Chicken collapse - dilated pupils

[Nick]

Hello all,
I'm having a nightmare with my chooks at the moment. My little grey speckldey (see posts below on disolcated toe and rickets) is still not really walking well. She seems to have very stiff legs still, and gamely wanders around looking like she is goose stepping. I've been feeding her this 'rickets formula' from the web that she seems to like, but seems to have hit a ceiling in her improvement...
This morning, I went up to let them out, and another chook, my White Leghon Bantam - about 10 months old was flat in her house. Unable to stand with massive wide open pupils that dont react to the light. Her beak was wide pen gasping for breath.
She is now down in the house, but I'm getting really wrried that the first one had Mareks, and now has passed it onto the others....
She is going to the vet this PM, but any advice would be great.
Oh dear.....
Nick

 

[Marigold]

Oh dear, Nick, that does sound worrying. Have you brought your leghorn indoors or in shelter somewhere, away from the others? do let us know how you get on at the vets.

 

[Nick]

She is in a cat carrier in the utility room.
Lying on one side, panting pathetically.
Part of me wants to put her out her misery right away,
but another part of me wants her to be alive (even if the vet euthanises her) so we might work out what is wrong and if it will affect the others.
About the only thing I can think might cause both pupils to blow is poisoning.....

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Nick. She's in severe shock I think. Didn't think Mareks was instant like that. Sounds bit like a stroke. We had a legbar who got so excited at corn feed time she fitted and died, another just had a heart attack when Bottom the cockerel trod her. Our brown leghorn bantams are extremely skittish as well. Leghorns are highly strung (lebars same family), so I would expect a stroke is likely -sorry Nick.

 

[Nick]

Now I thought of a stroke too. But in humans one pupil tends to blow but not both. But I guess chickens are not humans....
She was a little off colour yesterday, dirty bottom feathers, much easier to catch than normal....
Oddly, I hope it is a stroke - at least the others cant catch that !!

 

[Nick]

Well, the Chicken was almost dead by the time I got her to the vet. We euthanised her, and the vet's best guess was Mareks. Thinking about it she has been odd for a couple of days. The vet reckoned it was pretty pointless to cull the Speckledy even if she does have Mareks (the breeder I got her from says she was immunised) coz the other will have already been exposed.
So the mystery gets deeper... Does the Speckeldy have Mareks - if so why isnt she dead, and how come she has it if she was immunised. If not Mareks then what is causing her problems walking. Will the other two hens in the flock get whatever killed the Leghorn.
Its all very upsetting.. :-(

Nick

 

[chrismahon]

Terrible news Nick and I'm really sorry for you. I have heard word of a different strain of Mareks manifesting itself (in Lincoln). Not the classical paralysis version. I must admit I was sceptical as Lymphoid Lucosis -tumours along the Lymphatic system- is regularly mis-diagnosed as Mareks. In fact a vet in PP a few months back did the same thing and was proved wrong by autopsy. So perhaps it is this new strain and the Speckeldey only has partial immunity. LL is virus based (apparently?) but is triggered by stress and it's uncommon. We have had one definite and one probable in two years and yet all will now have the virus. So I suppose you will have to wait and not introduce any new birds until you know. Have the other two hens been immunised as well?

 

[foxy]

I am so sorry Nick, what an awful time you are having

 

[cuwiar]

How awful for you, sorry to hear what's happening. I hope it gets resolved and your other girls are ok!

 

[Nick]

Well, took the Speckledy to a different vet who was recommended by the breeder. After a very thorough looking over and chest listen, the opinion is that she does not have any kind of infection, mareks or otherwise, but has probably just hurt her leg, and is taking a while to get better. He tends to think that the Leghorn may have had mareks, but the others may have just shrugged it off. Glad to feel reassured that my soft heartedness in trying to nurse the speckledy probably wasnt the cause of the Leghorns demise. Fingers crossed that the Speckledy will just get better, and the other two (A Welsummer and a Barnevelder) will stay heathy and at some point see fit to start laying!!!
Thanks for all the advice and good wishes!!

 

[chrismahon]

Excellent news Nick. As I said the Leghorn may have been Lymphoid Lucosis so there won't be a long term issue hopefully. I have never experienced a confirmed case of Mareks, just several maybes.