Wry neck chick has bad reaction to drinking

[viggo63]

I have a one week old leghorn pullet with wry neck. She has improved slowly with TLC and water from an eyedropper. She will eat on her own, but any time water touches her beak, she literally collapses. She was given water from an eyedropper from the beginning when she was already prone. Once she got up on her feet, I saw her drink on her own a few times, but now every time she puts her beak in the water, she falls right over. Same with the eyedropper if she's standing. I now hold her each time I use the dropper just so I can get her hydrated. I am also giving her Poultry Cell vitamin supplement 3 times a day.

Has anyone observed this reaction to drinking? Am I doing something wrong? I worry that forcing her to drink is causing more harm than good, but if i don't use the dropper, she's going to dehydrate. Any tips on how to get her hydrated safely?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Hi Viggo,

sorry no one answered yet, how is your little one doing?
did you consult a vet?
is it possible to upload a video of the behavior to YouTube or Vimeo and post the link here?

 

[Justso]

Please consider moving this to the emergency/diseases forum, you may find more help there.

 

[viggo63]

Hi Viggo,

sorry no one answered yet, how is your little one doing?
did you consult a vet?
is it possible to upload a video of the behavior to YouTube or Vimeo and post the link here?

Thanks for your interest. After a lot of ups and downs, I may have hope for her. Today was the first time she's taken a drink out of a bowl without collapsing. She still falls over at times, but she can right herself and seems pretty content most of the time. She was very excited about the water. Keeping my fingers crossed for her.

 

[Justso]

Have you been giving any treatment for the wry neck?

 

[viggo63]

Have you been giving any treatment for the wry neck?

I'm giving her Poultry Cell vitamins 3 times a day. I don't leave a water bowl in with her as she falls over a lot trying to drink from it, sometimes falling into it. I give her water from a dropper every hour. I've tried putting her in a sling and also a neck collar, but neither kept her head in the right position.

 

[M Brennen]

I'm giving her Poultry Cell vitamins 3 times a day. I don't leave a water bowl in with her as she falls over a lot trying to drink from it, sometimes falling into it. I give her water from a dropper every hour. I've tried putting her in a sling and also a neck collar, but neither kept her head in the right position.
[/QUOTE

I wonder if she could drink from one of those nipple drinkers if it was placed in a good position for her. That might save on having to give her water from a dropper and she could have access to water at all times. I have never used one myself, but have seen them in pictures. Just a thought.

 

[viggo63]

She has access to a hamster bottle, I'm not sure if she gets much. I've seen her peck at it a few times. A nipple is a good idea. When I use the dropper I have to hold her in my hand because her head falls right over :/ It's heartbreaking to watch, but she has such a strong will to survive.

 

[LaFleche]

Might be the case that depending on the position of her head/neck the nerves get pressured leading to this reaction (locked vertebra).

Did she have a hard time hatching?

 

[viggo63]

Might be the case that depending on the position of her head/neck the nerves get pressured leading to this reaction (locked vertebra).

Did she have a hard time hatching?

That's exactly what I've been thinking. Do you know of a treatment for that? Is there such a thing as a chicken chiropractor??? I got her when she was a few days old so I don't know how she hatched.