Help, 5 mouth old Sapphire Slash with lame legs and wheezing.

CPTMCGUIRE

In the Brooder
Jul 11, 2025
7
15
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I have a 5 month old Sapphire Spash that has lameness in her legs going on 3 weeks now. I’ve heard her isolated in a dog kennel with access to food and water. I have her legs tape up with popsicles sticks. She can’t stand with out the legs being taped. When we lay her on her back and try to replace the tapping her hip pop, and she has now started wheezing.

I have given her poultry cell vitamins (with Riboflavin) and sprinkled the top dressing poultry cell vitamins on her food.

The wheezing makes it seem like she’s getting worse. She has laid 2 eggs while in the kennel. Her comb and waddle’s color has returned to a more vibrant red, it’s been pale for a few days.

I have had her in a sling for one day but and I’m gone for 13+ hours a day for work + the commute, the the sling option doesn’t work too well because I don’t have anyone to remove her from it throughout the day.

What else can I do or is it time to cull her?
 
Did her legs look normal until 3 weeks ago? Leg bone deformities such as varus or valgus can get worse as they grow possibly causing a tendon to rupture at some point. Was she vaccinated for Mareks? Could she have been injured? With splinting there can be a danger of tape getting too tight interrupting circulation. Does she move her legs and feet, and have you seen any curled under toes?
 
She was acting perfectly fine until 3 weeks ago. Her toes curls and she initially would sit on her hunches. With the splinting she’s able to stand without it her right leg will buckle. A physical exam of her legs did not reveal any abnormalities or obvious signs of breaks/dislocations.

I had a previous post where I was suggest to us the sling and give her B-2 vitamins. My own research revealed iron and or B2 deficiency could be the cause. So I got a vitamin that has iron and B2 in it.

Last night I noticed the popping in her joints and the wheezing when she is placed on her back. She’s been eating and drinking up to this point.

I got her from TSC so no idea on vaccines but according to the research I’ve done that doesn’t stop Marek’s from developing.

The photos are from a few weeks ago.
 

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