Strange neck behavior

[alaina]

I had a silkie breeder tell me that wry neck, or wire neck, is caused by B12 deficiency, and to give shot of B12 will cure it, it doesnt affect egg laying or anything else, she said.

 

[Anianna]

Quote:
My bird does not have any crop issues and the bulge at the side of the neck is more of a muscular tightness, to aid this uncontrolled neck movement. What exactly IS wry neck??

Wry neck is a muscular issue in the neck that can result in a permanently crooked neck. A bent neck can be a genetic condition or can be the result of a vitamin deficiency. When it is the result of a genetic condition, there is no treatment. Some breeds, such as silkies, are more prone to getting it genetically. Vitamin treatment is still worth a try. If the wry neck is a result of vitamin deficiency, the vitamin treatment should clear it up.

Vitamin E gel caps with Selenium - give the chicken the liquid from the gel caps. Make sure to get the kind with Selenium for proper absorption.

Polyvisol without iron - this is a liquid vitamin supplement labeled for infants. Get it at the drug store or some grocery stores. Can be used in addition to vitamin E when treating wry neck.

A more comprehensive treatment:

First week:

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:

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:

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.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks Anianna, I am going to get these products and start her on it right away. Maybe because I have been doing vitamin treatments that she has not progressed to the point of complete wry neck. I can see improvements since I started her on them.

And if she doesn't actually have wry neck, these things wont' do her any harm.

I really appreciate all this information...Oh, and Danfan, I am sorry if I hijacked this post.

I hope your girl gets better soon also.

 

[danfan]

No apology needed! Hope you've found your answer too!

Well Mrs Jiggles.... the overall crop area this morning wasn't hard like last night. Her whole crop is hanging low as it always does, but she does have a small hard area in there (compared with the other girls, but fairly normal for her).
On the chance it is a little impacted and gets worse through the day, I will try the suggestions anyway - can't hurt to try. She wasn't doing the neck wiggle this morning, so perhaps it does get worse through the day. I'll have my kids watch her while I am at work, see if there is a pattern.

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote:
Danfan, if her crop doesn't start moving well, you could try this recipe....

http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/sour-and-slow-crop-remedies.html

I have used the "spice recipe" on baby chickens in the past and it works really well with slow crops and crops that are becoming soured, which they will do if they don't start to move well. I have always left out the garlic and use only the ginger and cinnomon. Being that yours is not a baby, I would try increasing the dosage to one full CC, which would amount to a full medicine dropper instead of a half. Ginger is a wonderful relaxer and calmer of the stomach and if you haven't taken it yourself if nauseated, it will work wonders on you too! (If I get to feeling nauseated, I take one ginger pill and it will cure the worse stomach flip flops.)

Usually by day 2 or 3 the crop will calm down and get back to it's regular size. By then I normally stop using it unless it was a really bad case.

Good luck with your baby!!

 

[danfan]

Great I will try that. I have all of those in the cupboard.
Not sure I am comfortable emptying her crop though, especially reading I could do damage if I do it wrong. I will try the other options first.

 

[TwoCrows]

No, don't do the emptying of the crop thing, Much to dangerous if you have never done it before. Just mix up a batch and squirt it down her throat twice a day and hopefully it helps. It can't hurt either.

Emptying of the crop is only for a really sour crop that is endangering the life of the bird. So you are ok.

Let me know if she improves!

 

[jessicapriest]

did you ever find out what the neck wiggle thing is? i have two birds that are doing that and had one more that was doing that who died really suddenly....