One of my 8 week old Silkies started in about 4 days ago with what I now recognize as wry neck. It has progressed to the point of the bird needing assistance to drink due to the extreme curling of the neck down between the legs. The head seems swollen, though not grossly so. It will eat and drink with assistance, and I feel like I need to at least try to see if it can be saved. I am fully prepared to cull should the bird become worse, as of right now it is not in any obvious distress aside from needing help to do things. I have it in a large milk crate with blankets rather than shaving, lest it get shavings in it's eyes or airway. I am helping it drink every hour or so, and have helped it eat some boiled egg a couple times today.
I am following this treatment plan (copied and pasted from another thread)
Twice a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
Once a day
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
For the second week I give
Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Every other day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
For the following weeks I give
Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Every third day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
Do not abruptly stop prednisone, the swelling rebounds, decrease dose
gradually.
Vitamin E recovery can be slow; continue the vitamin E for several weeks at
least.
But I have questions. For one, the plan states to scale back med amounts for smaller birds. This bird is an 8 weeker- should I just give half of the doses outlined above? Also, the vitamin B complex I found is liquid- how much to give?
I'm working on my vet for prednisone, they haven't called me back yet, and I know they do not see birds so they may or may not be willing to sell it to me. If I cannot get it from them, I'll try my horse vet.
How often should I be helping the bird eat and drink? Any tips on getting it to eat? It gets rather distressed when I forcibly put a bit of egg in it's beak, but then it eats the piece. am I doing more harm than good?
Any suggestions on other things I can do to help, keep it comfortable, etc are very much appreciated. I've done a ton of research on this today, but tips are always very welcome!
I am following this treatment plan (copied and pasted from another thread)
Twice a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
Once a day
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
For the second week I give
Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Every other day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
For the following weeks I give
Once a day
2.5 mg of prednisone
400 IU of vitamin E
A piece of human vitamin B complex pill or a squirt of human liquid vitamins
Every third day
Selenium (50 micrograms/day for half size juvenile for 3 days)
Do not abruptly stop prednisone, the swelling rebounds, decrease dose
gradually.
Vitamin E recovery can be slow; continue the vitamin E for several weeks at
least.
But I have questions. For one, the plan states to scale back med amounts for smaller birds. This bird is an 8 weeker- should I just give half of the doses outlined above? Also, the vitamin B complex I found is liquid- how much to give?
I'm working on my vet for prednisone, they haven't called me back yet, and I know they do not see birds so they may or may not be willing to sell it to me. If I cannot get it from them, I'll try my horse vet.
How often should I be helping the bird eat and drink? Any tips on getting it to eat? It gets rather distressed when I forcibly put a bit of egg in it's beak, but then it eats the piece. am I doing more harm than good?
Any suggestions on other things I can do to help, keep it comfortable, etc are very much appreciated. I've done a ton of research on this today, but tips are always very welcome!
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