THIS HAS GOT TO BE MAREK'S...RIGHT...(warning, some may find these pictures bothersome and for that

[mightymax]

Some of you might already be aware of my white bearded silkie that has had some strange bouts of what can only be referred to as a 'neurological condition'. I have asked everyone on BYC and received many well wishes and suggestions. Unfortunately, nothing I tried seemed to work. She would be fine for few weeks or months at a time and then one day I would go out to feed and there she'd be. Sitting on the ground, legs stiff, neck moving strangely from side to side and up and down. She was alert and would coo and look towards me when I called her name, but when she'd try to walk over to me, all's she could do was sort of flop around and scoot backwards on her butt ad hocks. She looked so sad in that state, but when I would bring food and water directly to her, she ate heartily and seemed thrilled to be getting the attention and the special hand feeding. She never appeared depressed, anguished and never painful during one of her 'spells'. I could hold and pet her and she would just coo softly until she fell asleep. After no more than 4 days of this...she'd just snap out of it somehow. I go out to see her one day and BAM, there she'd be, up and jogging around the coop just like she was never ill. Well, this current 'spell' has been going on for two weeks already and we're still counting the days. In fact, I'm pretty sure she won't snap out of this one. She still shows no signs of being in pain and she will still take food and water (which makes the decision to put her down all the more upsetting), but she no longer seems 'happy' to me. This may sound strange, but I think she might be ready to go this time. We've been discussing how to euthanize her if the time ever came. But now that I truly do believe that time is very near, I find myself second guessing my resolve. I know that I don't want to keep her alive just to soothe my feelings of guilt and appease my own selfish desires. (Snowy was my very first chicken and was special enough to me that I let her live in the house for her first winter until we got some more fuzzy friends for her to play with.) Anyway, in closing, I am ask you all who have been there, done that, to let me know what you all think I should do. Can't promise that I'll do it exactly when or how you suggest, but let me add this...my brain is certain, but my heart's not quite on board yet. I just need a little encouraging shove to go through with it, that's all.
For informational purposes I've included some pictures that I that I took of her this very afternoon. As you can see, she's almost in total paralaysis today and she's been keeping her eyes closed most of the time, which she hasn't done before She will also open her beak in a kind of gasping manner. But, bless her sweet little heart, she still has enough will to live that she still enjoys eating and drinking when I sit with her. That's what makes the right thing to do sooooo tteerrriiblly hard, not to mention, HEATBREAKING.
AND SINCE I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MAREK'S, I'LL BE SENDING HER OFF TO A LAB. FOR VERIFICATION WHICH WILL OPEN A WHOLE NEW CAN OF WORMS FOR ME, 'CUZ I HAVE 7 OTHER SILKIES THAT ARE ALSO TERRIBLY DEAR TO MY HEART AND I WORRY AND PRAY EVERY DAY...EVERY DAY...THAT THEY WILL NOT FALL PREY TO THIS HORRIBLE AND COMPLETELY DEBILITATING, YET NOT CURABLE DISEASE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME RAMBLE ON FOR SO LONG AND I'M SORRY IF YOU MISSED YOUR DINNER BECAUSE OF IT...LOL. THANKS ALL OF YOU WHO TOOK THE TIME TO RESPOND TO MY POSTS. YOU'RE GOOD PEOPLE.

 

[seminolewind]

I am really sorry, but i'm glad you posted the pics here. Yes it does look like Marek's. But you would have to rule out vitamin B or E deficiency, Aspergillosis (not always respiratory symptoms), and brain damage. I'm glad you'll send her for a necropsy because it's better than never knowing.

So where could she have gotten it from? New chicken?

With the pictures that you've posted, I'm sorry to say that I would euthanize. It's not a good quality of life anymore. I've had too many to count. There's others on here that go thru the same thing.

 

[casportpony]

So sorry...

Are you close enough to one of the four UC Davis labs? If so, they could euthanize her for you, then do the necropsy. I'm sure you already know this, but necropsies for us in CA are free, limit two per day.

http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/services/lab_locations.cfm
Lab Locations

CAHFS is a livestock and avian diagnostic laboratory, not a small animal laboratory. Questions concerning dogs, cats, snakes, and fish should be directed to your local veterinarian.
The CAHFS Toxicology Section may be contacted regarding any poisoning cases in all animal species at this number: (530) 752-6322.
Each laboratory in the CAHFS System performs specific tests. If the CAHFS Lab nearest your location does not perform the test(s) needed for your submission, the specimen may be forwarded to the lab in the CAHFS System that does perform the test.
Business Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM
Emergencies only on Saturday and Sunday.

Davis Laboratory

The Davis facility consists of two laboratory buildings: The John E. Thurman, Jr. Building, and the Kenneth L. Maddy building. Davis is staffed and equipped to provide the full range of diagnostic procedures in the disciplines of pathology, bacteriology, mycology, serology, avian virology, mammalian virology and toxicology for all species of livestock including poultry. It also houses the Equine Analytical Chemistry laboratory, which is staffed and equipped to provide equine drug testing.
The Davis laboratory also conducts tests on specimens forwarded from the other four laboratories, which have not been staffed and equipped to perform them. As the central laboratory of the CAHFS, it provides professional support and supervision of tests and procedures to be used throughout the CAHFS. Discipline specialists at Davis, working with diagnosticians at the other laboratories, develop standard protocols and provide standardized reagents for use in the CAHFS. They also have supervisory responsibility over activities of their specialty, including both monitoring of testing procedures and the training of personnel in the use of such procedures at the other laboratories.
The Davis Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions. Carcasses may be submitted for necropsy. Submissions for livestock and horse biopsies, serology, bacterial cultures and electron microscopy are also accepted. The Toxicology section of the Davis Lab will accept specimens from all animal species, including domestic animals, wildlife, and sea mammals.
Address
620 West Health Science Drive
Davis, California 95616
(530) 752-8700
(530) 752-6253 (FAX)
[email protected]

Turlock Laboratory

The Turlock laboratory provides diagnostic support for the needs of the poultry industry in the northern San Joaquin valley. It provides diagnostic services in pathology, bacteriology, serology, mycology, and in some aspects of virology. The Turlock Laboratory serves as a point of access to the CAHFS and all of its services except necropsies of large animals. Specimens (except large animals, cats and dogs) will be transported to other laboratories of the CAHFS for diagnostic procedures that cannot be conducted at Turlock.
The Turlock Laboratory accepts all AVIAN submissions including carcasses, serology samples and bacterial cultures. The Turlock Laboratory now performs the Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Elisa test on ear notch samples.
For USPS mail & deliveries, use our PO Box address.
Address
1550 N Soderquist Road
PO Box 1522
Turlock, CA 95380-2204
(209) 634-5837
(209) 667-4261 (FAX)
[email protected]

Tulare Laboratory

The Tulare laboratory is located in the facilities of the Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center, University of California, Tulare. It provides diagnostic laboratory support for the food animal industries and the veterinarians who serve these industries in the central and southern San Joaquin valley. Services offered on-site include pathology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, regulatory serology and certain aspects of virology. The Tulare Laboratory accepts all AVIAN, LIVESTOCK and HORSE submissions.
Serology and toxicology samples are sent, as necessary, to other CAHFS laboratories for testing.
Address
18830 Road 112
Tulare, CA 93274-9042
(559) 688-7543
(559) 686-4231 (FAX)
[email protected]

San Bernardino Laboratory

The San Bernardino laboratory provides diagnostic laboratory support for the livestock and poultry industries of southern California, and conducts serological tests required for programs of the Animal Health Branch. It is staffed and equipped to provide diagnostic support in pathology, bacteriology, mycology, milk quality, serology, and some aspects of virology and parasitology. It serves as a point of access for all services offered by the CAHFS.
The San Bernardino Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions: avian carcasses and biopsies, livestock and horse carcasses and biopsies, serology and bacterial cultures.
105 W Central Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92408 2113
(909) 383-4287
(909) 884-5980 (FAX)
[email protected]

-Kathy

 

[Nambroth]

Oh no. I'm so very sorry to hear about this, and I know your heartache!
She does look very distressed in these photos. But I will tell you one thing-- none of us, here on the forum, are with her in person. Only you are. You are the best judge of how she is doing, and if you think she is ready to go.
It is such a personal decision. If she were mine, and she was having an episode as seen above, and with your description.. I'd probably let her go if she was mine. But, she is yours-- so, do what YOU feel is best for her!

As Seminolewind said, it could be Marek's. But, with her springing back to normal several times, I would absolutely be looking to other reasons as well. Marek's is a nasty disease, and can show up in many ways in a bird. I have started to compare it to an autoimmune disease in humans (it is NOT an autoimmune disease, I am only comparing!) in that it can look like so many different things... and can 'behave' very differently from individual to individual.

That said, I would also recommend looking into other neurological problems. Chronic vitamin deficiency (through no fault of your own-- deficiency can be a very complicated problem, ranging from simple poor diet, to complicated interactions of a disease not allowing the absorption of a given vitamin), Aspergillosis... heavy metal toxicity (lead is the #1 culprit in most cases), nervous system or brain damage (is she a vaulted siklie?), secondary swelling of the brain or nervous system due to an infection or other disease... the list goes on.

If you do help her to pass on, you may want to let the testing lab know her symptoms and that you'd like tests run for disease and factors that cause neurological damage/swelling.

My thoughts are with you both, and again I am very sorry.

 

[schnebbles]

oh no, I'm so sorry. If she were mine, I'd put her down. I've done it several times with mareks birds. It's hard, but also hard watching them in that state.

I could never do it myself and I have a relationship with our shelter and they would put them to sleep.

I have to wonder too about the snapping out of it, that's not typical of any cases I've had, but I'm no expert. I got most of my advice from Seminole, Nambroth and CAsportpony - and a member who doesn't post much here lately.

I'm so sorry for this, it's just horrible. Hopefully you find out it's not mareks, if it is, it creates a whole 'nother issue keeping chickens. IMO at least.

 

[mightymax]

Good Evening to all of you that responded to my post about my ailing silkie, Snowy.

 

[mightymax]

Oops! My computer had a brain freeze. So I'm going to quickly reboot and then reply with an update. Thanks.

 

[mightymax]

Hi all. Just thought I'd give you a quick update on Snowy's condition before we turn in for the night. Today I took her in a wire crate and set outside with her for a while so she could enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. I doubt she noticed the change in scenery, but I did, so I just tried to notice it for the both of us. With every breath she inhales, she does so with an open beak and a heavy lifting of her chest. Her tongue, ears, face and even her beak look pale. Almost drab gray in color. Even her eyes have changed since this morning. If she opens them for a second, they seem to be looking everywhere, but seeing nothing. The saddest, most vacant eyes I have ever seen on an animal that's still breathing (barely, though). I've made my decision. If she's still with us and in the same condition tomorrow morning...I will take in to our Vet. and have her 'put to sleep'. I know without a doubt that I can not do it myself or even have someone I know and trust do it for me. I mean, what if something goes wrong and she doesn't die immediately, or at all, and there I am, standing paralyized right beside her and my chosen chicken executioner. The only thing I'm sure of, is that when I'm finally out of my living nightmare...That trusted friend of mine better have run away as if his life depended on it. Cuz' I'm dead certain it would have. So I opted for the softy way out. Oh well, so what. I'd rather her experience one tiny, quick needle prick than possibly feel 7 out of 8 twists of the neck that you just hope are done powerfully enough. IMO. I'll let you know what I wake up to in the morning, if I can even sleep that is. I'll still pray for a miracle tonight, but I'm reasonable and level-headed enough to know not to expect one. I'm crying right now because I just gave her some watermelon (her favorite) and after one initial semi joyous peck, her neck jerks awkwardly to her right and ends up resting on her stiff and knotted right foot that is now forever positioned up towards the front of her wasting little body. I'm going to pet her, tell her how much I love her, cover her crate and drag myself off to bed for what I'm sure will be a restless and totally tearful night.
Thank You Everyone for your love and support.
Good night until tomorrow.
-kim-
P.S. If you are of a praying nature, could you please give Snowy a quick shout out tonight. I'm sure she'd appreciated the inclusion. I know I would.

 

[missnu01]

Yeah, not necessarily mareks but I would cull that bird. It is a sad thing, but often times the best hing

 

[Teila]

I am so sorry that your beautiful little girl and you are having to go through this mightymax, so very sad

I am definitely not an expert on those things that ail chickens, but reading your story and looking at the pictures, a form of epilepsy springs to mind.

I would also be surprised if it was Mareks because of the times when she is perfectly fine, I think you mentioned for weeks or even months at a time.

I had a dog with epilepsy caused by the progress of scarring pushing on her brain following a skull fracture when she was a puppy (caused by another dog). Anyway, as the scarring grew/calcified the pressure on the brain became greater. She lived to a good age of 13 with epileptic treatment, but I also had to make the very sad choice that you are going through now as her condition became less and less controlled with meds.

Sorry, not trying to make this about me or my dog, but just relaying that the cause could definitely be neurological, as someone else suggested, especially if she has a vaulted skull.

My thoughts are with you at this very sad time