Twisting neck, looks like a seizure, please help :(

[Lucky509]

So, my 1.5 year old hen just got over a case of mites, she almost died but I managed to save her, the mites are gone. She was improving, she stayed in a dog kennel in the house, and I was just about to put her outside but now she has her neck down, twisted and shaking. At first i though she was scratching herself, but she kept doing it and wouldn't stop. She isn't itching, she doesn't touch her skin, and she goes normal when I give her food or water, then she does it again. Please help. I worked so hard to save her and I don't want to lose her now.

 

[Lucky509]

And she is having dierhea,

 

[Lucky509]

And it started about 2 days ago. Another thing is she is very thirsty, so I have been giving her lots of water

 

[MisFitzFarm]

To me this sounds like a case of Wry Neck. If her head seems to be tucked to one side or the other, or behind/under her, it is most likely Wry Neck. This disease is believed to be caused by a vitamin deficiency, and if this is what she has it was most likely caused by the mites she recently recovered from. Because you caught it early, you may be able to save her. What you can start with for treatment is Enfamil Poly-Vi-Sol, without vitamin E, a few drops daily, mixed with about 1/2 of the dropper full of Nutri-Drench livestock vitamin liquid, given to her orally. One of the most important things is to keep her hydrated, as dehydration will kill birds quickly. In addition to this, Selenium with Vitamin E gel capsules should be given, though you should research the amount, as Selenium overdose can be deadly as well. We had to order these on Amazon, but if you can't find them, Vitamin E gel capsules mixed with about a bit of a Selenium tablet (again, I don't know how much your hen would need) can be a substitute. To counteract her diarrhea and to prevent her losing weight, vanilla yogurt with electrolyte powder is great for birds. You can also give her what we called 'Muffles Mush'. It is layer pellets, sunflower seed kernels, mealworms, vanilla yogurt and a splash of electrolyte powder ground together into a grainy paste (you can add water if it is too thick) and hand fed to the hen through a pastry icing bag. From personal experience, this helped my hen, but unfortunately she was 9 years old and weakened from previous problems and we were unable to save her (her name was Muffles). I hope this helps, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
~MisFitzFarm

 

[Lucky509]

I am sorry about muffles, and thank you for the advice. It's not newcastle a is it? She can still bring her head up and act normal for a bit while eating, but if you touch her or pick her up she does it again. Her mech twists downwards and the underside of her beak points up, and her her shakes. I will get all the vitamins into her right away. She was inside for about two weeks, and I gave her oats and apples so maybe that's why she was deficient? Thank you!!

 

[Lucky509]

Annnnnd some pictures of her just to be sure

 

[Eggcessive]

Wry neck can be due to head injury, vitamin deficiency , or disease such as Mareks, Newcastles, and others. Newcastles is very rare, and there are occasional outbreaks in different parts of the world. Here is some info: http://oureggbasket.blogspot.com/2013/04/wry-neck-or-crook-neck-understanding-it.html

 

[MisFitzFarm]

Because Newcastle is extremely rare, I wouldn't be that concerned about it, though it does exhibit some similar signs to Wry Neck; if she starts showing strange symptoms it could be worth looking into. By those pictures, it does look like Wry Neck, but it seems you have caught it early, as she still has some control over her head movement, which will help her immensely to fight it. The most likely culprit is a vitamin deficiency, probably from having the mites and the anemia that went with them. The best thing for her right now is the vitamins, and just to keep her fed and hydrated. Keep us updated, and I have my fingers crossed

.
~MisFitzFarm

 

[Lucky509]

Thank you we are getting the nutrients first thing tomorrow, I just fed her, she ate like a pig, and drank like a pig, although she couldn't put her head all the way down to reach it, so I had to hold it for her. Will update in the morning

 

[Lucky509]

I got all of the supplies, except for the nutri drench, it was unavailable where I live, so I hope that's okay. Now off to go feed her it!