Chicken physio... Anything else I can do??

[LozzyR]

Dear all

My Barred Rock pullet started limping three weeks ago. I took her to the vet who put her on antibiotics and pain meds. She had a second course the week later and slowly seemed to be getting better, but then seemed to go backwards. She would barely move, but would eat and drink voraciously when I put stuff down for her. She had an x-ray yesterday and the vet said she could couldn’t see any breaks, but there was more tissue swelling and she noticed limited mobility in her knee and hip. She has sent copies of the x-ray off for a second opinion but in the meantime, has asked me to bicycle her leg twice a day as it has gone cold and she’s worried about gangrene.

Has anyone else had limping issues and could give me some advice as to what they did? I also gave Bessie’s legs a warm Epsom salts bath this morning to encourage warmth into her leg. I gave it a gentle massage whilst it was in the water and I will give her some more physio tonight. Has anyone else had this issue and was able to resolve it successfully? Any advise would be gratefully received.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My Barred Rock pullet started limping three weeks ago. I took her to the vet who put her on antibiotics and pain meds. She had a second course the week later and slowly seemed to be getting better, but then seemed to go backwards.

She would barely move, but would eat and drink voraciously when I put stuff down for her. She had an x-ray yesterday and the vet said she could couldn’t see any breaks, but there was more tissue swelling and she noticed limited mobility in her knee and hip.

has asked me to bicycle her leg twice a day as it has gone cold and she’s worried about gangrene.

I'm sorry to hear about your pullet
Do you have any photos or a video of her? (upload video to youtube and provide a link)
How old is she? Has she laid any eggs?
If you don't mind, what antibiotic did the vet administer?
Can you see the swelling or does it just show up on the xray? Where is that located?
Has your pullet ever had any symptoms of respiratory illness?

I'm not sure what is causing her problems, hopefully you will get more information from the vet soon.
It sounds like you are doing everything you can for her.

 

[azygous]

Yes, most of us old chicken keepers have had our fair share of gimpy chickens. I have one now. Most leg issues are impossible to diagnose, let alone treat. You are already doing more than many of us would have thought to advise.

The problem with lameness is that an avian virus can be behind it. If you fail to resolve it with the excellent care you're providing, and the patient continues to worsen, you might suspect a virus such as Marek's or leucosis. Unfortunately, not much can be done.

 

[LozzyR]

I'm sorry to hear about your pullet
Do you have any photos or a video of her? (upload video to youtube and provide a link)
How old is she? Has she laid any eggs?
If you don't mind, what antibiotic did the vet administer?
Can you see the swelling or does it just show up on the xray? Where is that located?
Has your pullet ever had any symptoms of respiratory illness?

I'm not sure what is causing her problems, hopefully you will get more information from the vet soon.
It sounds like you are doing everything you can for her.

Thanks for your support. I could take a video of her but all it would be of is her doing copious amounts of sitting. She’s about 8 1/2 months old and she hasn’t started laying yet. She was on a 3/4 tablet of Amoxyclav 500 twice a day and the last pain meds were Meloxicam. You could see the swelling just below the feather-line initially, but now it’s higher up than that. Her thigh felt big and hard when I had her in the salt bath this morning. She started curling her toes under a week ago. And no, no respiratory illness.

The vet mentioned a virus but said it was likely all joints would be affected, not just some of them, but she’s keeping it in the back of her mind.

Bessie looks like she’d really like to be doing normal chicken stuff but her leg must hurt too much to put any weight on it. She makes her little wiffley squeaks and happily eats and drinks, but I just feel sad that she can’t move around. Maybe she needs a chicken compression stocking!

 

[LozzyR]

Yes, most of us old chicken keepers have had our fair share of gimpy chickens. I have one now. Most leg issues are impossible to diagnose, let alone treat. You are already doing more than many of us would have thought to advise.

The problem with lameness is that an avian virus can be behind it. If you fail to resolve it with the excellent care you're providing, and the patient continues to worsen, you might suspect a virus such as Marek's or leucosis. Unfortunately, not much can be done.

Thanks Azygous, I guess will just have to wait to see what the vet says. If nothing else, I’m getting lots more cuddles in!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her thigh felt big and hard when I had her in the salt bath this morning. She started curling her toes under a week ago. And no, no respiratory illness.

The vet mentioned a virus but said it was likely all joints would be affected, not just some of them, but she’s keeping it in the back of her mind.

Bessie looks like she’d really like to be doing normal chicken stuff but her leg must hurt too much to put any weight on it. She makes her little wiffley squeaks and happily eats and drinks, but I just feel sad that she can’t move around. Maybe she needs a chicken compression stocking!

I'm sorry that she is not well.
Have you tried placing her in a sling for a little while a few times a day? Here's a couple of examples, you can also find images if you google "chicken sling".

 

[LozzyR]

Thanks! I’ll see if I can make one.

 

[LozzyR]

I’m going to make Bessie a sling, but I also found this company. They are Australian and if it looks as though Bessie’s injuries are long-term, I might have to invest in one! (Not really expensive though, AU$60 plus postage).

https://chickentherapychairs.weebly.com/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I’m going to make Bessie a sling, but I also found this company. They are Australian and if it looks as though Bessie’s injuries are long-term, I might have to invest in one! (Not really expensive though, AU$60 plus postage).

https://chickentherapychairs.weebly.com/

If you get one, post some photos and let us know how it works out.
I hope Bessie starts to improve.

 

[LozzyR]

If you get one, post some photos and let us know how it works out.
I hope Bessie starts to improve.

Thanks, I hope so too! I made her a sling but she didn’t think much of it. The material may not have been supportive enough, I might have to try again with something else. I had to give her another bath though, she had a really yucky poo stuck in her feathers. She took it like an absolute trooper! I think she endured the cuddle afterwards though, rather than enjoyed it.