Quail suddenly unable to walk??

[PatientType]

Update on the paraplegic quail hen. It's been 10 days since the onset of the quail hen being unable to control her legs.
At present, the afflicted hen is living in a 18"x 24" cardboard box box on our dining room table. With sand to absorb her poops. She's eating well. Drinking well. She's alert and seems normally responsive.

When we put her in the box, she had no control of either leg. Her legs would remain extended and immobile. She'd flop her wings and lean left or right to change position. In the last couple of days that's changed. Now her right leg is kept under her body and she seems to be able to use it. Her left foot shows some responsiveness. Her toes move at times. But that leg remains extended and is dragged behind her or skews off to the side.

Her continued appetite, her engagement with her surroundings, and the improvement with one leg seem hopeful indications. I cut her up a tablespoon of canary melon yesterday. put it on top of her dish of food and she ate it all in addition to her crumbled food.
We understand that the odds are against her pulling through. But we'll give her our support so long as she fights to heal.

 

[Nabiki]

It sounds like she may get some limited mobility at some point. I had a bird with similar symptoms, and I nursed that bird for 3 weeks with some improvement, then she started to get worse again. That was when I made the hard decision to cull her.

I hope yours does better than mine did.