Gosling with leg problem

[MountainMeadow]

We have three newly hatched Brown Chinese goslings. Our first time hatching anything. They were eggs laid by our gosling that we got early last year. We incubated them ourselves.

The first gosling to fully hatch must have formed a leg issue in the egg as it never really tried much to stand and walk around like the other two. The gosling is now three days old and eating and drinking well. It is as big as the others.

However, the gosling’s foot is turned 90 degrees inwards vertically, such that if it were to walk, it would be walking on the inner side of its foot. Now when it wants to get around the gosling mostly hops with its wings out for balance and does not use the foot or leg. It appears a case of splayed leg is forming too.

I am feeding them with added niacin via nutritional yeast added to their crumbles and since the other two goslings are getting along well I don’t think it is a diet issue. Also because it was a problem right away after hatching.

I scoured these forums for what to do and found a lot of suggestions that this might be a slipped tendon rather than a birth defect like I had thought. I made a boot for the little gosling but it had the opposite effect of making the foot turn the other way so that it was getting pressured to turn upside down! So I also tried splinting the leg and foot but it would also turn the leg and foot over the wrong way. The splint joint was flimsy thin cardboard. I also tried hobbling the legs together with the boot but then the gosling got its legs stuck out behind it and couldn’t move or would get flipped onto its back and just lay there too confined to right itself.

I have some pictures I will add. The hock on the impacted leg does seem swollen to me and it does look like the tendon is not where it needs to be but then again I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing or know what I need to look for.

Does this problem seem to be a slipped tendon or something else?

I will add that when I tried to gently stretch the gosling’s leg out straight behind it, the leg would not move very much from its bent position as if the joint was stiff.

I also found this site with great details about how to try to treat a slipped tendon, but looking for any help to confirm this issue is likely slipped tendon. http://bcpoultryhobbyfarmingnetwork.weebly.com/fix-slipped-tendon.html

I’m looking for advice or suggestions for how to best care for and correct the goslings leg problem. Any responses will be greatly appreciated!

 

[BantyChooks]

Oh my, poor little fellow. The tendon does look quite strange. Maybe @Miss Lydia would know?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm sorry this little one is having trouble it does look like the tendon is swollen. It's hard to work on them when they are. I would imagine it would be hard to put it back in the groove when swollen. Is a vet an option?
When this happens timing is everything getting it put back in place is important.
Maybe this would help or have you already read this?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...to-fix-this-experiences.879233/#post-13369393

 

[MountainMeadow]

Thank you both for your responses. I’ve called a few vets today and found one that does do the surgery. It’s definitely an option. Hoping to hear back soon about costs and availability.

I think the content in that link is very similar if not the same as the content in the link I had found and included in my post, so I will give that another read and see what I can glean from it.

It took me three days to figure out it might be a slipped tendon instead of just curled toes or some other undescribed birth defect. I hope I haven’t lost too much time already to have it corrected successfully.

I know time is really important for this issue. Do you have a general timeframe for how long might be too late?

When I try to stretch the leg it remains stiff. I was hoping that stretching it a few times throughout the day would help but I’m not observing much progress in the extension. It has just been one day though, so I will keep trying. If the tendon is as far on the side as what I think it is, then it’s pretty severely out of place with a major bump to get over to get into place.

Thanks again for the responses! I’ll keep this thread updated with any progress.

 

[OneEggToRuleThemAll]

Thank you both for your responses. I’ve called a few vets today and found one that does do the surgery. It’s definitely an option. Hoping to hear back soon about costs and availability.

I think the content in that link is very similar if not the same as the content in the link I had found and included in my post, so I will give that another read and see what I can glean from it.

It took me three days to figure out it might be a slipped tendon instead of just curled toes or some other undescribed birth defect. I hope I haven’t lost too much time already to have it corrected successfully.

I know time is really important for this issue. Do you have a general timeframe for how long might be too late?

When I try to stretch the leg it remains stiff. I was hoping that stretching it a few times throughout the day would help but I’m not observing much progress in the extension. It has just been one day though, so I will keep trying. If the tendon is as far on the side as what I think it is, then it’s pretty severely out of place with a major bump to get over to get into place.

Thanks again for the responses! I’ll keep this thread updated with any progress.

Good luck with your baby gosling! I hope you are able to fix its little foot!