Probable foot sprain (9yo hen) - how long would healing normally take? (Advice please)

[Wot The Flock]

I have a 9yo hen, who has been limping for a number of days now (just over a week?). I inspected her feet for bumblefoot (even treating for bumblefoot), but the pads seem normal, equal in size, no black spots, and to me, does not seem like bumblefoot or even the beginnings of it.

When changing the bandage today, I looked and compared the feet, and there seems to be very slight swelling in the area where the toes join, barely noticeable and the difference only seen when comparing the two feet together. I attach a generic image with the area circled.

She is a bit of a flyer, always going over the 1.8m/6ft fence, and it is likely she has done a hard/wrong landing on her foot. The ground is hard at the moment.

She can walk on it, so I do not think broken. She can move her toes from what I can tell. She is occasionally walking here and there, but sitting resting most of the time (a good thing). When I re-bandaged her today, I focused more on the joint, just a little pressure over the area, and hope that it will help with the swelling and immobilisation of the area, and to remind her she has injured foot and should rest.

How long for a sprain injury to heal?

Should I give her some meloxicam? (which I don't think I have any more on hand, it is a prescription-only drug in Australia) The only other things I have on hand are aspirin, and some other NSAIDs, for people. She is an old bird, a fairly light bird. Not really sure how well birds deal with aspirin.

As she is coping fairly well, happy enough, and staying off it most of the time, I do not want to isolate her in a cage unless absolutely necessary. I have new pullets to integrate into the flock soon, and the 9yo is the alpha, and I don't want her to lose the ranking. She was still feisty enough to have a go at the alpha pullet through the fence the other day, which I doubt she would have done if foot bones were broken.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I inspected her feet for bumblefoot (even treating for bumblefoot), but the pads seem normal, equal in size, no black spots, and to me, does not seem like bumblefoot or even the beginnings of it.

Can you post photos of her feet?

A video of her movements may help - upload video to youtube and provide a link.

You're treating for Bumblefoot, but there's no Bumblefoot? Do you mean that you are wrapping the foot to offer support?

A sprain can take days to weeks to heal. Some folks cage their bird to limit activity and see if that helps with the healing process. Everyone has their own methods.
Me, if the bird is able to get to food/water, is not being picked on, has no broken skin/bones and can move about, then I let them self-limit their own activity. I will wrap legs/toes/feet as needed to offer more support and provide protected areas to rest or roost.

If vet care is an option, that's always best.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

When changing the bandage today, I looked and compared the feet, and there seems to be very slight swelling in the area where the toes join, barely noticeable and the difference only seen when comparing the two feet together. I attach a generic image with the area circled.

How tight was the bandage? There's a slight possibility that the swelling came from the bandage too tight. Off of that though, if she's sprained her ankle, expect for her to take three weeks (more or less) to heal. Make sure she takes it easy and that she's not jumping down from any high places. You could separate her and put her in a sling to help her heal faster.

 

[Sussex19]

My hen did a similar thing, and it took around 2 mouths for it to fully heal.
I did cage her for a few days when it was at its worst, but apart from that just left it alone

 

[Wot The Flock]

You're treating for Bumblefoot, but there's no Bumblefoot? Do you mean that you are wrapping the foot to offer support?

Bumblefoot, or early bumblefoot was my first assumption, so epsom salt soak, antiseptic, applied manuka honey wound gel, then bandaged foot to keep the gel in place (that stuff worked really well on a deep open wound I had on my hand).

It was on today's changing of the bandages that I decided it was NOT bumblefoot, both foot pads were clean, equal size and squishiness consistency. It was then I did a wider overall inspection, and decided that the joint where the toes join was slightly swollen, and that a sprain was the most likely thing. I decided to rebandage for some support and focused on supporting the joint more.

How tight was the bandage?

Not tight. The initial bandaging was just enough to keep the gel in place and nothing more.
Today's bandaging is marginally tighter (or rather, just a bit firmer) around that joint, and kept softer between the toes. Even so, still not a tight bandage, a "just firm" application. Just some minimal support. Keeping blood supply going is important for wound healing.

expect for her to take three weeks (more or less) to heal. Make sure she takes it easy and that she's not jumping down from any high places.

Thanks for that info. I am trying to discourage jumping down from the roost area. I put a small lidded bucket that halves the height for her. Building a ladder now (weather has been shocking for painting). I shall see how she goes with a ladder, if that fails or she hates it, I will try making a 'disabled ramp' for her. The ramp is probably a better idea anyway. I may do the ramp.

it took around 2 mouths for it to fully heal

Yikes! A long time, but thanks for the head's up. Potential healing time was the information I was after. And now I will not be so freaked out if this drags on for many weeks.

For the most part, she is self-limiting her movements to a larger degree than normal, and hopefully it stays that way. She is a fairly smart bird. I may see how she goes with no bandage tomorrow. I just have a gut feeling to keep the bandage on for another day, if only to remind her.

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

 

[Wot The Flock]

Can you post photos of her feet?

The swelling is not much at all, it almost looks normal (ie not a lot to see in a photo). Even if I managed to photograph both feet, I am not sure it would be that apparent, tbh. She'd been through enough today (and was a good girl through the re-bandaging), so I just wanted her to chill out and rest.

If I get the opportunity tomorrow, I may try photographing her tootsies.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If she seems to be doing well with wrapping the foot for support, I'd continue with that for a while, just check daily for swelling and change out as needed due to soiling/getting wet.

I have a hen that injured her leg over a year ago (saw it happen). Likely fractured. Wrapping/splinting and letting her self-limit her activity worked fairly well for her. She at first slept in a nesting box, then moved to a small perch, then finally rejoined her flock in the rafters about 10' off the ground. She decided when it was time to go to each phase of roosting. After she went back to the rafters, I finally took off wrappings. She did very well for close to a year, then began limping all over again, likely landed wrong and we started back over with the wrapping, etc. She's now back in the rafters, but I've left a "support wrap" on the shank of her leg which I change out about once a week or so. So far so good

 

[Wot The Flock]

If she seems to be doing well with wrapping the foot for support, I'd continue with that for a while, just check daily for swelling and change out as needed due to soiling/getting wet.

I have a hen that injured her leg over a year ago (saw it happen). Likely fractured. Wrapping/splinting and letting her self-limit her activity worked fairly well for her. She at first slept in a nesting box, then moved to a small perch, then finally rejoined her flock in the rafters about 10' off the ground. She decided when it was time to go to each phase of roosting. After she went back to the rafters, I finally took off wrappings. She did very well for close to a year, then began limping all over again, likely landed wrong and we started back over with the wrapping, etc. She's now back in the rafters, but I've left a "support wrap" on the shank of her leg which I change out about once a week or so. So far so good

Good to know, thanks for that.
She is doing a little more than I would like her to, as far as jumping on/off things. And I installed the ramp. It is a little difficult at the moment to do more, as the new pullets have a temporary cage in the shed/coop. I would like to wait a few more days before integration.

I would think that, if it were a break, even of small bones, she would not be doing that degree of jumping. So fingers crossed, either just a sprain, or maybe a bruised bone.

Removing the bandage tomorrow, just to see how she walks (better or worse). I have plenty of bandage now. If there is injury to any toe, it may well be the back toe. The front toes seem okay. I know when I had broken little toe, made it very difficult to walk. Back toe with chicken, maybe a similar thing.

 

[dawg53]

At 9 years old, the start of gout can be a possibility. Her toenails need trimming, dont trim into the quick. You might see improvement after a toenail trim.

 

[Wot The Flock]

At 9 years old, the start of gout can be a possibility. Her toenails need trimming, dont trim into the quick. You might see improvement after a toenail trim.

Thanks, I did think of this when I read through a number of other threads.

But this did seem to come on suddenly, rather than a gradual decline. And the naughty girl keeps going over the high fence. Not at the moment though!