Dislocated Hip?

[Crayonsmom]

Alright, so during the past few weeks we've still been unable to find a vet for Jet, who has been spending much of her time sitting with her left leg stretched out behind her. But we put her on antibiotics and gave her a dewormer and have been mixing charcoal into her food. The charcoal definitely helps with her diarrhea, and she's been in a better mood. A week ago she wouldn't move her leg at all while swimming in the tub and today I put her in and she's paddling around liek crazy and diving, but she doesn't move her hip. Only her hock/knee and ankle. What do you think that means? Could her hip be dislocated even though it feel normal to me? How can I tell if it truly is dislocated? Or if it were, would she even be able to move her leg at all? I'm just trying to get to the bottom of things. She's clearly beengetting better, but I want to provide what she needs to KEEP getting better.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I have had some ducks with hip problems- but never a dislocation. I have dealt with dislocated hocks and I know that it has to be fixed quickly before the muscles and tendons in the area become a problem. It may be too late to relocate now if thats what the problem is. But in time she may be able to manipulate the leg so that she can get around better. Its sounds like lots of swimming may be great therapy for her. To be sure an xray would be the best way to know for sure what is wrong.

 

[Crayonsmom]

Thanks.

I'm still in the process of trying to convince dear Dad that she should have an x-ray. But being "just" a duck, he doesn't want to spend a hundred dollars or more that he really doesn't have. And I don't have it either.

She's swimming in the tub right now and I'm going to leave her in there for awhile so she can get some exercise. What she has to do is get her leg more under her so she can stand on it, and we have to keep flexing her ankle because it seems that may have "frozen" in the wrong position somehow, maybe even just from lack of movement. I'm still going to keep my hopes up! It does get discouraging sometimes though because of the mess she makes. I know she wouldn't be as messy if she were moving around.