Help!!!!! Buff Orpington fractured leg

[hayley3]

How did she fracture her leg?

@Kiki

How did the hen fracture her leg?

 

[Ginmary]

I have no idea. I am thinking that she either fell off the roost or landed wrong. She used to be the alpha. But in recent times she’s being pecked on.

 

[Eggcessive]

I hope that splinting the leg and having her rest it will hopefully help it heal. It is hard to know how they will do with such a serious injury, but it is worth a try to save her. The nerve involvement is a huge complication, and it could be that she will not recover the feeling or ability to move it. But I would take time to see how it goes, and then you would be better prepared on how to proceed.

 

[Ginmary]

Tomorrow I am working at a location that is about 30 mins from the other vet that does livestock. It is about 1 hr from home so I am thinking about bringing her with me so I can bring her there for another opinion. And I can ask them for an antibiotic. It will be about 45 degrees tomorrow and I am thinking she may be ok in the car if I have her covered in a towel. She has not moved from the spot I put her in when we got home from the vet yesterday.

 

[Eggcessive]

This is a good link below, about making a chicken sling. Those can help get them upright and keep them cleaner, while letting the leg heal. Food and water can be placed in front. They can be taken out for periods of rest and at night to sleep. Let us know how the vet appointment goes. Here is the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Ginmary]

So..... I took Buffy to a different hospital where they took xrays. You would not believe what they show!
the break is in the tibia just above the joint that I thought was where the problem is. See the leg below on the left towards the bottom. You can see the break just above the joint. Easy fix if that was all.

now, look further up the leg...

here’s a close up....

yeah....there’s 2 screws that she swallowed that seem to have been there a while.
Here’s another view of the break:

According to the vet, her blood was showing her being anemic which she attributes to metal toxicity from the screws. This would make her bones fragile accounting for the break.

it also may explain why she went from the alpha hen to being picked on by a Serama Roo half her size. She was not feeling well.

shes in the hospital and tomorrow they are going to try to remove the screws by a scope and then set the break. If the scope doesn’t work they will do it surgically. The X-ray also shows an egg forming.

 

[casportpony]

So glad you were able to get he xray done. Does 18th s get think it can be splinted? And what do they say about metal in her gizzard or wherever that is?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you get them to reduce the fracture, and re-splint it? That is great that you know what is wrong.

 

[micstrachan]

Wow! That’s very clear! Can they reset it at all?

Also, is it just me or does it appear she’s eaten a screw?

 

[Ginmary]

I Edited my post with the X-ray pics and gave more info.