SLW with titled head

[Julia62]

Hi, my 7 month old SLW that previously had and still has a hard lump under her waddle to one side (but has been doing fine since we stopped the Baytril) now has her head all tilted. I went out to close the coop door last night and she wasn't inside. She was laying on the ground. I assume she couldn't get into the coop. We put her in a large box we have for "triage" in the garage and I did a little research and gave her some cooked ground beef with egg moistened with some water (chopped very small). If I put it right in front of her, she could eat and she ate all of it. I also used my syringe to give her water as she can't get to it. She feels thin. This morning I went and got some Gatorade and mixed some Vit B & Selenium in it and gave that to her. She got about two syringe fulls down. My husband is going to feed her again mid day.

Is this Mareks or Wry head? (Things I looked up here).

We have three other hens that are just fine. All about the same age. Both SLW have not layed eggs yet (2 SLW, 1 Red Sexlink, 1 Leghorn).

Thanks for any input.

 

[chicmom]

I'm just wondering if that lump isn't some type of tumor. I hate to mention that, but with the head tilt, the tumor may be the cause.

 

[Julia62]

I'm just wondering if that lump isn't some type of tumor. I hate to mention that, but with the head tilt, the tumor may be the cause.

That is just what I was thinking! The tumor might be pressing against a nerve? Since the antibiotics did nothing I guessed it wasn't bacterial and the lump has always been hard and did not drain even when the vet lanced it. All it did was hurt her so I didn't take her back. She has been eating and drinking fine and scratching/free ranging like a chicken with the others until this. The lump has not gotten any larger on teh outside, but maybe it as grown on the inside.

 

[Eggcessive]

Julia, I remember your previous thread, and we had suggested Mareks as a possibility before. You said that the vet withdrew some fluid, and said that it may have been a swollen lymph node. Mareks tumors are lymphomas, and she may be showing further symptoms of Mareks possibly with wry neck (torticolis,) the weight loss, and her not being able to walk. Mareks can't be diagnosed positively without a blood test or necropsy, and there is no treatment except for supportive care and help feeding. The wry neck can be treated with vitamins, but it is probably related to whatever disease is happening. Many people like to try St. John's Wort, although it is not a cure for Mareks, but some claim to have seen some improvement. Please don't give up on her, since we are amateurs, and can't really say for sure what she has. Here are the 2 links about Mareks to read again:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

 

[Julia62]

Julia, I remember your previous thread, and we had suggested Mareks as a possibility before. You said that the vet withdrew some fluid, and said that it may have been a swollen lymph node. Mareks tumors are lymphomas, and she may be showing further symptoms of Mareks possibly with wry neck (torticolis,) the weight loss, and her not being able to walk. Mareks can't be diagnosed positively without a blood test or necropsy, and there is no treatment except for supportive care and help feeding. The wry neck can be treated with vitamins, but it is probably related to whatever disease is happening. Many people like to try St. John's Wort, although it is not a cure for Mareks, but some claim to have seen some improvement. Please don't give up on her, since we are amateurs, and can't really say for sure what she has. Here are the 2 links about Mareks to read again:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq
http://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource000791_Rep813.pdf

Thank you so much for those. I will read them. We moved her into our guest bath tub so she will be warmer. I got some Poly Vi Sol and gave her a few drops along with some water via syringe. She is eating out of the plate of food on her own, but her neck is still upward and not sure she can get water on her own. She is vocal and talks every time I come into the bathroom to check on her. Her is a picture of her:

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh, poor baby. Offer her some egg or canned tuna which will supply selenium to help with wry neck. I don't know how much you wanting to do, but crop or tube feeding is something that can be done to support her nutrition and to keep her hydrated. Here is a link to more links that give instructions on tube feeding, and a long thread with information and discussion about Mareks:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/741957/not-an-emergency-mareks-in-the-flock

Here are some links to read on wry neck if you haven't seen them:

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Crookneck/Crookneck.html
http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com/2013/04/wry-neck-or-crook-neck-understanding-it.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97121/lets-talk-wry-neck-crook-neck

 

[jgoldy2]

Thank you so much for those. I will read them. We moved her into our guest bath tub so she will be warmer. I got some Poly Vi Sol and gave her a few drops along with some water via syringe. She is eating out of the plate of food on her own, but her neck is still upward and not sure she can get water on her own. She is vocal and talks every time I come into the bathroom to check on her. Her is a picture of her:

I sadly have to tell you that it is rye neck, a rather unknown disease I had it happen before I joined BYC, and it is what brought me here there are ways to stop it, give the chicken molasses and keep it hydrated, the chicken sadly likely only has months left to live however I think that the vet might know a better cure

 

[Julia62]

I figured either Marek's or Wry neck or maybe Marek's and her tumor caused the Wry neck because her immune system is compromised. This morning she was alive! With me holding a small bowl of ground beef/egg moistened with water, she ate quite a bit of it (I chopped it very fine). I also gave her some tuna but she loves the beef (all of them do) I also gave her some Poly Vi Sol and water via syringe. We changed out her towels and have a rolled up towel for stability next to the raised food plates.

I weighed her and she was 1 lb 11.3oz, not very big. We've never weighed any of them, but we are going to weigh the others today too just to tract their weight for reference.

I hope she can continue to eat on her own with help as tube feeding scares me. I watched the video's and read about it, but yikes!

 

[Eggcessive]

I have only tube fed people, but apparently crop feeding a chicken is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. A piece of aquarium tubing rounded off with a lighter on one end to smooth sharp edges, paired with a 35 or 60 ml/cc syringe from a feedstore can work as a crop feeding device. A proper tube feeding setup can be found in a vet's office. KayTee baby bird feed seems to be the one that is easy to use. The feed and aquarium tubing can be found at most WalMart pet aisles or pet stores. Here is a picture that shows where the tube is inserted in the back of the throat, avoiding the windpipe or trachea in the center (picture is a pea chick.) The amount of liquids needed is 14 ml/cc per pound of weight every 6 to 8 hours. Not everyone feels comfortable with crop feeding, so I understand if you don't do it.

 

[Julia62]

I have a hard time getting her head in the right position now with just a syringe. And holding it open. My husband holds her while I give her the meds/water. If her weight goes down tomorrow, I will buckle down and do it. I just don't want to kill her that way! Either going in the wrong place or hurting her interior parts.