3 Month old chick with both legs crippled... is it too late for recovery & rehab ? Looking for advice on the matter.

[sunshinemomee]

Basis of situation : got a dozen baby chicks on March 3rd, all well first few weeks, then one day early in April one chick flopping around crying...could not walk. Looked up info on internet (had not discovered BYC website yet...wish I had !!) and thought I found the problem (protein deficiency, etc) so immediately started special diet and kept her isolated so as to ensure she was eating & drinking enough and not to get trampled by the others. She seemed to be doing better and started trying to walk, but legs started becoming crossed and her toes turned outwardly. (thus I named her "KK" short for knobby knees) She has done fairly well in spite of condition and has had days where she got around better than others... but about 2 wk ago she started scooting backwards & cry every time she tries to walk or stand up. Only then did it become visually obvious that her legs were not shaped like the other chicks... so I was back to researching and came across articles on slipped tendons (and that's when I discovered BYC) and I have NO doubt this is her issue as I can clearly see & feel the tendon running down the inside of both her legs, above & below the hock !! Unfortunately several weeks have now passed since she began having her issues and even if more niacin were added to her diet at this point, I highly doubt it would fix anything because she has grown so much during all this time. Yes, I have spent hours massaging her legs and the tendons and tried to get them to slip back into rightful position with no luck. So....is it too late to expect anything positive to come of this ? I have a makeshift high chair I put her in (holds her upright sling style) several times a day to take the pressure off her legs and to feed her (although she does manage to eat and drink some on her own, it is difficult as she tends to fall forward into the dishes, as she can't properly balance herself). She does spend a few hours each day in the yard in a lush patch of clover where she picks at the greens but otherwise doesn't get around much.... rest of the time in her playpen (kiddie pool in my sunroom with sand and fresh grass clippings thick enough to make a soft base) and Yes, she has a buddy to keep her company at all times (Miss Piggy is a chick from the same batch that is turning into a wild child !) Even with all that, her hocks seem swollen and semi calloused that it would be nearly impossible to get the tendons to slip back over and into place.... am I missing something here ? Does anyone have any suggestions that might help accomplish this so she can get proper use of her legs (even if only partial compared to how she is now) ? I've had chickens my entire life (50+) and never had anything like this happen before. Taking her to a vet, surgery, etc are not options I can afford at this time and although she is getting all the special care I can manage to give her.... she is not living a quality chicken life (can't dust bathe or scratch her own itches, etc) and thus long term trying to keep her up even with all the special handicap related care does not seem humane to me. Although I would truly love to see her condition improve, I am at the point of seriously considering her days now be shortened (as I am limited to the time I have daily and what more I know to do). If anyone has advice to offer here for my sweet lil KK (be it treatment/rehab options or affirmation of culling her is best)...I would appreciate the input. (I am also well aware that Miss Piggy is being deprived of a normal chicken life as she is the constant companion for KK and therefore must live in this limited situation, separated from the rest of the flock...I can tell she is smaller and less developed than they are, which is not fair to her either).

 

[coach723]

Can you post some pictures so we can see the feet and legs?
If it's slipped tendon, then after this amount of time and growth it might not be fixable. If you can get the tendon back in the right place then splinting sometimes helps, but it may have been too long. Sometimes as the chick grows it can become a rotated femur, and that would require surgery, and is not always successful either. There are also leg deformities, called Varus or Valgus, depending on which way the legs bend, those can predispose a bird to slipped tendon.
It may be a case that if she makes it, she will be a very special needs bird her entire life. That is a personal decision you have to make based on how much time you are willing and able to spend on her. She may have to be in a sling or chair most of the time. I would imagine it's painful for her to try to put weight on the legs.
This is the link I usually give for treating slipped tendon, scroll down to fixing achilles tendon in hock joint:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
and this video shows the tendon popping into and out of place:

 

[sunshinemomee]

I'm going to assume too much time has passed,,, I have watched a few videos on the subject and in most the chicks are much younger. Here are a photos of KK taken the other day (sorry I had trouble downloading prior). Although she has a great spirit and does well to scoot around in the grass, has figured how to balance herself to some degree to eat & drink without falling forward into the bowls... I still put her in the sling (chicken chair) a few hours every day to help take pressure & weight off her legs and to provide hand fed meals as I know she isn't getting enough of that on her own. Although I have come to the conclusion her days are few left (as I am not in position to continue such specialty care indefinitely...nor is it fair to her living such a limited (crippled) life)... I am still open to the idea (if even worth considering) to try and work those tendons back into rightful place, IF....and that's a BIG "IF" there was something I could give her (like a sedative of sorts) to help relax or make her sleepy thru the process. I don't know if pain related or just insecurity/fear, but she cries & gets fussy every time I have to handle her. She does eventually settle down, loves to cuddle (and nap) in my lap... but then every few minutes gets fussy and seems to break out in "Hot-Flashes". It's like she is feverish or over heating, her underside gets hot to the touch, beak hangs open panting...once she cools down she goes back to napping, enjoys having her neck & head rubbed & scratched (places she can't reach on her own). Sooooo, all that said... I don't know if anyone has ideas to suggest or things tried for sedative purposes (a friend suggested childrens benadryl or even beer) and if so, I'm not sure about it this late in the game is even hopeful. I certainly don't want to put her through any unnecessary pain or added stress.

as I have already accepted the fact that her passing might be in her best interest over all.

 

[sunshinemomee]

Can you post some pictures so we can see the feet and legs?
If it's slipped tendon, then after this amount of time and growth it might not be fixable. If you can get the tendon back in the right place then splinting sometimes helps, but it may have been too long. Sometimes as the chick grows it can become a rotated femur, and that would require surgery, and is not always successful either. There are also leg deformities, called Varus or Valgus, depending on which way the legs bend, those can predispose a bird to slipped tendon.
It may be a case that if she makes it, she will be a very special needs bird her entire life. That is a personal decision you have to make based on how much time you are willing and able to spend on her. She may have to be in a sling or chair most of the time. I would imagine it's painful for her to try to put weight on the legs.
This is the link I usually give for treating slipped tendon, scroll down to fixing achilles tendon in hock joint:
https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry
and this video shows the tendon popping into and out of place:

Sorry for delay in my response, I did post w pictures the other night but should have used this reply button so u know... oops.

 

[coach723]

Can't really tell, the hock joint does look a little swollen. If you want to use a sedative I would recommend vet care. Birds don't do well with sedatives, you would need to be very careful not to overdose. I personally would not do that without the advise of a vet. I understand if that's an expense you don't want to take on. Sorry this happened. It's really up to you. Many people choose not to treat things like this due to time and effort needed. It's a personal choice, you have to do what you are comfortable with.