Please help! Sick silkie and seems to be progressing quick! What should I do?

[casportpony]

Two great threads on how to tube feed:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-visuals-very-detailed-post#post_11652991

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid#post_9910754

-Kathy

 

[theacw]

Dang it, there is no way I will find those feeding tubes around here. No place carried Tylan either.

Ahhhhh.... I am just at loss now without necessary things to help her. I am scared to continue the yolk/antibiotics in case this happens again because it was absolutely awful to watch. I didnt think I gave her that much.

 

[casportpony]

Any vet office will have the tubes and syringes, just go in and ask for a size 18 French catheter tube and a 35ml catheter tip syringe. If they are confused, call me and I'll explain it to them.

 

[casportpony]

You could also use aquarium air tubing.

-Kathy

 

[theacw]

I have aquarium tubing here, is that much bigger than what I would get at the vet? She is such a small thing that I cant imagine getting it in her. And would I be using the bird food or continue what I have been giving her?

 

[ten chicks]

Its hard to tell if she has a lot of fight in her still or if it is involuntary movements. Either way, I am so freaked out by this and feel so alone and helpless!

I am scared to tube feed with her rapid movements, do you think it is safe to try? Should I get just a vitamin E supplement, I saw some liquid vitamins at fleet farm yesterday that had different combinations of specific ones. They were in the cattle section and looked like they would have to be injected or were in that type of bottle. I was doing electrolytes but I guess it cant be mixed with duramycin so I stopped last night. Is it safe to do a vitamin only mixture?

Thanks for your help. I really have no idea where I would be without you guys helping me through this.

You can give her poly-vi-sol(without iron)infant vitamins,2 drops on her beak so it rolls into her mouth. Prior to this,she has been fine,no problems,how long has she been this way? I am at a loss as to what could be wrong,check her for everything,lice/mites/sour crop,eyes/feet/vent area,there has to be a reason she is not eating. I know that after they have been off food for a while,it can be difficult to get them to eat again. Try offering her some wet cat food(i use cat food as a bribe,my silkies hate tuna)anything to get her to eat. She has never had any crop issues,impacted or sour? Will she drink on her own?

 

[ten chicks]

I have aquarium tubing here, is that much bigger than what I would get at the vet? She is such a small thing that I cant imagine getting it in her. And would I be using the bird food or continue what I have been giving her?

Her crop concerns me,it should empty,even though she is eating a liquid diet it should not be squishy all the time. I am thinking that this is were the problem is. Is it possible she originally had an impacted crop and now has turned into sour or pendulous crop?

 

[theacw]

I am pretty sure it is a combination of respiratory issues (gasping, congested in nostrils, and had watery eyes today) and now some weird neurological issues. She fell off her roost last week or she could have been pecked on her skull by one of the others. I could think of a thousand reasons that this all could be. I dont know if her being clumsy is neurological or because she is so weak.

I have tried to hard to get her to eat anything. Yesterday eggs and yogurt with no luck. Today hot water with her feed so it was very mushy. She will attempt a little bit but she is so far from even touching the food when she tries that I feel like there is no way.

Honestly, right now my biggest concern is causing her to freak out again. She is a sweetie but doesnt like being handled much so she will totally freak out no matter what I do. And that has been causing her to go into little attacks.

Stupid question, do I have to be concerned about her not laying an egg for a few days? If one needs to be laid, will she?

 

[theacw]

Her crop concerns me,it should empty,even though she is eating a liquid diet it should not be squishy all the time. I am thinking that this is were the problem is. Is it possible she originally had an impacted crop and now has turned into sour or pendulous crop?

Hmmm I really dont think so. It has always felt normal and it was completely empty all day yesterday. It would have just been what I fed her late last night that didnt empty over night.

 

[theacw]

Sorry, forgot one more thing. Have tried to get her to drink but seems too out of it to even notice its there even when I dip her beak. I have been doing it by syringe a little bit at a time trying very hard to be careful so she doesnt aspirate.