URGENT Hen walking in circles with head down and eyes closed

[PuddleEndChicken]

Thanks all, I will start on the Vitamins and egg and see how we go. Also treat the legs too.
Many thanks for all your input.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

Just to update. Today she has her eyes open but she's not reacting to anything - either a sudden noise or any movement. I do wonder whether it's brain damage (possible stroke as someone mentioned ?)

I checked her over - no mites or lice, vent clean and no vent swellings, no mites in the ears, quite thin has lost weight, beak OK, eyes clear, no breathing problems or discharge. Neck doesn't seem bent as in wry neck (which I've seen in one Easter Egger a few years ago). Nothing contagious, everyone else is fine.

I dipped her beak in water and she swallowed it but didn't put her beak in to take any more, and she hasn't had water overnight. I dipped her beak into food but she didn't take it. I would have to actively tube feed her to get anything in to her.

I wonder whether she's had a stroke and is brain damaged ? Not pacing now, sitting down and then standing up but nothing else. We are thinking she could be well over 3 years old, maybe 5 years or more ?

I wonder whether it's better to let things take their course ? Would appreciate your thoughts ? Thank you.

 

[LaFleche]

Just to update. Today she has her eyes open but she's not reacting to anything - either a sudden noise or any movement. I do wonder whether it's brain damage (possible stroke as someone mentioned ?)

I checked her over - no mites or lice, vent clean and no vent swellings, no mites in the ears, quite thin has lost weight, beak OK, eyes clear, no breathing problems or discharge. Neck doesn't seem bent as in wry neck (which I've seen in one Easter Egger a few years ago). Nothing contagious, everyone else is fine.

I dipped her beak in water and she swallowed it but didn't put her beak in to take any more, and she hasn't had water overnight. I dipped her beak into food but she didn't take it. I would have to actively tube feed her to get anything in to her.

I wonder whether she's had a stroke and is brain damaged ? Not pacing now, sitting down and then standing up but nothing else. We are thinking she could be well over 3 years old, maybe 5 years or more ?

I wonder whether it's better to let things take their course ? Would appreciate your thoughts ? Thank you.

Try again several times to make her drink and eat. You can even form littles pellets of scrambled eggs with bread to slip into her beak after pulling down on her wattles. Right after slipping the food into her beak let go if her wattles so she can swallow.

She may get better or not and you can always decide to end it.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@LaFleche @Kiki @Eggcessive so just an update. So I gave the wry neck hen some rehydration, vitamins, mashed up layers pellets and vitamin E tablets - had to syringe it in. For a couple of days she improved in terms of holding her head up a bit higher and walking straight in the day and then roosting on a low bar at night. Not sure whether she could see or hear but she was in a small run so found the water and was able to peck at food for herself although seemed to be just pecking anywhere not necessarily where we'd p;ut the food down.

Thought she was going to get better and kept on giving her the vitamins and Vitamin E tablets and only layers pellets as food each day. Then about a week later her neck got even more bent and doesn't seem to be responding to the Vit E or other vits. She just started to sit quietly in a box not moving except to shake her head (pain from the wry neck ?) she has food and water - I haven't seen her eat or drink and she doesn't move unless I pick her up, but she hasn't died either, I don't know whether she occasionally takes water/food or whether she can see it even. I have been giving her vits and food by syringe once a day as insurance but she must be getting weak as she's not feeding herself.

But she's not getting better and just shakes her head from time to time - presumably the neck is giving her pain.

I feel the neck is not due just to Vitamin E deficiency, as it's not responding to the vitamin supplements now. I wonder whether she's had a head injury/stroke or something and maybe has brain/vision issues that she can't see to feed herself ?

I think maybe we've reached the end of the road unless anyone else can suggest something else I could try ?

Also wondering about the cause of the Vit E deficiency - could some sort of parasite in the gut cause the lack of Vitamin E in the first place ? I've given invermectin a few weeks back to try to kill any sort of parasites ?

Many thanks

 

[LaFleche]

I wonder whether she's had a head injury/stroke or something and maybe has brain/vision issues that she can't see to feed herself ?

Might well be the case. And as you described she pecks everywhere and not where you put the feed down for her, suggesting that she still has not regained eyesight.

I think maybe we've reached the end of the road unless anyone else can suggest something else I could try ?

Other than handfeeding her lots of scrambled eggs with fine oats, millet and finely grated carrots, I don't see much else as you are already providing all kinds of vitamins etc.

Moulting is very hard on the birds and all those, that until then were able to compensate their health issues to some extent, no longer have the strength to do so.
Some will survive even looking half dead while others succumb to the strain as their underlying health issues surge and often become fatal.

Sometimes, despite all our best efforts, the only thing we can do to help is end their suffering.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@LaFleche thank you for your input, that's really helpful.