There is something very wrong with Cinnamon

This afternoon when I returned from my deliveries I saw that there was something very wrong with Cinnamon. Cinnamon had looked absolutely fine that morning joining in with the mid morning spinach.

I had given the girls some apple and melon at lunch time. I always peel the apples and remove the pips and peel the melon slices. My immediate thought was that she had got something stuck in her throat.

Cinnamon was holding her wings aloft and twisting and snaking her neck around. I picked her up and gave her a drop of olive oil to her beak from a syringe as I had been told in the past that this can sometimes help a blockage slide down.

Cinnamon continued to struggle and twice we saw her shake her beak and a stream of foam came out of her beak. I have never seen anything like this before. By now I was alarmed and called the vet and got an appointment for an hour later at half past three.

Cinnamon snaking her neck

The vet had also never seen anything like this before. The vet looked into her beak and said that it was full of the bubbly saliva but she couldn’t see anything stuck in there.

The vet asked if she could film Cinnamon on her phone which of course I agreed. By now we could also hear a grumbling, growling, sound that reminded me of human indigestion. The vet wondered if it was something neurological because of the snaking of her neck. I asked if she thought it could be mycoplasma although I hadn’t seen these symptoms before. The vet said she didn’t think it was but didn’t know what it could be.

At one point because Cinnamon looked so uncomfortable I tearfully asked if I should have her put to sleep. Why is it always my favourite girls! When I first saw Cinnamon like this my first thoughts were, no, please not Cinnamon!

The vet said that she would advise trying Cinnamon on the antibiotic, baytril, first. She said there was nothing to lose as it might work and if it didn’t I could bring her in if she got worse or nature might take it’s course but the baytril might fight whatever this is.

The vet said give her a seven day course to her beak twice a day and for now keep her indoors in the cat box away from the flock in case it’s contagious. She said try to get her to eat and drink. That is proving a non starter at the moment. I put water and mash in the cat box but cinnamon made no attempt to touch it. We gave her baytril to her beak as soon as I got back home.

Cinnamon is in the sick bay

I decided to give Cinnamon some water to her beak as I was worried that she would dehydrate but it instantly started her twisting her neck again. It seems as if she is unable to swallow.

Cinnamon is lifting her wings and twisting her neck around

I have also researched on the internet and can’t find anything that matches this. The vet said that she will ask around and let me know if she finds out anything. She said to also keep her informed of any progress. The vet also suggested the exotic animal vet that we took Jasmine to but they had no appointments over the next few days.

It seems that there is nothing more we can do but give the baytril and keep everything crossed. Cinnamon is the last of the girls from my previous breeder and having had her for two and a half  years she is the oldest serama we have kept so far.

I would hate to lose her but am trying to steel myself for the worst. I am so upset to see her like this and at the moment am just keep everything crossed.

It is now half past seven and Cinnamon just started to eat some mash. Encouraged by this I dropped some some sunflower seeds on top and she ate those too. I chopped a couple of grapes and added them and she has eaten them too, Hurrah!

This seems to suggest that it isn’t a blockage and that that the antibiotic has now kicked in. I am now feeling more hopeful.