Help! Injured Gosling with dislocated hock joint.

[AllCoop'dUp]

Somehow in the past 2-3 days 1 of my 2 week old goslings started walking with a sideway limp. They have been on pea gravel and straw since I brought them home so I don't know how she/he got injured. I read a lot about trying to realign it back into place, but I'm scared to death that I would end up just making it worse or breaking the poor leg all together. I tried splinting the joint with some bent Q-tips and bandage, then achoring it to the other leg with some tape. The hock is swollen, which I was told may be an infection, but otherwise gosling is doing fine with eating/drinking. My BF has been carrying baby around all day in a pouch to keep the weight off the leg. Has anyone had any luck with realigning the lower portion of the leg? from the Hock joint down. Technique and photos of splinting would be greatly appreciated. I know this may sound crazy, but any physical therapy techniques to strengthen and straighten it out would be helpful too. Baby is certainly loving all the attention. I'm having NO luck finding an Avian vet interested in seeing a gosling. Thanks.

 

[BirdBrain]

It sounds like slipped tendon--also called spraddled leg.

I had a gosling with this on both legs. I took a length of yarn and tied a loop around one leg--just above the ankle-- and then measured over about what I thought the spacing for the other leg should be and tied that leg as well. Be sure to tie the knots as square knots do the don't slip and tighten up on the leg. I made sure to leave growing for her.

She will probably look really pathetic for the first few hours but then she will get the hang of walking. Leave this on for about a weeks and she should be fine. You may have to redo the job in about three days as they grow do fast.