Could be slipped tendon...or???

[Salty Cookie]

My 4.5 years old Speckled Sussex rooster started limping several days ago. I didn't check him well but I assumed it was some kind of leg injury. I keep him in a playpen with food and water to give him a rest during the day, and he sleeps in the coop as usual at night. He is roosting on a roosting bar in the coop. I noticed his hock joint on the left side is much bigger than the right side a few days ago. I applied epsom salt poultice. But it doesn't get better. I am thinking it could be slipped tendon... Or some kind of hock injury???
I am attaching a picture. It is hard to see, and the green stuff is epsom salt poultice.
Could it be slipped tendon??? Vet visit is not an option. There is no avian vet nearby. I have meloxicam if that helps (I haven't given it to him.)

 

[Buckeye Amy]

Can he walk normally? It looks swollen like an impact injury.

 

[Eggcessive]

He could have a sprain or arthritis in the hock joint. I would confine him in a pen or large dog crate with bedding, food, and water, to force him to rest his leg with a week or two. Then recheck the leg weekly, and see how he walks out of the crate. If he is still limping place in back in there for another week. Human vitamin B complex 1/2 tablet daily crushed into some food may help some. They can have an 81 mg aspirin for a couple of days for pain or inflammation.

 

[Salty Cookie]

Can he walk normally? It looks swollen like an impact injury.

He is limping... His hock joint is much larger than the other side.

 

[Salty Cookie]

He could have a sprain or arthritis in the hock joint. I would confine him in a pen or large dog crate with bedding, food, and water, to force him to rest his leg with a week or two. Then recheck the leg weekly, and see how he walks out of the crate. If he is still limping place in back in there for another week. Human vitamin B complex 1/2 tablet daily crushed into some food may help some. They can have an 81 mg aspirin for a couple of days for pain or inflammation.

Thank you. He is spending daytime in a playpen outside where he can be with his friends. I am adding poultry vitamins in the water, but I will do vitamin B complex thank you! Yes, I have kept him in a playpen with bedding, food and water during the day but he roosts on a roosting bar at night. I pick him up from the roosting bar and put him in the playpen in the morning. Should I use baby aspirin or is it OK to give normal aspirin? Would aspirin better than meloxicam?

 

[Eggcessive]

Baby aspirin is the low dose 81 mg, or you can cut a a 325 mg adult aspirin into 4 and give one piece daily. If your poultry vitamins have riboflavin (B 2,) then you can use those instead of B complex. It sounds like you have a handle on this. I hope that he gets better with time and rest.

 

[Salty Cookie]

He could have a sprain or arthritis in the hock joint. I would confine him in a pen or large dog crate with bedding, food, and water, to force him to rest his leg with a week or two. Then recheck the leg weekly, and see how he walks out of the crate. If he is still limping place in back in there for another week. Human vitamin B complex 1/2 tablet daily crushed into some food may help some. They can have an 81 mg aspirin for a couple of days for pain or inflammation.

Thank you!!! I just gave him aspirin. I hope he gets better soon...he is my favourite roo...

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how he is getting along with an update.

 

[Salty Cookie]

Let us know how he is getting along with an update.

So... it has been almost a month now... His joint looks the same or slightly bigger and feels a bit softer. I don't know if infection is causing it or something else... He can walk but he cannot stretch his leg. I let him go out of the playpen in the afternoon, then the boss rooster chases him (as usual) and he hides under the garden shed. I have to go away for 4 days next week and my neighbour is going to do the animal chores while I am away. He needs to get out of the coop, eat and drink without help while I am gone. I just hope he eats and drinks while I am away...

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that he is not doing better. Do you have any recent picture of his hock close up? Do you think he could have a skin cancer or a joint infection? Does he seem to be suffering? Have you tried a chicken sling chair?