Can Chickens get Arthritis??????

[SBFChickenGirl]

I've got an old hen, Lady Gaga, who's almost 8 years old. I didn't realize something was wrong until tonight, when I went to shut up the chickens. She was sitting in the corner of the coop underneath the roost. Even though she's old, she has never failed to get up on the roost until tonight. I picked her up and put her on the roost, where she lost her balance after trying to find her footing. I put her up once again and noticed that her foot seemed to be the problem. I brought her into the barn and tested her feet and legs.

The first leg I tested was okay. It lifted up and down and I was able to bend the toes. It didn't seem too warm or cold.

The second leg was the problem. She was willing to stand and put her weight on it and didn't complain when I lifted it up and down. I tried to bend her toes and found that they were stiff. I felt around, and her foot/ankle area seemed to be, in a way, "frozen".

I don't know if this is just her meeting her end - she is getting up in her years - or if it's something else. Can chickens get arthritis?

 

[Quailobsessed]

I've got an old hen, Lady Gaga, who's almost 8 years old. I didn't realize something was wrong until tonight, when I went to shut up the chickens. She was sitting in the corner of the coop underneath the roost. Even though she's old, she has never failed to get up on the roost until tonight. I picked her up and put her on the roost, where she lost her balance after trying to find her footing. I put her up once again and noticed that her foot seemed to be the problem. I brought her into the barn and tested her feet and legs.

The first leg I tested was okay. It lifted up and down and I was able to bend the toes. It didn't seem too warm or cold.

The second leg was the problem. She was willing to stand and put her weight on it and didn't complain when I lifted it up and down. I tried to bend her toes and found that they were stiff. I felt around, and her foot/ankle area seemed to be, in a way, "frozen".

I don't know if this is just her meeting her end - she is getting up in her years - or if it's something else. Can chickens get arthritis?

Yes, chickens can get arthritis. I had a chicken who passed away a year ago at 12 and a half years old. She had arthritis in a couple of her toes, they wouldn't bend.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Is there anything that I can do for her?

 

[Quailobsessed]

How old are your other chooks? Do they bully her?

Does she still walk okay?

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

They do not bully her. She's a senior hen and they know it.

She's willing to walk, but it's definitely not a healthy type of walk. She shuffles around, her tail and head down.

I know she's old. But I don't want to put this down as old age and have her die from a completely preventable cause.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Where are you located and what’s your weather like? I’ll defer to more experienced people on pain meds, but perhaps a good soak in warm water or some time on a heating pad might help her toes...

I’ll be interested to follow this as my black Jersey Giant has a toe that is malformed at the joint (she arrived like that as a day-old chick). I suspect she will develop arthritis in a few years too. And my Light Brahma had a hip problem early on and still has a bit of a hitch in her giddy-up.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Weather is currently 3 degrees fahrenheit and maybe a foot of snow. It'll be getting nearer the 30's later this week, so maybe that will help.

I'll keep this updated. I'll try soaking her feet in warm water tomorrow.

 

[Eggcessive]

You may use 81 mg low dose aspirin given orally twice a day for pain. Meloxicam available from a vet is good for treating pain and inflammation as well. Sorry about your older hen. She could have another problem as well, that is keeping her uncomfortable. Reproductive disorders can cause pain and pressure internally, and sometimes fluid buil up in the lower belly. My rooster who was 8 and died this year, also had arthritis in his legs.

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

She stopped laying eggs one or two years ago. Hopefully she doesn't have a reproductive disorder. I've heard bad things about that.

Do you think starting her on vitamins would help at all? It's winter so she's not getting any of the good vitamins that she would normally get from scratching around.

 

[glassdragonfly]

I have an old roo(13 or 14 yrs) that has not been able to perch for years,his feet are terrible.He sleeps in a kennel cab that has the door removed and is up off the ground about 4 inches. He likes it and its easy to dump out the bedding every 2 days or so and put in fresh. I do give him half an aspirin if he is having a bad day. He is still dancing for his girls and watching for hawks.