Chick with very injured leg, please help!!

[Astrohens]

Fiver is a 2 month old chick with an unknown leg injury. At first, it started off with a minor limp but it quickly got worse. I put him in a bird cage for 3 days and while I was changing the paper at the bottom I noticed his limp has gotten a lot worse, even with his time in the cage. Fiver’s cage is kept near his mother and sister. Are there any tips you can give me? I don’t want to end up putting him down. Also a quick note, he has five toes which might be causing a problem. I don’t know what breed he is.

 

[Astrohens]

T

Thanks so much for your help! I might try this and see how it goes. I’ll keep you updated.

I might end up taking him to a more experienced person. I don’t want to accidentally injure him further. Thanks for your advice!

 

[Eggcessive]

He could be a mix with a 5 toed gene in his history. But for bumblefoot, I would start by bring him into a warm hose, and soaking his foot daily in warm Epsom salts water. What are your temperatures like there? A mixture of Betadine and sugar, made into a paste can be applied to the bumble and dressed for 2-3 days, changing it, to soften the scab in order to remove it and press out any pus inside. Prid drawing salve also works that way.

 

[Eggcessive]

Could you hold him to a standing position and have someone take a picture from the front? It would be helpful to see the leg position. That could help rule out a tendon issue. Those usually occur right after hatch, or later with an injury. Or it may be a sprained joint. Leg bone deformities (varus or valgus) can be hard to notice at first, but may get worse as they grow. Whatever you do, be careful about splinting, since that is best done with a fracture. Taping or using vet wrap when you don’t know exactly what is wrong, has been known to become tight or cut off circulation, causing loss of the extremity. Chicken slings can be helpful to get a lame chick upright, keep cleaner, and feeding and watering. Here are examples of chicken slings:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Astrohens]

Where are you located in the world?
What do you feed, including treats?

Can you please post photos of the legs and feet?
If he's able to stand, can you get photos of that too?

I don't see any food/water in his cage - make sure he has access to food/water and is eating/drinking during waking hours.

I’m located in Australia, I feed him 18% protein chick feed and the occasional dried mealworms. I’ll give you a picture later as I’m unable to at this moment. He can stand, but his leg slips out and he prefers to lay. He has access to water (in the container) and he gets feed during the day.

 

[Eggcessive]

It would help to get a picture or two of the legs standing, so that we can see if there is an abnormal position of the feet or legs. B complex vitamins or a chick vitamin with riboflavin is very important to get started on. Make sure that the chick has a non-slip flooring to get a grip. Shavings, paper towel, sand, etc are all good.

 

[Astrohens]

He could be a mix with a 5 toed gene in his history. But for bumblefoot, I would start by bring him into a warm hose, and soaking his foot daily in warm Epsom salts water. What are your temperatures like there? A mixture of Betadine and sugar, made into a paste can be applied to the bumble and dressed for 2-3 days, changing it, to soften the scab in order to remove it and press out any pus inside. Prid drawing salve also works that way.

Sure! I’ll try that. Thanks for your help too. I’ll just wash his foot first and decide what I’ll do from there

 

[Lillith37]

View attachment 3730165


Okay so after soaking and cleaning his foot up with a qtip, we had a closer look. It doesn’t seem like bumblefoot at all.

His bad leg just stays up while the other stays close to his body, even when upside down (for cleaning). He didn’t yell out while we were cleaning his foot, except when touched in one area (circled with red). When he walks, he doesn’t put pressure on that leg. Could it be partly dislocated?

Maybe he has injured himself or has a slipped tendon. There is a tendon that runs over the hock joint there that can sometimes come out of place in young birds and is very painful. If you use your thumb on the back hock joint of his good leg, try to feel where the tendon is. Then feel on his bad leg and see if it’s slipped to one side and if you can slip it back in. Then it needs to be splinted in place.

 

[Lillith37]

I might end up taking him to a more experienced person. I don’t want to accidentally injure him further. Thanks for your advice!

Sometimes that’s best. I’ve never had to deal with a slipped tendon but from what I’ve read they can be tricky to treat successfully.

 

[Lillith37]

So I took him to the person and she said it could be a ligament or tendon issue, since his leg was hanging so limply. It’s probably gotten worse since he’s growing so rapidly. It could either heal or get worse, so fingers crossed

I do recommend doing a bit of googling and have a look on YouTube about slipped tendons and how to put back in place and splint. Maybe make another post on this forum to get more specific advice. Fiver might have a chance at healing if you treat this but if you leave it and it is a slipped tendon, it will only get worse and you will end up with a difficult decision on your hands.