Guinea with broken knee

[Tom Kathleen]

I have a 3-4 week old guinea with what looks like a broken knee at the tibia/femur joint? I'm not great with anatomy -it's the part that's closer to the body than the lower joint. It hatched fine and was fine for the first 4 days, then one afternoon, the foot was behind it, but not twisted. It was struggling to move around, kind of flopping about. Initially, when it was a few days old and looked like that, we thought "that's a weird looking splay leg" and banded it to help with splay leg. That kept the feet under it and it learned to hop with it. The band came off a few days ago and my son forgot to tell me. I rebanded it, and its feet are under it, but I think it is a dislocated or broken joint. It must have gotten injured by another keet or jumped wrong or something. In GROWN HENS, i have once in a blue moon, had one who dislocated a hip (from an aggressive and large rooster i think). That hen hip was floppy -- this in not -- it's just out at a weird angle. With the hen, I isolated it and wrapped the joint with vet wrap for support and had a sling type thing from the leg to the body and it got better in several months. This guinea is so tiny (compared to a full grown hen) and i don't think i can create a little sling like that on it. With one person holding it and the other banding it, it's hard. I don't have any idea how i could even splint it. Plus, guinea legs are MUCH tinier than chick legs. It was really hard to wrap its legs when it was 4 days old, but much easier today to put the wrap on. Does anyone have any out of the box solutions? Anything to encourage it to heal? Because they are growing as such a fast rate right now, I'd love to get it "set" in the right position so it could grow in the right direction and not at a weird angle. He's in with his flock -- they're all really small in the brooder, and he's a medium size -- not the biggest but not the tiniest. He seems to be okay in there and i hate to separate him in case he is cold. Thank you to anyone who will take a minute to weigh in!!!

 

[Naverretia]

I am feeling that pain now. First I had a keet born with a curled toe that I tried to fix for the first week and it seemed okay, now that it is a month old the foot is curled again and the keet only walks on his hocks. I don't know if the tendons are slipped or not, he just can't do more than a hobble. So, I just noticed today his brother seems to have one slipped tendon that was not there a couple days ago. Even being hand raised, they hate being handled. Did you ever get to try something like vet wrap and do you know if it might work on a slipped tendon? His joint is pretty swollen and the leg turns all the way out now.

 

[Sydney65]

I am feeling that pain now. First I had a keet born with a curled toe that I tried to fix for the first week and it seemed okay, now that it is a month old the foot is curled again and the keet only walks on his hocks. I don't know if the tendons are slipped or not, he just can't do more than a hobble. So, I just noticed today his brother seems to have one slipped tendon that was not there a couple days ago. Even being hand raised, they hate being handled. Did you ever get to try something like vet wrap and do you know if it might work on a slipped tendon? His joint is pretty swollen and the leg turns all the way out now.

@R2elk - wasn't this the reason for the B complex supplement?

 

[hysop]

How is he doing now? I don’t know much about helping it heal beside time. Have you wrapped it or done anything since?

 

[Tom Kathleen]

How is he doing now? I don’t know much about helping it heal beside time. Have you wrapped it or done anything since?

I'm pretty sure its a slipped tendon -- for which the prognosis isn't good. It gets around REALLY good, just walks weird and flops and bobs. Doesn't seem to be in any pain. My son doesn't want to put it down, which I get (I don't want to either). We have one guinea that injured its foot and it's an adult and it gets around okay, so i see his point, but I feel bad for the keet. We wrapped it and tried to hold it in, but i don't know if that will work.

 

[hysop]

I'm pretty sure its a slipped tendon -- for which the prognosis isn't good. It gets around REALLY good, just walks weird and flops and bobs. Doesn't seem to be in any pain. My son doesn't want to put it down, which I get (I don't want to either). We have one guinea that injured its foot and it's an adult and it gets around okay, so i see his point, but I feel bad for the keet. We wrapped it and tried to hold it in, but i don't know if that will work.

I would treat it just like a slipped tendon on a chick. From what I’ve read it’s a hit or miss on correcting that issue.

Found this on what can probably be done, but I’m sure you’ve already come across similar information if you’ve searched slipped tendon.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-to-fix-this-experiences.879233/post-13369393

I hear ya on not wanting to put it down. If your son wants to help care for it then that’s great.

 

[Naverretia]

Ah okay, is it any B Complex supplement? I take one myself, just wasn't sure if it was safe for them. Also wondering how to get vitamin E for them if I need it.

 

[Sydney65]

Ah okay, is it any B Complex supplement? I take one myself, just wasn't sure if it was safe for them. Also wondering how to get vitamin E for them if I need it.

Can you have stuff shipped to you ie Chewy, Amazon? I used to have the turkey starter shipped to me bc it wasn't here locally, but it is now.

 

[Naverretia]

Can you have stuff shipped to you ie Chewy, Amazon? I used to have the turkey starter shipped to me bc it wasn't here locally, but it is now.

Unfortunately no, I can use Amazon Spain, but I haven`t been able to find anything like that yet. It is a bit more limited than the US Amazon. Chewy wont ship to Europe.