Perhaps Aspirated Chick? Help!

[ebchickies]

I have a tiny five day old silkie chick that has the following symptoms: lethargic, gasping (especially after eating/drinking), and poor appetite. I was wondering if perhaps she aspirated some water earlier this week when we were encouraging her to drink. If she has developed aspiration pneumonia, is there an antibiotic I can give to her to try and save her?

 

[casportpony]

I have a tiny five day old silkie chick that has the following symptoms: lethargic, gasping (especially after eating/drinking), and poor appetite. I was wondering if perhaps she aspirated some water earlier this week when we were encouraging her to drink. If she has developed aspiration pneumonia, is there an antibiotic I can give to her to try and save her?

Sorry your chick is sick. . Do you have any Baytril?

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Hoping your sweet fuzz baby pulls through for you! Bear hugs!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a tiny five day old silkie chick that has the following symptoms: lethargic, gasping (especially after eating/drinking), and poor appetite. I was wondering if perhaps she aspirated some water earlier this week when we were encouraging her to drink. If she has developed aspiration pneumonia, is there an antibiotic I can give to her to try and save her?

Hi @ebchickies Welcome To BYC!
I'm sorry to hear about your chick.

Can you post some photos of your chick, her poop and the brooder?
A video of her actions would be good too, just upload to youtube, then provide us a link.

What does your chick's crop feel like - it is hard, full, soft and pliable, empty, air or water filled?
Was she exhibiting any symptoms prior to encouraging her to drink? (lethargy, fluffed up, pasted butt, etc.)

 

[Shadrach]

How exactly did you 'encourage her to drink'?

 

[ebchickies]

I hatched this baby out, and unfortunately she was the only one to survive from the clutch, so I had to go to the feed store to buy her two buddies so she wasn't lonely. For the past few days I've been giving her a mix of sugar water with electrolytes, medicated feed and egg yolk. After feeding she always seemed a bit perkier, until this morning - she seemed to take a turn for the worse. The odd thing is, I almost feel like whatever she has is starting to affect her neurological system, because she will turn in tight little circles every now and then, like she's dizzy.

When I encouraged her to drink for the first time (the time I think the aspirating occurred) she had just touched the water, then took a nosedive into it. I think she was shocked from the feel and just reacted against it.

Her poop seems normal, no blood in the stool or I would have suspected cocci. She's so tiny her crop is hard to locate. It doesn't help that for the past few days I've had to feed and water by hand via dipping the tip of her beak in a teaspoon and waiting for her to take initiative to eat/drink.

No I don't have Baytril, but I actually did give her 1/10cc of Tylan 50, as I've been reading that sometimes (a long stretch, but stranger things have happened) that can help treat aspiration pneumonia. After giving it to her by once again dipping the tip of her beak in a teaspoon with the medication, she seemed to stumble about a bit, and still gasping I should note that she is still peeping quite often, and I can't hear crackling when I listen to her breath, but I do hear a 'click' sound every time she breaths.

I've dealt with and treated cocci many times, and Corid has always been a reliable medication for our chickies, but I've never dealt with a chick like this. It breaks my heart to see her like this, and I just wish I could find a solution to save her, but I fear it is too late.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

For the past few days I've been giving her a mix of sugar water with electrolytes, medicated feed and egg yolk. After feeding she always seemed a bit perkier, until this morning

The odd thing is, I almost feel like whatever she has is starting to affect her neurological system, because she will turn in tight little circles every now and then, like she's dizzy.

Her poop seems normal, no blood in the stool or I would have suspected cocci. She's so tiny her crop is hard to locate. It doesn't help that for the past few days I've had to feed and water by hand via dipping the tip of her beak in a teaspoon and waiting for her to take initiative to eat/drink.

Has she ever ate/drank on her own or have you been hand feeding her from the get go?
With a Silkie, it could be a neurological/developmental problem, it's so hard to know even with older chick/ens much less a 5 day old.
I would get some Poultry Nutri-Drench and give her a direct dose of 1-3 drops daily.

The Tylan50 may help with aspiration pneumonia if that is what's happening give that 2-3 times a day, but she may have something else going on and is failing to thrive.

Do you have any syringes? You can try dropping the vitamins, water, medication and wet soupy feed beside the beak to see if she will take that in a little easier than with a spoon. Chicks that small, it can be difficult to get anything into them regardless of what method you use.

I hope you start to see some improvement. Please keep us posted.