Cure for leg paralysis?

[chicknmania]

I thought about necropsy, I have had one or two done in past years...but they are so expensive here and the last time I had one done, the Ag department vet was throwing out a lot of speculations about the cause before he'd ever even looked at the bird...all his speculations were unfounded... but he terrified me. I was very unhappy with how the Ag department has changed here..they were not very friendly and made me very uncomfortable. They don't like backyard chicken flocks, I'm pretty sure. When we first started keeping chickens, we had a battle with ILT in the flock, and at that time the Ag department was very helpful and supportive..but that was 10 years ago. I hope I never have to deal with that again, either.

Is LL the same as Avian Leukosis? I have a feeling that might be in our flock, too, because I've lost a few birds in the past with similar symptoms. I had her put down today. The vet commented that her leg paralysis was perifpheral neuropathy and that he knew of nothing we could try to reverse it. He was curious about what could be the cause, but speculated that it was either carcinoma or a disease affecting the nervous system.

It is always horrible to have one put down, I felt terrible, as she was brighter today and pretty cheerful, considering all her issues. But I couldn't see keeping her on life support when I have been unable to determine what the underlying problem is, and couldn't treat it.

Thanks for the kind comments.

 

[azygous]

Yes, LL is avian leukemia or leucosis. It generally affects birds as they grow older, and tumors on organs and joints are the way it goes. Often chickens live for quite a long time with symptoms. I had a hen live for three years with lameness. Aspirin was enough to keep her life normal until she could no longer get around.

These two hens are able to get around, but it's obvious it hurts them to move. It's doubtful aspirin is helping with the pain. It's a tough call when to pull the plug - too soon and you worry they might have gotten better if you'd have waited just a bit longer. And judging when the pain is becoming too much for them is very hard. A real quandary.

LL has killed a much younger chicken in my flock. He was infected in his egg and I had to euthanize him at eleven months when he could not breathe. I had a necropsy done, and they discovered his liver weighed two pounds with tumors. Also tumors on his heart. Since then, another chick hatched in the flock and so far she's doing well. LL seems to be a selective disease.

You're right in suspecting your flock is carrying it. But you may go a long time before another chicken becomes symptomatic.

 

[chicknmania]

Yes, LL is avian leukemia or leucosis. It generally affects birds as they grow older, and tumors on organs and joints are the way it goes. Often chickens live for quite a long time with symptoms. I had a hen live for three years with lameness. Aspirin was enough to keep her life normal until she could no longer get around.

These two hens are able to get around, but it's obvious it hurts them to move. It's doubtful aspirin is helping with the pain. It's a tough call when to pull the plug - too soon and you worry they might have gotten better if you'd have waited just a bit longer. And judging when the pain is becoming too much for them is very hard. A real quandary.

LL has killed a much younger chicken in my flock. He was infected in his egg and I had to euthanize him at eleven months when he could not breathe. I had a necropsy done, and they discovered his liver weighed two pounds with tumors. Also tumors on his heart. Since then, another chick hatched in the flock and so far she's doing well. LL seems to be a selective disease.

You're right in suspecting your flock is carrying it. But you may go a long time before another chicken becomes symptomatic.

Yes, I know it can be selective. I've had a couple of birds that I suspected had it...over the past 7 or 8 years. A couple of cockerels, and a hen who was 7 years old. All had similar symptoms, and all died.. Have you thought of the possibility of MS for yours? I had a rooster who had MS symptoms....and now that you mention the LL, maybe he had that, I don't know, but.... He was lame all winter with swollen joints. I treated him for MS, and treatment did seem to help. I treated him with Denagard and later LS50. The LS50 really seemed to help him. I finally was able to release him back to the flock after about three months. Then he had an awful time with his pecking order status, (he had been the alpha)...but he did manage, and spent the whole spring and summer and fall pretty much limp free. He was 6 years old. He was killed by an owl on Halloween this past fall, when he dallied just a bit too long outside in the evening. Anyway, if yours can get around, you might try Denagard. It is a little pricey but it goes a long way. I'm sure you can't get the LS50 now without a prescription, but maybe your vet would let you have a scrip if you ask. Might be worth a shot....only because there are so many things that can cause lameness or leg paralysis in chickens! Or at least, so I've read.

I understand perfectly how tough a call it is to know when to pull the plug. You are just never sure. And it doesn't matter how many times you do it, or even how long you've had them, or anything. It hurts.

 

[azygous]

I doubt there's that possibility for two reasons. My flock has never shown any symptoms of respiratory disease, and when I had the necropsy done on the 11 month old cockerel, the results were negative for any other pathogen but LL. His breathing problem at the end was due to tumors displacing his pulmonary function.

I did treat one hen with a round of penicillin, thinking she might have an infectious arthritis, but it didn't make any difference.

I manage to muster up the resolve to euthanize, then the patient has a particularly good day, and then hope creeps in again and I lose my resolve. Like today. She even defended herself admirably in a challenge from a younger punk, then she hobbled over and hung with her "homies". Did my heart good to see it. But she isn't going to get better. I realize that.

 

[chicknmania]

That's too bad. But, unlike MG, MS does not have respiratory symptoms. Or, I should say, it doesn't necessarily. My rooster never had any respiratory symptoms at all, or anything else, he just was very lame and had swollen joints. All his leg joints were swollen and hot. Especially on the left. I don't think he had infectious arthritis because I was told that is pretty rare, and no one else ever developed his symptoms. But I don't know any test for it either. I'm sorry you have to deal with this, I know exactly what you mean about good days and bad. I would be hesitating too, if they can still get around.

 

[HelppppK]

Is she okey now? My baby cant use his feet anymore too

 

[HelppppK]

I wonder how can i help him. We give him feet exercises but he is screaming too much

 

[azygous]

I wonder how can i help him. We give him feet exercises but he is screaming too much

You are talking to basically thin air here, this being someone's old thread. Try starting your own thread with information on how old the chicken is with some history of his foot problems. Photos would be very helpful. Foot problems can be quite variable in causes. But most are treatable.