Sick baby chick! Dry heaving constantly!

[scalci]

Not sure what breed she is

She was in a big tub of hundreds of chicks at the store I work at.

She is about 4-5 days old

She's not eating or drinking

She is pooping solid with some runny mixed in

She's been acting like she's dry heaving with no more than a sec or 2 in between each time. She makes what sounds like I broken squeaker noise each time.

Been happening for at least 5 hours.

She has her eyes closed most of the time.

Doesn't really move much. But she seems to have some feistiness to her at times when I'm holding her.

I've raised baby chicks before but they were all perfectly healthy. I took this chick home wth me because I couldn't let her stay at the store by herself to die.

She's been quarantined in a cardboard box since she was discovered with this problem about 5+ hours ago

Has a heat lamp

I think she's tired. She keeps nodding off but continues to make those movements and sounds.

I was able to feed her some water with poultry electrolytes in it. And also gave her some yoghurt so she could have some food in her. All was done with an eye dropper.

Looked down her throat can't see anything.

Sorry for the jumbled mess. Just joined this a few min ago. I'm just so worried about this poor thing. I love near a tractor supply so if she somehow makes it through the nigh I might take her there and see if they know what's wrong or to get stuff to help.

Please help! I'm gonna try to post a video.

 

[scalci]

Here's the video of her. Looks like she sneezed a few times at the beginning. She's done that here and there.

 

[happybooker1]

I looked at the video. I don't know what the problem is, but if it's not getting better I'd humanely put it down. The poor thing is suffering.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I wasn't able to view your video, having computer problems today, but it sounds like she may have aspirated something into her lungs. I had this happen with an adult bird once, symptoms were the same as what you described.

 

[Farmer Viola]

I wasn't able to view your video, having computer problems today, but it sounds like she may have aspirated something into her lungs. I had this happen with an adult bird once, symptoms were the same as what you described.

I agree looks like she aspirated. this can sometimes happen with force feeding liquids. there is a hole near the base of the tongue in their throat. that hole needs to be closed when they take a drink of water. often when forced to drink by syringe, the hole doesn't close and water can get into their lungs. I am not sure she can recover from this. I would not force water any longer, make sure she stays warm, and hope she pulls out of it. great job separating her from the others. I don't think there is anything else you can do if it is aspirated.

another possibility is a respiratory disease. but that would typically affect larger number of birds in such a situation as you described. if you listen to her breathing, does it sound liquidy? clicking? rattling?

 

[scalci]

Yes it sounds like all 3 of those. She's seems to be much better after force feeding her food and water. If it wasn't for that she would have died from starvation or dehydration. It also gives her strength. She was chasing me around earlier. Not sure how she would have aspirated since it happened when she was with the other chicks unless she got stepped on when trying to drink.

And I'm not just sticking the dropper in her mouth and squirting. I'm dripping small drops onto the tip of her beak when she opens and then she licks and swallows (or shakes her head and flings it out)

So there's nothing that can be done for aspiratin?!?!

I'm giving her antibiotics but it hasn't helped the breathing issue :/

 

[Farmer Viola]

there is water in her lungs, so definitely don't put more water in. hopefully it dries out and she can recover. I don't see how you can get the water back out.
Make sure she doesn't get a chill. cold + water = bronchitis or pneumonia

to force drinking, you can dip her beak into the water in a dish. the water gets inside her beak, then she will tilt her head back and swallow ideally.

if she is asleep or lethargic and you put water in her beak, she may not have the right drinking response, causing aspiration.

I use a syringe and make a droplet on the outside of the syringe. I show the droplet to her next to her eyeball. I move it toward her beak and she sees it touch her beak, then it disappears in her beak. she tilts her head back and drinks (closing the air hole by correct drinking response). after a couple times, she will understand, and even start reaching out for the droplet and drinking from the syringe by herself!

you don't need to give her very much. she would only get 1 tiny droplet by dipping her beak in water by herself. she might take 3-4 droplets per water visit.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Yes it sounds like all 3 of those. She's seems to be much better after force feeding her food and water. If it wasn't for that she would have died from starvation or dehydration. It also gives her strength. She was chasing me around earlier. Not sure how she would have aspirated since it happened when she was with the other chicks unless she got stepped on when trying to drink.

And I'm not just sticking the dropper in her mouth and squirting. I'm dripping small drops onto the tip of her beak when she opens and then she licks and swallows (or shakes her head and flings it out)

So there's nothing that can be done for aspiratin?!?!

I'm giving her antibiotics but it hasn't helped the breathing issue

Whether or not she'll survive if she aspirated something depends on what it was. If she did indeed aspirate something it could be something else entirely other then possibly having aspirated what you were syringing her. It could be a piece of feed or something else. The bird I had that did this had aspirated some unknown object into her lungs, possibly feed. She acted quite normal except for making that loud, high pitched "ah-haaaa" sound on exhale, like something was stuck in her throat. But what happened was that the body attempted to wall off and break down whatever it was and that process turned into a mass that filled up her lung. She died within three days of her first symptoms. I had her necropsied by the state lab and that was their findings.

If your bird did indeed aspirate some fluids it may clear up with time, giving the antibiotic's will help prevent secondary infection in the lungs. If she aspirated solid material her chance of survival is probably a lot lower.

 

[Aaron Young]

Did this chick live? I have one doing the samething

 

[geekykeekee]

I bought 6 chicks and a little polish one started doing that and died pretty fast, the next polish one died over night but seemed sick too. I thought something was wrong with just that group, now my little frizzle Cochin is doing it, I'm not sure what but I don't think three babies would get food/water in lungs. I bought antibiotic and I hope I can save this one, I am also giving to the rest of the chicks now. This is so sad

i hope I'm doing the right thing but I think it's something very bad and contagious