such are fine for recovery but in the case of an ICU chick they are not what is going to make the life or death differerence.

Hoping for the best.

 

[kari_dawn]

I think I am resloved to loosing her. I am going to keep trying, but she is now refusing to swallow foods from a dropper. I only got .1cc of the egg yolk pedialite mix into her. If anyone else has any ideas, I would more than welcome them. I really don't want to loose her

 

[Shayna]

Honey in her beak may give her a quick boost. She may have low blood sugar. I think you have done everything else possible.