HELP! I can't figure correct baytril dose, my silkie is close to death

[chicken grandma]

Do you have regular chicken crumbles? This guy needs grass, bugs and chicken feed to live his best life. He also needs sunshine. Can you provide those things in your setting?
God bless.

 

[Alfred's Mama]

I haven't got a clue what crumbles are, but he does get alot of outside time nibbling grass, scratching around and pecking - the weather isn't great here, it's been overcast for weeks but he manages to get some basking time in, the vet told me silkie males are prone to deficiencies out of nowhere and it's not known why, it's news to me but in any case it's turned our lives upside down alright

Hopefully he goes on vitamin E today, once he's got his bearings again he'll be going out more and more - until then though I really think he misses the grass, do you think it would help if I gave him a few snippets of clippings from the garden? Also mealworms, dried though until he's strong enough to catch them live. In the meantime I'm planning his coop, AND (this bit I'm very excited for) if he recovers well enough, a lady friend. I would love a beautiful buff silkie bantam (is the one in your pic a hen?); and the good thing is now that I've been thrown in at the deep end with all this chicken health stuff, I know to give them supplements right from the start now - when I first got Alfred the pet shop didn't give me much to go on, infact he literally pointed at him and said 'chicken', when my young daughter asked what kind of chicken, he said 'cluck cluck chicken', it makes me sad to know they can be sold to just anyone like that, I read up evertything I could about them and tried to make everything perfect but when he got sick I blamed myself alot - the vet though explained that he's even seen it in well supplemented birds so we mustn't blame ourselves; all very fine and dandy him saying that when it's not his baby getting poorly

One thing I was wondering is aswell as the Vitamin E oral supplement are there any lamps available, for indoor and coop use, that when the sun isn't up to it's job could perhaps help ensure he gets enough vitamin E? Needless to say once he's strong enough to come off his medication I'm putting ALL my birds on a good all round multi vitamin. Best wishes from the UK 'rescue zoo'

 

[Alfred's Mama]

I've just 'discovered' chicken crumbles on google, and cluck'n' sea kelp, this stuff looks amazing, I knew there were layers pellets, grain and mash but had no idea how extensive the treats and supplements were, I'm going to have a look at the local pet supply shop and see what I can pick up for him, anything they don't have they might be able to order in for specially, thankyou very VERY much for all this great advice, if I'd been a member here from the start I'm sure Alfred wouldn't have been affected by these deficiences nearly as bad; this place is fantastic for advice on all different things and the people are just amazing, I'm going to put a few notes up on the local pet shops and supply stores advertising BYC, ESPECIALLY the places that sell, are going to sell and have previously sold chickens.

 

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

Okay it sounds to me he has not had a diet that meets his nutritional needs.

That said I know the UK is huge in house birds so if you could get some hand feeding formula and mix in a gruel for him you could give it a try.

You can use electrolytes in liquid form. You take a dropper or needle less syringe and slowly drop a drop at a time on his beak.Usually they will swallow.

Yogurt or Kefir will help give him probiotics.

Good luck.

 

[drdoolittle]

It sounds like he has a vitamin deficiency to me. I had a NN chicks around the same age and he was exhibiting the same symptoms-----when he would walk backwards, he would also have his head down on the floor of the brooder and would even sometimes do a somersault. I treated with Poly-Visol and vitamin E oil (both found OTC at the drugstore. My boy improved after about 5 days or so, but you have to keep treating them for an entire 2 weeks.

Edited to add: I would still take him to the vet, as so many illnesses have the same symptoms.

 

[Alfred's Mama]

I took him to see the specialist again yesterday, they finally found out what's wrong. She told me that because Alfred was the smallest and weakest of the clutch, he's basically a runt and in general is more susceptible to illness, only he isn't 'ill'; he doesn't have a disease but he does have a condition, a problem with how well his body absorbs nutrients. I told her everything in his diet, how he started on chick feed, then onto complete premium grain with added vitamins and minerals, fresh chopped and sometimes mushed vegetables, the grass he nibbles and the bugs he finds outside, she told me for a diet like that he just can't be getting all the goodness out of it, she gave me baytril for a minor chest infection and a multivitamin for his water, she thinks he should improve although I shouldn't get my hopes up that he'll ever go back to how he was when he was healthy, that he could live a good and happy life still, but to be prepared that I could wake up one day to find him dead. She also told me it's a good job he hasn't been living in a coop outside as even a mildly cold night could kill him, now I know why every time I take him out he doesn't want to be out for very long before he'd come running to my feet crying to be picked up. I haven't stopped crying, I fell asleep on the floor with him last night, but when I woke up he was clucking softly with his head in my hair, after these recently horrible days it was such a perfect moment; I just can't believe this is happening to my baby, utterly helpless that I can't take it all away. Thankyou everyone for your support and advice, I've got him on chick crumbles, mealworms, grains and his vitamins, he seems weak but is very alert.

 

[chicken grandma]

Alfred's Mama :

I took him to see the specialist again yesterday, they finally found out what's wrong. She told me that because Alfred was the smallest and weakest of the clutch, he's basically a runt and in general is more susceptible to illness, only he isn't 'ill'; he doesn't have a disease but he does have a condition, a problem with how well his body absorbs nutrients. I told her everything in his diet, how he started on chick feed, then onto complete premium grain with added vitamins and minerals, fresh chopped and sometimes mushed vegetables, the grass he nibbles and the bugs he finds outside, she told me for a diet like that he just can't be getting all the goodness out of it, she gave me baytril for a minor chest infection and a multivitamin for his water, she thinks he should improve although I shouldn't get my hopes up that he'll ever go back to how he was when he was healthy, that he could live a good and happy life still, but to be prepared that I could wake up one day to find him dead. She also told me it's a good job he hasn't been living in a coop outside as even a mildly cold night could kill him, now I know why every time I take him out he doesn't want to be out for very long before he'd come running to my feet crying to be picked up. I haven't stopped crying, I fell asleep on the floor with him last night, but when I woke up he was clucking softly with his head in my hair, after these recently horrible days it was such a perfect moment; I just can't believe this is happening to my baby, utterly helpless that I can't take it all away. Thankyou everyone for your support and advice, I've got him on chick crumbles, mealworms, grains and his vitamins, he seems weak but is very alert.

He is lucky to have you!
In this life, he has known love.
Have you thought about getting him a cute girl Silkie? That might really inspire him to LIVE!​