How do you know when it's time?

I have a little silkie I have been treating for wry neck with baby vitamins, vitamin E and tetracycline for nearly a week.

She eats like crazy, but only when I straighten out her neck and hold the dish for her.

She doesn't drink, so I wet her food with the antibiotic laced water.  (therefore she is probably not getting enough water OR antibiotics, but it's the best I can do.)

Her eyes are bright and clear and she looks up at me so cute while I feed her...

She is nearly five years old.  So, after all that, I wonder how do I know when I have done all I can and my only other option, sadly, is euthanasia?

I would try a huge dose of silver for a few days, it has worked for others,

Five years is a ripe old age for a chicken.

If she hasn't gotten better after a week of supportive care, she likely won't get better. It sounds like you're doing the best you can, so it's up to you if you want to continue doing it or not. If she seems happy, isn't losing weight, and you're willing to keep helping her eat and drink, then the final decision is up to you.

(Silver won't do anything but kill her faster.)

DCChick if you are willing to feed her and water her like you have been doing,she's comfortable and willing to eat, and she is a special pet, then you can carry on. However the sad truth is she is on life support....... so it's up to you to decide. If she wasn't eating the answer would be more clear--- she can't drink so she would have been dead without your help- so it all depends on how long you are willing to do this. As far as quality of a normal chicken life I'd say it's not great, but she doesn't sound like she's really suffering. This always make the decision more difficult. I don't think she will recover if you haven't seen any sign of improvement. If you are willing to try desperate measures to possibly help any other chickens in the future that may have this, now's the time. Check out the Internet and see if you can find any treatments that might have worked for others.

Derbyshire, you basically just read my mind. I don't think she is really suffering, but she can't do her usual chicken things. I thinks when I posted this I was looking for affirmation of my gut feelings

I have nursed my fair share of animals and birds. I have always found that my gut feeling is usually the right one. I try to remove my personal feelings and personal need when trying to make that decision. I say need because in your heart you want to know you are giving this other life ever oppurtunity. That you simply are not making that final decision because you haven't tried everything first. It's made tougher because the moment you believe you made up your mind, you see something in that animal that makes you question all over again. If my gut is telling me that animal's quality of life isn't what it should be, usually it is right despite what my heart feels.

Yep, Toybarons, you are right when you say about having made up your mind and then seeing something in the animal that makes you question that decision. This morning I went to feed her, she held her head up so well while she ate that I thought "Ok, I will try for one more day.".

Ending a life no matter how small is a big decision for me. Once long ago when I was still a city slicker, I took my daughter and her pet mouse that had a huge growth to the vet to have it out down...

It is always a sad day when we must take life into our hands. You will not have an easy time with this. I take my hat off to you, and anyone that tries to make a life better for their critters when they are ailing. Personally, I do not have that patience, wish sometimes that I had, but I would have put her down when those symptoms did not at first become gone. That is me, I am rather tough on things like this, and just won't take that time when I think the outcome is probably going to be rough anyways. Hats off to you girl! Do have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

CynthiaM wrote:It is always a sad day when we must take life into our hands.  You will not have an easy time with this.  I take my hat off to you, and anyone that tries to make a life better for their critters when they are ailing.  Personally, I do not have that patience, wish sometimes that I had, but I would have put her down when those symptoms did not at first become gone.  That is me, I am rather tough on things like this, and just won't take that time when I think the outcome is probably going to be rough anyways.  Hats off to you girl!  Do have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Me, too. I usually give things 24-48 hours to recover. And then it's done.

I put her down last night, but at least I know I tried

I'm sorry for your loss DCChick, you did everything you could, you are a good person

It's good that you gave her every chance. Sometimes, you win some.........if you didn't try you would not have known for sure.

I am so sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss. It isn't easy deciding