Help!!!!! Buff Orpington fractured leg

[Folly's place]

I'm so glad that you can pursue this, and hope all goes well.
Why do some critters eat metal? Children do it too, and it's such a bad idea!
All the best,
Mary

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Well I bet seeing the hardware was certainly a surprise!
I'm so glad you have a definitive answer on her leg and it sounds like a good plan in place. Hopefully scoping and surgery go smooth and uneventful and she can get home quickly to recover.

 

[hayley3]

That is interesting that the metal toxicity contributed to the bone thinning. I have to constantly look for loose objects on the ground because my goose eats anything that is not attached. Glad you persevered and found your answers.

 

[Kiki]

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.
View attachment 2023713
now, look further up the leg...

View attachment 2023717

here’s a close up....

View attachment 2023721
yeah....there’s 2 screws that she swallowed that seem to have been there a while.
Here’s another view of the break:
View attachment 2023727

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.

Where are the screws?
I mean are they in her leg area?

 

[casportpony]

Where are the screws?
I mean are they in her leg area?

That area is where the gizzard is, so probably in the gizzard.

 

[micstrachan]

That is interesting that the metal toxicity contributed to the bone thinning. I have to constantly look for loose objects on the ground because my goose eats anything that is not attached. Glad you persevered and found your answers.

Wait, where is that about metal toxicity and bone thinning? I need to go back and reread the edited post.

 

[micstrachan]

I’m a goof. Apparently I looked at it before OP was done with the post, as there were no circles drawn on the images (yet) at the time. @Ginmary did you load the pics, mark them up, and then reload?

Anyway, your poor girl. What are you going to do?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would be tempted to leave the screws in there, since many chickens swallow hardware, because it sounds like fairly invasive surgery to remove them. Please don’t follow my advice though, but make up your own mind. However, I would let the vet set the leg and splint it.

 

[Kiki]

I’m a goof. Apparently I looked at it before OP was done with the post, as there were no circles drawn on the images (yet) at the time. @Ginmary did you load the pics, mark them up, and then reload?

Anyway, your poor girl. What are you going to do?

Yes she did redo that post.

 

[Ginmary]

They are going to try to get the screws out with a scope. If they can they won't need to open her up. Then they will set and splint the leg.
I don't think leaving the screws in is a good option. The vet thinks her anemia is because of them. So they will only continue to make her sick if left in.
Also, the screws are pointy and can potentially perforate something important and cause damage or a serious infection. She said she just had to scope a duck who swallowed a piece of glass and it went well.

As I had mentioned before she had always been the alpha and we were wondering why she recently started getting beat up on by the mini roo. She must have been really feeling badly with the anemia. Maybe she'll bounce back and kick the ____ out of him once she feels better.