Silver Gray Dorking--Lethargic, Shaking Head, Rolling Backwards, etc

[theladysings]

Hi all,

My baby Dorkasurous Rex is in a bad way-- I'm hoping you all can help.

1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Silver Gray Dorking, 4 months and 4 days, I don't have another Dorking to compare her to, but she is one of the larger gals


2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Four days ago I noticed she was walking weird-- she kept falling over to the side like she was doing side lunges, and catching herself with her wing. I then saw her literally tip over backwards several times. I separated her from the others and swaddled her up in a towel and she fell asleep. I intermittently woke her up to dip her beak in some water spiked with a vitamin/electrolyte mix so she would drink. I started noticing a little head bobbing and that she, overall, looked kind of strung out.

She seemed to be able to support herself a little better later in the day, so I let her sleep out in the coop. The next morning I noticed her hobbling a little more effectively, but she was still "off". Followed the routine of the day before that day, although I also gave her her own personal treat block (sunflower seeds and meal worms) as well as medicated chick feed.

Yesterday I completely separated her from the rest of the chickens, because while she was hobbling a little better she was shaking her head more noticeably and just was really off. When I picked her up, she dribbled out quite a lot of clear viscous liquid uncontrollably. I gave her an epsom salt bath for her feet, used a warm water/baking soda concoction to flush her crop, and swaddled her up so she could sleep. I kept her separate from the coop last night with no food but water with apple cider vinegar.


3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Four days


4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
No


5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
It looks like there are some minor abrasions to her comb, but they look like a minor scrap that barely broke the skin on the very top.


6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
I was building a rough for the greenhouse enclosure my coop is in, and I'm concerned she may have found an errant staple.


7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
I feed her medicated chick crumble, melons, berries, blueberry leaves, salad greens, meal worms, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and corn on the cob. She ate a good amount of chick crumble, corn on the cob, and a treat bar made of sunflower seeds and meal worms yesterday. She has been less inclined to drink by herself, so I have been guiding her to do so.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Normal


9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Please see #2


10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I am going to bring her to a vet this afternoon if I can stabilize her myself.


11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Will add photos soon-- going to see if I can figure out how to make a gif of her head bobbing.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Sand in the coop; dirt, grass, and wood mulch outside of the coop

 

[Alaskan]

Oh bother.

How is she now?

The only thing I can think of is stargazing (fixed by feeding vitamins every day for a week), or something bad and uncurable.

So sorry.

 

[theladysings]

Oh bother.

How is she now?

The only thing I can think of is stargazing (fixed by feeding vitamins every day for a week), or something bad and uncurable.

So sorry.

Thanks for your support! She seems to be better now-- but not 100%.

I am waiting to hear back about blood work from the vet and have her on antibiotics. The vet noticed that she had an abrasion under her feathers on her head, so she may have knocked her noggin. My serama, Popcorn, has been known to Chun Li kick other birds (even 3 times her size) out of her way when she is flying up to a perch, so I am wondering if Dorks was kicked and hit something. There were no other signs of injury that would suggest a fight.

I've since re-introduced her to my flock and she has been eating and drinking like before, but I've been still giving her "nap breaks"by swaddling her up in a towel and carrying her around with me... which she seems to absolutely love. Her head tremors seem to be a little less, but they're still present. I always have a vitamin/electrolyte mix I put in their water, but I've added a herb mix I got from my local feed store that is supposed to increase water consumption. I have also seriously upped my fresh food for them, especially melons (cantaloupe is her favorite). She appears to be getting better, which to be honest I was really concerned was not going to happen, so I'm running with it!

 

[Alaskan]

I wonder if she had a super bad concussion? ?

So glad she is doing better!

 

[Eggcessive]

Her symptoms do sound neurological, possibly Mareks disease, but hopefully it is just from an injury. Hopefully, she will just keep improving gradually, and it won't get worse again.