dislocated knee- need alternatives

[bibliophile birds]

my litte GLW hen Madeline has been struggling with a badly dislocated knee for a while now (you can read the details here. she was getting around pretty well using the bad leg for balance, but it seems to have slipped even worse and now she can't stand. i have become really attached to her and would hate to put her down, but i will if it ends her suffering. i'm trying to think of things to try before i give up.

what i'm thinking, and it sounds crazy i know, is to amputate the leg just above the knee and fashion her some sort of prosthetic to balance on. anyone heard of something like this working? i know she'd need to be sedated somehow. and that there would be lots of risks... but i don't want to give up without a fight.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Guess I would take her to a vet and have him amputate the leg with sedation. I've heard taht they can get along quite well one one leg.
Your post should attract more experienced posters. Good luck.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I currently have a little Indian Runner duck who hatched with a slipped tendon in her leg. She has never walked at all. She is the sweetest little girl- and lives inside so I can provide proper care for her. I have thought about taking her to a vet and having part of her leg amputated- But she is still too small and weak to undergo surgery. I would like to try to fashion some kind of prosthetic for her- so she can get around by herself with supervision.

I dont know If I ever will have the surgery done if the risk to her life is too great. She has never known any other kind of life. She lives in a babies Portable cot in my bedroom- and gets a swim and time out on the grass most days. She isnt in any pain- however is very small, at 18 weeks old she is smaller than a call duck- and still has a lot of her original baby down feathers.

Rather than having the leg amputated- have you considered surgery to correct the dislocation?
If she is being sedated anyway- maybe repair may be better than removal. I have got some rough estimates on costs- But that is here in Australia at a vet clinic that is funded through public donation. It certainly is expensive- and the care a bird would need to recover from an amputation would be time consuming for a while. While a prosthetic is a lovely thing to consider for a disabled bird- it should only be used under supervision to ensure the bird dos not fall and become unable to get up on their own.

I also used to have a pekin duck with a similar leg problem. Forrest was able to move around a lot better than Regie can- But Runners and Pekins have different leg placement which is why Regie does struggle to get around at all. Forrest only survived for 10 months. He had many health issues in his short life due to his mobility issues.

Chickens being lighter- may find it easier to get around with only one leg- However the extra strain on the good leg may ultimately see her suffering injury to that leg as well.

Best of luck to you and Madeline.

This is Regie in her cot. Food and water close at hand- and towels changed twice a day.

 

[bibliophile birds]

thanks for the replies. for now, Madeline seems to be getting around decently. it's VERY awkward to watch, but she kind of shuffles her legs around while using her wings to balance. she made it down the ramp and half way accross the isolation pen yesterday and then managed to get back up the ramp for bed. it's not what i would want for her, but she doesn't seem overly bothered by it. she's eating and drinking well, so i'm just going to wait and watch.

any procedures that i decide to have done would be done by our farm vet here at the farm, so the price would be better than if i took her into a specialty clinic. the downside to that is that he isn't a bird specialist, so the options would be a bit more limited.

 

[duckyfromoz]

That she is eating and drinking and trying to get around is a good thing. Its when she starts to seems disinterested - that may indicate pain or ill health.

I sometimes have to walk away and NOT WATCH Regie. It is sometimes difficult to stand and watch her- Ducks are meant to be outside swimming in the pool- not stuck inside because they cant walk. But at night when I go to bed- we have a little chat- she chatters awy and reply in my best ducky voice. -And she is also a little cheeky now she has discovered her voice. I will sometimes hear her quack loudly and come running to see what has happened... But I think she has learnt its a great way to get some company when she is lonely.