# Head Tuck is tucking



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Age: 11 years 4 months.
Silkie female. 

Challenged due to an old head injury. Heat, going broody could all trigger episodes of tucking her head between her legs. 

It's been years, probably because she no longer lays or goes broody, since she's had an episode. She started last week. 

11years. She's 11 years old. Deal with it or let her go? I decided to deal with it. I'm dosing with polyvisol, encouraging her to eat and drink. I can stop the spasms by grabbing her topknot and holding it for a minute so she can eat and drink. I see improvement. She's also becoming frustrated at the spasms now. 

We'll see. Even if this doesn't work she had the support to keep her as comfortable as possible.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

If she's seizing, I would euthanize. It's a tough call when you've had a hen so long. Especially one that was sick in the past. I do find that tubing 50ml (less for a silkie) of vodka does work but I've had some that get sleepy for an hour before they die. However, I'm glad they fall asleep.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No booze in this house. 

She's not seizing, she's having muscle spasms in her neck. It's part of the old injury and is recoverable if I can stay on top of her needs while it's happening. 

Right now she's standing at the feed dish. There was an episode first thing this morning but nothing for the past several hours. She groomed a bit after the last one this morning. It's a waiting game. It was one thing when she was younger for her to do this, it's a new one when taking her age in to consideration.


----------



## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

If it's due to an old head injury,maybe there's swelling of the brain causing the symptoms.Try giving her a baby aspirin to help with possible inflammation.It may help.Or if you can,find some Prednisone.The goose took 2.5mg twice a day for 7 days.I'd imagine 1-1.5 mg would be a good dose for a chicken.You could probably find 5mg tablets(or you may already have some with Bob's meds) and they are scored to break down for smaller doses.One 5mg tab would be 2 days of doses.It wouldn't hurt her and may make a world of difference for her.I was told with poultry it's not necessary to titer the dose down.Good luck!!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

CQ, you're thinking along the same lines as me. I have dex here. I might have pred.

My misters quit yesterday so there was a run in to town to buy new ones. Danged calcium buildup. I'm letting things cool down out there, I'm going to get a Dex ready and go out to dose her. From what I can find Dex is actually better for brain swelling than pred is. Who knew? I know the Pred suspension I gave her years ago worked.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I had 2 Lady Gouldian Finches, and realized one was seizing. I euthanized her eventually. The male didn't last much longer and started falling over.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's not seizures. They shouldn't stop when I pull her head up by her top knot. It's the extreme heat causing this. I could bring her in the house and she'd probably straighten up.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Bring her in the house!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Misters are doing their job, Head Tuck is up. I watched her at the waterer this afternoon and her crop is full. 

I should have had the things on when I cleaned the pen last week, there would have been a lot less sweating on my part.


----------



## nannypattyrn (Aug 23, 2015)

So glad your little chickie is up and about again!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm relieved too, Patty. I know that her days are numbered just because of her age. But if I can do something to keep those last days better for her then I'll give them a whirl.

Karen, I have considered it. But with two cats in the house it would be too hard to secure her where, especially Jake, couldn't terrorize her. As long as the misters continue to keep it cool enough for her she's OK in the pen.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And she's up up. I mean normal, in the outside pens with the others foraging. 

Yesterday I thought I was going to have her go to the vet to be put down. She acted like someone with cerebral palsy with all of her wild neck gyrations. Minimal tucking but the other was weird. When she had a reason to, millet I offered, she could control it.

And tomorrow I could open up the pen to find that she gave up the fight. But at least her last hours would have been living like a bird.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It does appear to be the Decadron that is helping her. I hated to even try it but I stopped giving it to her and she restarted all of the hard to control neck gyrations. 

I'm going to switch up to evening dosing since we're running the roads during the day here lately.


----------



## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Happy to know that the dec is helping.Keep up the good work.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Hope she continues to get better.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just because of her age I know that all I'm doing is buying time. But like I said before, if I can make her final days good chicken days then that's what I'll try to give her. If I can't give them to her then she's going to the vet.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Yea, the best is the vet. 2nd best for me is the vodka. I guess it depends on the chicken and the way I feel that day. Never an easy thing.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

After yesterday, it's confirmed, it's the heat. I was gone all day. Doc appointments, surprise surprise. So, I wasn't home to turn on the misters. I came in to find her tucking again. Turned the misters on and a few hours later she was up. 

This morning she was up doing chicken stuff. Checked the home weather monitoring thingy and it says feels like 102. Go out find her tucking.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's been a week. Absolutely no signs of any issues. Of course I've been using the misters each day. I'm so worried about what my water bill is going to be. 

One other thing I noticed was Chicklett's behavior. Her name should be "She who Rules Everything" because that's what she tries to do. While Head Tuck was struggling she totally ignored her. Now that Head Tuck is back to normal Chicklett is back to her normal crap.


----------

