Chick with broken/sprained/slipped tendon needs help

[Mandyweaver]

for the water issue use a q tip soaked in electrolyte water if you dont have the powder i will use something like gatorade (sugar free). then you press the tip gently on the side of its beak near the base. eventually they start sorta nibbling the tip to press the water out themselves.

 

[BROOD]

Does the leg bend correctly with your help? It kinda looks like a hip joint issue from the pics. How does she hold the leg when not in the sling? Out to the side, folded under, straight out behind? Does she move it at all on her own?

The leg bends correctly with help yes. She holds her foot like she's got a thorn in her foot pad. Straight up. No angle. If it wasn't beginning to look atrophied it would appear nothing was all that wrong until you inspect where her hip joints are. She doesn't move it at all as far as I can tell. I put her sister in with her over night, shes been very good with Peggy. Brahmas and Cochins have a noticeable lean to apparent empathy and assisting the weak in my experience compared to other breeds.
Here's a video I just took of Peggy walking, watch her sis rooting her on! So adorable. : https://imgur.com/q5VzpVq.mp4
Still shot:

 

[BROOD]

Encouraging news people. I don't know what has happened in the past hour since I took that last video but I'm now seeing a very small amount of movement in her leg. Not much but shes definitely bringing it forward, placing it on the ground lightly and switching to her good leg quickly. Her middle metatarsus now curls toward the ground like it's beginning to counter balance as it should. (Compared to yesterday when it curled up and away from the ground)

Ahh so I want to be careful not to do something that will negatively impact this small step toward recovery. Opinions.. should I splint? Or just let this play out?

edit: the vet was supposed to call me back today but didn't. The bird doctor was finally in today and I was hoping to ask him the same thing. So here's my thoughts. I don't think it was badly broken, maybe a transverse or stress fracture, I think it was more likely just badly sprained. I don't really know though, beside the point! I'm a rambler..

I'm thinking of a very simple splint. Sandwich her tibia and femur in large square chunks of soft hold paper med tape. Bridge the two plys over the hock with a little more soft hold paper med tape to protect and support the hock for the next step. Sandwich all of that in strong hold cloth tape for a little give. This should hold her leg at a level just below standing, give it a little cushion so it can move either way. Taking some stress off the joint and also letting her flex it a bit. I think this way I'll be able to change it daily and she can use it as a crutch rather than falling on it over and over.

 

[WVduckchick]

I hope you got some info from the vet. And whatever you decide, I think its hard to know what will help and what will hurt, but you are in the best position to make that determination.

I'm not saying you should do this, unless you think its worth a shot..... it has worked for a few chicks:

Here's what I would try if it were mine. Hold your left hand out, palm up, fingers toward the right, in front of your chest. Lay the chick's belly in your left hand, feet pointing back toward your body, overhanging your pinky finger/palm. Grasp the feet and legs between your right thumb and forefinger. Slowly lower your left hand (kinda bowling ball or lawn-dart starting motion) and let the bird dangle for just a few seconds. Twist your wrist outward, and the bird's reaction should be to lift its head/chest/body upward toward your hand. (keep your hand under, but not touching, and don't drop her! lol) When it does, you can re-grab the body. This will sometimes "reset" a slipped hip or knee joint. It won't hurt the bird, and I would think its worth a try.

 

[BROOD]

I'm not saying you should do this, unless you think its worth a shot..:

Thank you for that suggestion I will give it a shot if I see her improvements slow or reverse. At this point I'm putting her in her chair for about 6 hours a day. The rest of the time I let her rough it on pine shavings. No sling. With her sister. When she's totally exhausted I remove her sister and let her rest. Today it was 95 degrees out so after cleaning her box I took her outside and let her sit in her chair so she was able to see her sisters and be seen by her sisters in the brooder. She was visibly so much happier out there with them. (Usually she struggles to get out of her chair, crying.) I left her out there with her wet feed, which she absolutely loves, and when I had time took her and the other six chicks out to play in the grass together. She wasn't super mobile but at least she had a taste of the spice of life outside the cardboard box. She was upright on both feet for about ten minutes before she was full time laying down. Pretty exciting! Definitely still looks painful for her, here's a video of her after I brought all of them in from the yard.
https://imgur.com/3r33OTw.mp4

I never did get a call back from the vet. I called in again yesterday and the bird doctor had just left. Was supposed to get a call back today. At this point I'm so over that clinic. I won't be spending any more money there.

She only really eats when I wet her feed and hold her with her hurt leg dangling. Occasionally she'll hobble over to the food dish and pick up a single piece of feed. She might take one or two drinks of water from a reservoir per day, from her chair only, she want's nothing to do with the DIY water dish. She's much more into drinking drops from a syringe or getting her water from her feed..

Guess it's just a waiting game at this point.