Duckling Leg Injury DIAGNOSIS: Slipped Tendons

[Miss Lydia]

The feet aren't overlapping most of the time? does the little one mind being in the sling? can she move around while in it?

 

[3bird]

The feet aren't overlapping most of the time? does the little one mind being in the sling? can she move around while in it?

The feet do overlap even when higher. :-( we may have to try hobble and sling. The contraption is on caster wheels, so the duckling can move around with enough strength and traction.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well this will keep her off her hocks till your vet can see her.

 

[3bird]

As I think I mentioned previously, our vet is out of town until next Tuesday. Suspecting a slipped tendon, we sought out an emergency consult with another avian vet. We were able to get an appointment this morning, and the diagnosis was slipped tendon. Surgery was presented as an option, and there is a semi-local vet who did that surgery. Unfortunately when the vet called for us, we found out that the vet who did the surgery is no longer doing it. The vet is continuing to call around for us.

Now that we know what it is, we have been doing our own research too. This resource seems pretty good:

http://bcpoultryhobbyfarmingnetwork.weebly.com/fix-slipped-tendon.html

We'd like to try to get the tendons back into position and then splint, but we're hoping someone else has done this and might be able to provide pictures or descriptions of the procedure he or she used.

After getting home from the vet (about 1.5 hours away, so it was a long day), we let the ducklings swim, eat and drink, and we allowed the effected duckling to have some time in the sling. Both ducklings are pretty exhausted, so they are back in the brooder sleeping. We'll try stretching and re-positioning the tendon later this afternoon.

Thanks again for all your support!

 

[3bird]

This thread has some good information from @casportpony regarding slipped tendons and nutrition.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This might help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/gosling-leg-problem-please-help.1536131/#post-25957122

Slipped tendon wow only ones I have seen with slipped tendon they can't put their leg down normally.

 

[3bird]

This might help.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/gosling-leg-problem-please-help.1536131/#post-25957122

Slipped tendon wow only ones I have seen with slipped tendon they can't put their leg down normally.

Thank you!

 

[3bird]

We are doing our best with PT. Swimming followed by water walking and stretching the leg out. We've noticed she's been trying to do more of the stretching on her own. Here's a short video of stretching out the legs this morning. This was after quite a bit of stretching, so she was getting a bit tired out.

Our understanding is that we probably need to do this to keep the tendon from getting to tight. The next step is to realign the tendon over the hock, and that's the part that is giving us trouble. Once realigned, we understand we will need to splint.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They sure couldn't ask for better duck parents

 

[3bird]

For the purposes of documentation, here are some shots of the duckling's legs when stretched backward during stretching exercises: