bantam cochin with possible broken leg

[kimTn]

i think my 4 month old cochin has broken her leg just above the "knee" joint. she won't stand, and it feels a little rough when i touch it, but nothing poking out and the skin is intact. should i try to splint this or let it be? i've read thru the some of the forums, and see baby aspirin is ok for pain, but how do i know if she's bleeding inside her leg and will the aspirin make any bleeding worse? any help is appreciated!! i have to give her a fighting chance, she's too sweet to put down.....she'd gotten into the coop with my dominiques, so not sure if she got caught up in the fence or if the big ol' roo pinned her. she is in the garage in a dog kennel right now.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I would let it be for a few days. Keep her separated like she is, a little extra protein and some treats and see how it is in a few days. If she stays lame on it, you may have to splint it for a few weeks. There are some good threads on how to splint...do a search.

 

[kimTn]

thank you so much! i gave her a bit of cat food, and 1/2 baby aspirin and some electrolytes i use for the chicks. she's resting in the garage. those threads were a huge help. didn't know i could search...... thanks again!

 

[mypicklebird]

Above her knee is her femur, which cannot be effectively splinted in mammals or birds. Unless you really stretch her leg out, her knee is hidden and you can neither feel nor see it, the femur is very well hidden as well. The joint below her knee is the bird version of the ankle- which looks like a backwards bending knee. If her shank (between her ankle and her foot was broken- you would be able to see this). A fracture here would be pretty obvious, and probably splintable. If the bone(s) between her knee and ankle were broken, you could probably feel this, though most of this area is hidden under feathers. Maybe could be splinted if you know what you are doing- much harder area to stabilize.