Sick Peacock!

[Doctor T]

My IB peacock is sick!
Everything seemed fine about 2 hours ago, but now he's on the ground, has his head thrown back, can't walk forward, but struggles backwards! He's been eating and drinking fine until this. I have 6 other peafowl in the same pen, no one else is affected. Everyone was wormed about a month ago with Panacure. No unusual poo. There's been no coughing, or signs of sinusitis.
Anyone have an idea?

 

[6littlechickies]

Check to see if there are any obstructions in the throat like a stick, rock, or piece of string. Only thing I can think of so far if everything else seems ok, Deerman or DMfarms may chime in with some ideas if they see this.

 

[Doctor T]

Quote:
Yep, checked the throat, didn't find anything. I'm thinking it's something neurological, toxic or infectious.

 

[featherhead]

If you set him upright, can he stay upright? I saw this once before.

 

[Doctor T]

Update!
Not having any other ideas, and nothing else to do, I gave him a shot of Ivomec last night. This in itself is quite amazing, because they never let me get close enough to touch or pick them up. Anyway, this morning he's up and walking normally, eating and drinking, but still some abnormal throwing of his head back against his body. Everything else is fine. So, I still don't know.

 

[TASH 66]

Several months ago I lost one of my boy and two months later I lost a girl. In both cases, it was injury (concussion). According to your story, my birds have similar symptoms. If you able pick him up, check his pupils. If pupils are the same size he has no problem with a head injury but If you notice, even a slight difference it would mean that the bird is suffering from an injury. In this case the bird should have analgesia and anti-inflammatory injections(medications should help reduce intracranial pressure).

Nevertheless, I still want to believe that you have a completely different case and your bird will be fine. Good luck.

 

[Doctor T]

Quote:
That's a good thought!
He's not back to normal, but he's better than he was. He's eating and drinking, walking fine, but still seems to have the funny neck movement thing. The way he turns his head and neck makes me think he may have a problem with his vision. But, he's back to normal enough that there's no way he's going to let me pick him up!!
Anyway, condition seems to be improving a little each day, keeping my fingers crossed, and hoping I'll get more suggestions from people with experience.
Thanks!!

 

[Yoda]

do you have any pics of what this looks like? What have you treated this bird for (coccidia, worms, etc)?

 

[TASH 66]

I think that the crisis was over and he will recover in the shortest time. My veterinary said if the bird has not deterioration within 48 hours, which means that he will recover by himself. All the best

 

[Resolution]

Get some cranberry gel capsules- they sell them in pharmacies for human beings with chronic urinary tract infections. These gel caps prove incredibly useful with fowl- both land and water when you have some strange ailment that you just can't put a finger on. Generally speaking, over the course of the last few decades I've discovered that many birds will perish from chronic infections we never knew existed. They don't have urinary tract infections for the obvious reasons- the plumbing is very different in birds than humans- nevertheless, I find that one cranberry gel cap every other day generally knocks just about anything into submission.