Well, I'm back from a week long vacation to Savannah,Georgia, and all that time, the DH has been caring for Sahara, our little wryneck buff silkie. I am very happy to report that s/he is really recovering very well! S/he has been isolated from the flock and we have feed her food very high in vitamin E as well as milk fortified with A and D. He fed her enriched whole grain spaghetti, sunflower seeds, chick mash mixed with milk and egg. THen he has used a dropper to feed her vitamin e and some antibiotics directly.
I'm so pleased that s/he is much improved and almost well again. I have moved her to a sick bay I have in my coop that is bigger than the dog crate she was in, and have added two other small silkies to reacclimate her to flock life.
Although she still cocks her head slightly, she only has an episode when you actually pick her up now! I'm so delighted and surprised!
Update on Sahara, the wry neck silkie chicken
what good news - I'm keeping a copy of your treatments in my 'chicken file' - nothing like learning rom other's success
Catherine
That's terrific!! I'm so glad for you and Sahara.
Very good news !!!
Julie
Oh How wonderful about Sahara! Good Job and a gold star to your DH for all the "nursing"!
girrrrrrl...... I wish I had known about the Savannah trip! I would have met you there! I had to go down last week to my Mom's and to her doctors office in Savannah! I bet we crossed tracks....... Shoooooot!
Hi everyone. Here is the proof ! She's cured!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4_YqJTYbMw
Here is what she looked like when we started treatments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72UqiYzfODo
If anyone ever has a silkie or polish or anyone else do this, i will be very happy to help talk you through it.
Big time kudos for a job well done !!!
~Julie =0)
THanks! We're so psyched!
What great news! And it was all just vitamin deficiencies?
Well, basically it is a condition called wryneck, which it turns out, is a congenital neurological disorder in crested chickens, especially silkies. It also happens in rabbits, but it is mostly caused by ear infections in them. I asked around and people said that vitamin e can help the condition. Also, it apparently shows up around 2-3 months of age, which is exactly how old she is.
I think that we cured it with high doses of vitamin e, and a vitamin rich diet. That being said, it is also possible that it just got better on its own in spite of the treatment! lol!
We also gave her and everyone some antibiotics, because we noticed everyone else was sneezing a little bit. So, that may have helped, too.
I am so happy to hear that Sahara is better!
Here is one of the threads