Help! hip problem

[Stellar]

It looks like splayed legs, he just got it later in age unfortunately. Just a downer that it happened. Should I give him poli vi sol just for optimism reason for the time being. Going to see if the vet can help some that works in the avian field.

this is what spalyed leg looks like. I had 2 come up with it both came from eggs that weighed under 540 grams. same parents same incubation same diet. I happens sad as it is and for some reason they have the best personality. I was forced to put them both down .they did not seem to gain weight and after a few weeks the could not stand.

 

[The Sheriff]

Good luck with your baby. Do you have an avian vet with emu experience. Luckily we have one just a two hour drive away.

 

[chickenzoo]

I know Doc Mike Ricker has some emu experience, he works with some of the emu farms. Also the University of Gainsville I believe.

 

[yinepu]

It looks like splayed legs, he just got it later in age unfortunately. Just a downer that it happened. Should I give him poli vi sol just for optimism reason for the time being. Going to see if the vet can help some that works in the avian field.

I don't see where poly vi sol would hurt any.. from what I have read a lot of splayed legs in emus are caused by nutritional deficiences

just out of curiosity.. what has he been eating?

 

[yinepu]

ok.. checked one of the books.. it says that too high of protein with too little B vitamins is one of the causes of splayed legs.
they recommend that chicks be fed plenty of chopped vegetables (kale, collard greens, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, carrots and apples) along with their starter crumbles

for the lettuce I am assuming they mean Romain lettuce since iceberg is pretty devoid of vitamins

they also say that powdered vitamins can be added along with the veggies...

after the first week they recommend a proven ratite grower or if that's not available a 50/50 mix of 17% lay pellets and rabbit pellets.. the rabbit pellets being low protein (no more than 16% or so) and at least 50% alfalfa.. they go on to say that even though the bird's growth may be slower on this diet there are few leg problems and that the birds still reach normal adult size by 12 to 18 months.



my layer pellets are 20%.. so I am either going to have to find some lower in protein or add in extra calcium and make the ratio between rabbit pellets and lay pellets a bit heavier on the rabbit pellet side

 

[Stellar]

The only food that my feedstore could order in is Mazuri ratite breeder. So I mix it with rabbit pellets and give him greens. Poli vi sol in the water. The only book I have and read from front to back is the "The Emu Farmer's Handbook" since I am planning to raise these guys. I didn't just hatch the baby out (since it seems like a fad lately), these was a plan for a little over a year now.

 

[yinepu]

The only food that my feedstore could order in is Mazuri ratite breeder. So I mix it with rabbit pellets and give him greens. Poli vi sol in the water. The only book I have and read from front to back is the "The Emu Farmer's Handbook" since I am planning to raise these guys. I didn't just hatch the baby out (since it seems like a fad lately), these was a plan for a little over a year now.

lol.. I've been planing on emus for about 7 years now...
I almost brought a baby with me when I moved back down here .. and when we bought this property the previous owners had been raising emus.. so the pens were already set up for them.

that's the same book I got the info from about the nutrition.. the only other emu book I have doesn't cover splayed leg.. just incubation (Ratite Egg Incubation a practical guide)

From what I have read online it seems that once the damage has been done there isn't much chance of reversing it.. however there were a few articles where the emu owners did have some success.. I'll have to see if I can find them again

 

[yinepu]

from: http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/emus.html

"Chicks are quite hardy and do best when allowed outdoors in large pens that allow them plenty of exercise. Chicks may suffer from leg deformities, the cause of which is usually multifactorial. Splay leg may occur in chicks, and is usually easily corrected if detected early and hobbles are applied to the legs."

from: http://www.redoakfarm.com/emuchickhealth.htm

"Leg problems:
Splayed legs - the affected leg twists out away from the body, rotating to point the toes to a right angle from the body. Splayed legs appear to be caused by two different things, injury and nutritional deficiencies.

• Injury: crowded pens, slick floor surfaces, getting caught behind watering dishes or feeders. Prevention - lots of room, putting a towel down on the hatcher floor, straw or another material on the chick floors, eliminating 'danger areas' in the pens.
• Nutritional deficiencies in the breeder hen is passed on to the chick. Prevention - feed a balanced breeder ration prior to and during breeding/laying season.
• Nutritional deficiencies caused by rapid or excessive weight loss in eggs during incubation. If an egg is losing weight too fast, put a piece of paper tape over a section and monitor it.
• Nutritional deficiencies in chicks - chicks need a balanced ration in order to develop strong tendons, bones and muscles.

I get several phone calls or emails from site visitors asking if the chick can't be kept alive. In the wild this chick would not be able to keep up and would die early. Even with human intervention it will eventually get so bad that the chick cannot get around. You have a choice, you can prolong it's life by:

• Hand feeding it and watering it several times a day.
• Clean up after it frequently so it is not laying in it's own manure.
• Moved into sunshine during nice weather and under shelter in bad weather.
• Protect from the other emu so they don't peck his eyes out or kill him.
• Dig a larger hole to bury the body when it dies anyway.

Or you can put it down immediately.
Deformed legs: bowed or twisted bones, one leg shorter than the other. etc. This is caused by a deficiency in the B vitamins and if caught early can be treated by changing to a better diet. Some deformity may remain, but the chick can at least be raised to processing weight."

found a video from youtube:

from: http://www.birdcareco.com/English/Arts/Health arts/Splay/splayed.html

"There are lots of old wives tales told about splayed legs in cage and aviary birds and rotating legs in larger birds like emus and ostriches. Whilst a few instances have medical or environmental causes the majority of cases have calcium at their root. This article is intended to explain how calcium is involved in and how proper calcium supplementation can prevent its occurrence.
We are all aware of the role of calcium in bone formation. In the rapidly growing chick the bones are consuming large quantities of calcium. If the diet is deficient in calcium, or vitamin D3, there may not be enough calcium to go round the whole body. If the nerves and muscles go short of calcium they stop working properly. For nestlings this means that the leg muscles are unable to hold the legs together and support the chick's weight.
For larger birds uneven muscle function tends to cause the leg to twist outwards at the hips until the toes point out sideways.

Leg rotations are virtually impossible to treat. Calcivet (CalciBoost) will stop the problem getting any worse but is unlikely to reverse the deformity. For splayed legs setting the legs into an appropriate splint and simultaneously treating with Calcivet ( CalciBoost) will normally return the legs to their normal condition if caught early enough."​

 

[Stellar]

I think those two books are the only ones available for them. I did find an avian vet here that has been successful with splays so wish us luck!!!


Thanks for the info too!

 

[yinepu]

please keep us updated with what he says.. especially for treatment!