Anyone Manage Leg Deformity Long-Term?

[Weeg]

That'd be amazing! I'm sure my dog-dogs would appreciate it, too!

Perfect! I use it for all my animals and myself.
Here's a link, this website has a ton of great info on herbal remedys and things for dogs too. I do a lot of research there. They work with holistic vets so I think its pretty reliable.
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/healing-with-turmeric-golden-paste-for-dogs/

 

[Aunt Angus]

That's great, @Weeg! I'm going to get lost in this website. I try to go on this direction, but I get distracted. Thus looks very promising.

 

[Weeg]

That's great, @Weeg! I'm going to get lost in this website. I try to go on this direction, but I get distracted. Thus looks very promising.

It’s a fun website to get lost in. I tend too.
Your welcome! I do a lot of holistic research, so if you ever have any questions regarding that I’m happy to share information. I read a lot of Dr. Judy Morgan articles too, she’s a very well know homeopathic veterinarian.

 

[Aunt Angus]

It’s a fun website to get lost in. I tend too.
Your welcome! I do a lot of holistic research, so if you ever have any questions regarding that I’m happy to share information. I read a lot of Dr. Judy Morgan articles too, she’s a very well know homeopathic veterinarian.

I've read some of her articles.

 

[Serama77]

Hey Aunt Angus, I hope your little chicken is doing well. I have a tiny serama hen who hatched with a dislocated hip and I remember having all the same worries you are having about her quality of life when she grows up. Mine is over a year old now but I still haven't managed to integrate her fully with the flock. She gets in with my rooster though so that helps. I think she may always need some extra protection and her own space. In terms of care, I gave her leg braces up to a couple weeks old to help her learn to walk properly even though she hated it. She got lucky that she is so small and has been able to hop on one leg and use the disabled leg and a wing to balance herself as she got older, without any further deformities currently because she is very light and small. I know your hen will be nearly a year old by now but I am wondering whether you can try bracing both legs with supports/ vet wrap or foam tubes for her and/or putting her in a sling for part of the day to teach her leg muscles to grow strength in a straighter direction? I think the important thing in your hen's case might be to brace those legs so that as they are growing, they are strengthening up correctly as well, then maybe they will stay straighter once those legs are fully developed and stronger. Thanks for all you've done for her. I know that it is so hard caring for a disabled hen and she is lucky to have you. My sister used to say about my hen she might be better if her disabled leg was removed as it looked like a hindrance to her, but as she grew that leg became invaluable to her for balance, movement, and support. Her other foot did turn outwards a little to compensate but she seems to be doing well. I know it is more complicated for your hen and wish you and her the best of luck. Take care.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hey Aunt Angus, I hope your little chicken is doing well. I have a tiny serama hen who hatched with a dislocated hip and I remember having all the same worries you are having about her quality of life when she grows up. Mine is over a year old now but I still haven't managed to integrate her fully with the flock. She gets in with my rooster though so that helps. I think she may always need some extra protection and her own space. In terms of care, I gave her leg braces up to a couple weeks old to help her learn to walk properly even though she hated it. She got lucky that she is so small and has been able to hop on one leg and use the disabled leg and a wing to balance herself as she got older, without any further deformities currently because she is very light and small. I know your hen will be nearly a year old by now but I am wondering whether you can try bracing both legs with supports/ vet wrap or foam tubes for her and/or putting her in a sling for part of the day to teach her leg muscles to grow strength in a straighter direction? I think the important thing in your hen's case might be to brace those legs so that as they are growing, they are strengthening up correctly as well, then maybe they will stay straighter once those legs are fully developed and stronger. Thanks for all you've done for her. I know that it is so hard caring for a disabled hen and she is lucky to have you. My sister used to say about my hen she might be better if her disabled leg was removed as it looked like a hindrance to her, but as she grew that leg became invaluable to her for balance, movement, and support. Her other foot did turn outwards a little to compensate but she seems to be doing well. I know it is more complicated for your hen and wish you and her the best of luck. Take care.

Twiggy is only about 4 months old, actually, and she's doing very well. She's a Polish, so still on the smaller side. Her hock joint is quite large because of calcification, but it isn't red or painful for her (near as I can tell). She has her own coop with Myrtle (my one-eyed Polish) and my 2 Call ducks. They are in my first yard, away from my big flock.

I tried bracing her legs, but she just stopped walking altogether. When I helped her up, she'd just fall over. So I've just kind of decided that she will develop hiw she develops, and we'll do what we need to to accommodate her as her needs change.

Here she is recently. You can see her crooked leg. She uses it for balance, too.

Here's her little coop:

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Hi @Aunt Angus , i tried to reply here back in July when you posted Twiggy's picture, but my severely dehydrated summer brain woudn't form the words. First off I want to say that Twiggy is stunningly cute/adorable/beautiful. She is the cutest frizzle polish I've ever seen!

Second, I wanted to caution you re considering amputation. Yes amputation would "fix" the slipped tendon problem, but amputation brings it's own potential problems. Twiggy would have to learn to walk all over again, and getting a properly fitted and functioning prosthetic to improve her current stance and gait will be very difficult. I understand you want Twiggy's gait to be as perfect as the rest of her is, but she (and you) have adjusted to overcome her handicap very well. The video you posted of her walking/running is exactly the way my handicapped hen deals with her missing feet. She decides where she wants to go, then flutter-flies to her intended destination as fast as she can. She spends more time resting on the ground than she does standing, and spends more time standing than moving. Like you I have been concerned about compensatory injuries due to her unnatural stance (she rocks back on her shanks for better balance while standing, and the bottoms of her shanks have flattened out, essentially giving her new "paddle feet." And I have been concerned over the fact she doesn't move around nearly as much as a normal hen does, and this may shorten her life. Common sense says these are valid concerns, but like Twiggy my hen has adjusted to her handicap as best as she can, and is leading a good chicken life despite her handicap My point is be cautious over trading one handicap for another.

If in the future you decide to consider amputation, read up on/look into the incredible advances that have been made re human prosthetics, including in the u.s. military. It's not farfetched to believe you may find someone willing to accept Twiggy as a charity case.. I would love to see a chicken be fitted using the latest technology, but until then I would letTwiggy continue to be her beautiful self just as she is. I think you are both doing great!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hi @Aunt Angus , i tried to reply here back in July when you posted Twiggy's picture, but my severely dehydrated summer brain woudn't form the words. First off I want to say that Twiggy is stunningly cute/adorable/beautiful. She is the cutest frizzle polish I've ever seen!

Second, I wanted to caution you re considering amputation. Yes amputation would "fix" the slipped tendon problem, but amputation brings it's own potential problems. Twiggy would have to learn to walk all over again, and getting a properly fitted and functioning prosthetic to improve her current stance and gait will be very difficult. I understand you want Twiggy's gait to be as perfect as the rest of her is, but she (and you) have adjusted to overcome her handicap very well. The video you posted of her walking/running is exactly the way my handicapped hen deals with her missing feet. She decides where she wants to go, then flutter-flies to her intended destination as fast as she can. She spends more time resting on the ground than she does standing, and spends more time standing than moving. Like you I have been concerned about compensatory injuries due to her unnatural stance (she rocks back on her shanks for better balance while standing, and the bottoms of her shanks have flattened out, essentially giving her new "paddle feet." And I have been concerned over the fact she doesn't move around nearly as much as a normal hen does, and this may shorten her life. Common sense says these are valid concerns, but like Twiggy my hen has adjusted to her handicap as best as she can, and is leading a good chicken life despite her handicap My point is be cautious over trading one handicap for another.

If in the future you decide to consider amputation, read up on/look into the incredible advances that have been made re human prosthetics, including in the u.s. military. It's not farfetched to believe you may find someone willing to accept Twiggy as a charity case.. I would love to see a chicken be fitted using the latest technology, but until then I would letTwiggy continue to be her beautiful self just as she is. I think you are both doing great!

Be sure to read my other posts. I had already decided to just let things go until she can't cope.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Hi again. I reread through Twiggy's thread. In one of your posts you stated that she doesn't sit or lie down much (which I interpreted as meaning her activity level is comparable to your other chickens) and that she also dust bathes. I think that's all a very good thing.. Since she was "born this way", I'm guessing she found it much easier to adapt than an older bird that has a severe injury from which they have to recover from and adapt to. I will now continue to follow silently and watch her progress. Go Twiggy go!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I missed those recent posts from this past weekend, but Twiggy looks like she's doing great! What a look in that picture!

I've somehow ended up with a second bird with a bad leg now. I wasn't going to keep him because I've hatched a whole bunch of cockerels this year and was prioritizing the ones for breeding purposes, but it's hard not to get attached when you spend so much time helping them out, I guess. He doesn't have a deformity, but suffered a leg injury back in the summer when he was just a couple months old. He was fully back on his feet for a while, but now he walks on his right hock instead of on his foot on that side. No new injury or swelling or anything I can see, so I have to assume that it's just the old injury acting up again. He's a Chocolate Cochin bantam I've been calling Mack. I figure as long as he's still able to get around (and doesn't turn into a butthead), he's fine to run with my mixed flock.

Kind of funny, I have a silkied Black Cochin bantam named Jack that I also wasn't going to keep because of space constraints, but then one of my other roosters passed away and I suddenly had the space to keep ol' Jack after all... So now, even though I painstakingly pick out just the right names for my birds to avoid having anything too similar to someone else, I've ended up with a Jack and a Mack. Whoops!