3 week old silkie can't bear weight on one leg, foot appears deformed or broken. Advice / suggestions?

[KristaHB]

This is Morticia Addams. She's around 3 weeks old. Starting yesterday she has a noticeable limp, today becoming almost completely lame in that leg. Upon further inspection I noticed a large knot on the top of her foot, and when I photographed it, I see that either her foot is malformed or perhaps it's been broken or severely sprained/jammed. She is unwilling to bear weight on it and when I was inspecting it she did appear to be in pain when I touched it. The foot joint looks abnormal and curved, and the foot is not as spread out as her uninjured foot.

Could this be an injury, or a malformation that has become inflamed as she's grown? Is there anything I can do to help her?

She seems healthy otherwise and is able to get around ok though sheis limited; she's eating and drinking and socializing with the other chicks.

Thank you!

 

[KristaHB]

Poor chick, she just doesn't want to move around. I moved her from under the heat plate this morning and put her next to the food and water and she ate and drank heartily. Then she flutter- hobbled back to the heat. I plan on moving her to the food and water several times today, I don't want her to starve herself because she can't get around. I feel so bad for her.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Poor chick, she just doesn't want to move around. I moved her from under the heat plate this morning and put her next to the food and water and she ate and drank heartily. Then she flutter- hobbled back to the heat. I plan on moving her to the food and water several times today, I don't want her to starve herself because she can't get around. I feel so bad for her.

Give her her own little bowls of food and water so she has access to it at all times

 

[KristaHB]

Give her her own little bowls of food and water so she has access to it at all times

I did move them closer to the heat so she doesn't have to go as far <3

 

[KristaHB]

I see some people recommend aspirin for pain relief, but she's just so darn tiny, I worry about the dose. Has anyone administered pain relievers to silkie chicks successfully?

 

[Chickeria]

On your second picture it looks to me that a long human(?) hair is wrapped around her foot (you can see it a little bit higher than the point of the pointing arrow you drew in the picture) - this can cause circulation problems and lead to huge difficulties and pain - please check if I see it right and if you find the hair cut it off.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

On your second picture it looks to me that a long human(?) hair is wrapped around her foot (you can see it a little bit higher than the point of the pointing arrow you drew in the picture) - this can cause circulation problems and lead to huge difficulties and pain - please check if I see it right and if you find the hair cut it off.

Ohh yes i see it now.
Yes it must be removed

 

[Chickeria]

...it could also be a very thin nylon string or something else, please check it.

 

[Chickeria]

You can see the long end of the string or hair on every picture, perhaps this long end helps you to find the wrapped part easier.

 

[KristaHB]

Oh. My. Gosh. YOU WERE RIGHT. Poor tiny baby had her foot all bound up with a hair. It was crazy how it was so tangled around her toes. I hope I got it all, and I hope she fully recovers. I clipped it and her toes immediately spread back out. How horrifying and painful that must have been for her.

You are amazing and I can't thank you enough for realizing that.