Wry neck?

[aimz127]

Am I on the right path with this? Throughout the day she sometimes seems better, then tonight the neck twisting seems worse and another pullet was pecking at her. I gave her a full capsule of Vitamin E tonight per the Wry Neck thread and have the other vitamins in her water (on top of syringe treating).

1) What type of bird , age and weight: ~6mo old Australorp pullet, feels a bit thinner than usual
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Lethargic, eating/drinking less, twisting neck back and/or to the side (particularly at roosting time, like she can't hold her head up), there's a subtle eye twitch almost like a muscle spasm. Crop is emptying fine, no mites/lice. No grey or keyhole eyes. None of my pullets are laying yet, but I don't feel a bound egg or the like.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? About 3 days of the noticeable lethargy and neck twisting at night.
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No, she's the only one.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No bleeding or trauma that I can find.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. She tolerates stringing water/vitamins to her (about 3cc at a time 2-3 times a day), doesn't want to eat nearly as much as normal- even treats. She'll peck around if the others are interested in food
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Poop seems to be fine other than being less of it.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Started treating for wry neck: Selenium, vitamin E, Rooster Booster vitamin mix in a thyme tea. Put Vet RX on the beak and under her wings to help with any respiratory issues that may be going on with the weather shift.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. Video of daytime activity (ending shows more of what roosting time is like)
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use She's currently quarantined indoors. Normal coop is a converted camper with an attached chicken run. Straw bedding. The girls have a roost with a poop board, so everything stays fairly clean with daily spot cleaning

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Started treating for wry neck: Selenium, vitamin E, Rooster Booster vitamin mix in a thyme tea. Put Vet RX on the beak and under her wings to help with any respiratory issues that may be going on with the weather shift.

For Wry Neck symptoms give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex. A treat of egg or tuna has sufficient Selenium.
Rooster booster is also vitamins. Not sure about Thyme tea?

You do want to give vitamins, but take caution that you are not giving too much!

Do you notice respiratory symptoms?

 

[aimz127]

For Wry Neck symptoms give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex. A treat of egg or tuna has sufficient Selenium.
Rooster booster is also vitamins. Not sure about Thyme tea?

You do want to give vitamins, but take caution that you are not giving too much!

Do you notice respiratory symptoms?

The thyme is for a bit of respiratory and antibiotic support since I haven't seen an outright respiratory issue.
No eye swelling or discharge around the beak other than when she flings water all over from shaking her head or it dribbles when her head is upside down.

I've got a batch of vitamin water to give her throughout the day now that she's inside. She'll have regular drinking water to hopefully encourage drinking on her own.

 

[aimz127]

Is there anything else I can do for her?

Seems like a "worse before it gets better" scenario. Her head is twisted upside down most of the time right now. She has little spasms where her head wants to completely roll over, but her body doesn't. If I can, I bird-rito her until they seem to settle since her wings will sometimes flap - likely to try and balance herself.

She's still inside, her crop feels a bit doughy/bubbly but she's still willing to eat on her own and allows syringe water (tubing water worked once, but I'm hesitant with her doughy crop to give too much)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I think all you can do if keep getting the vitamins into her.
Hydration is very important.
Sounds like crop function is not up to par but sometimes that happens when a bird is not well.
I would work on getting fluids into her a little at a time. See if you can break up the dough crop with massage taking care not to push fluids into the airways.
Willing to eat is good. A wet mash of feed may be good to try.

For Wry Neck symptoms give 400IU Vitamin E and 1/4 tablet B-Complex. A treat of egg or tuna has sufficient Selenium.

 

[aimz127]

It's not the prettiest solution, but this sling setup prevents her from dipping her head

Didn't get as much fluid into her as I would have liked today, but the crop issue needs to be sorted before I can give too much. Hopefully, she'll stay in this overnight and we'll see an empty crop in the morning. She's not feeling too spunky so I have hope she will.

Massaging her crop didn't seem to drain much at all, but the doughy feeling is gone. I'd be willing to guess the muscle/neck spasms aren't helping drainage with her neck under her crop but coconut oil at least broke up the mass. I can feel gritty bits and fluid right now. She's barely pooped, but at the same time I just got her to eat using this sling tonight. Man, was she hungry.

Time to bet on gravity and engineering helping things along.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's not the prettiest solution, but this sling setup prevents her from dipping her head

Didn't get as much fluid into her as I would have liked today, but the crop issue needs to be sorted before I can give too much. Hopefully, she'll stay in this overnight and we'll see an empty crop in the morning. She's not feeling too spunky so I have hope she will.

Massaging her crop didn't seem to drain much at all, but the doughy feeling is gone. I'd be willing to guess the muscle/neck spasms aren't helping drainage with her neck under her crop but coconut oil at least broke up the mass. I can feel gritty bits and fluid right now. She's barely pooped, but at the same time hasn't eaten today

Time to bet on gravity and engineering helping things along.

Poor thing!

I agree, the spasms and whatever is causing her symptoms are very likely contributing to the crop not emptying.
Hopefully it will empty with her being propped up.
I'd keep working on giving her drops of fluid to help get things moving.
Please keep us posted on how she gets along.

 

[aimz127]

She was happy to eat last night and this morning (mostly water with ground up feed). Keeping her propped seems to be helping, she's more alert.

There are moments of clarity with the spasms where she snaps out if it and is alert. That's when I can get her to eat/dropper vitamins.

Fortunately, I can keep her next to my desk this week and keep her propped and hydrated.

 

[aimz127]

We're making progress!

She's had some strength/coordination to hold her head upright better today. She's losing some weight, but that's to be expected given I have to time feedings between spasms and crop emptying - which is still slower but happening at least.

Poop has been mostly urates (with one big chunk passing when I changed bedding). Knock on wood, it's getting better. Slowly but surely.

 

[aimz127]

We're a week into treatment and I'm still cautiously hopeful.

Her waddles are a bit limp and her color changes throughout the day - pale in the morning, but gradually more red through the day as I get her to eat and drink.

The spasms are less and easier to snap her out of, so to speak. Her appetite is still there and I've got little bowls next to me if she perks up looking for something.

Today she tried to preen a little and I'm pretty sure I've been cursed out in my fair share of clucks for preventing her from being an ostrich in her sling, but we're still trying!