Help! My chicken is limping and in pain

[Eggcessive]

I would be concerned that it is an injury, but Mareks disease should be mentioned as a possibility as wel. Hopefully, it is not that.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I know how stressful it can be for bird and owner.
It could be an injury that small that causes infection to get in. If you can't examine it closely I'd try to put something on her foot. Even if it's a spray like vetricyn that you shoot from a distance. Any bit can help

 

[Kizzah]

What is mareks? Is there anything more I should be doing for her?

 

[Eggcessive]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/07/bumblefoot-causes-treatment-warning/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq.66077/

 

[Eggcessive]

Mareks is a virus that causes tumors on nerves and elesewhere in the body. Many times the first sign is weakness in one or both legs or wings. How old is she?
In my previous post, I gave you a couple of articles to read about mareks and look at pictures of bumblefoot.

 

[Kizzah]

Yeah I’ve seen that article about bumble foot, but they look very extreme! I don’t think it’s that, but I suppose could be early stages. Hopefully she just hurt herself jumping down from her perch in the coop, or was knocked off it and fell wrong.
I don’t know how old she is, she is a rescue. I think they said she was 4?

 

[rebrascora]

I'm usually the first one to suggest Marek's when a bird is lame but that video shows her clearly and deliberately favouring one leg over the other, whereas Marek's is usually a weakness or inability to control one leg (or wing) and the bird appears almost drunk and gets frustrated at their inability to coordinate their body and sometimes they flounder on their side because they cannot balance. It is relevant to mention Marek's as a possibility when a bird exhibits lameness but my gut feeling from my experience with the disease is that this bird doesn't have it.
If you can't find an obvious bumblefoot scab, it may be that there is a tiny splinter in the foot which has not yet become infected but is causing pain.

 

[Kizzah]

Ok good, I will keep an eye on her to see if it shows up. Will check her again this arvo - she is resting now and I worry about upsetting her cos she tries to resist and surely this puts pressure on the sore leg she is eating fine, which is good. Hopefully she gets better soon should I continue with Epsom salt soaks for her feet?

 

[rebrascora]

should I continue with Epsom salt soaks for her feet?

I would, unless she gets too stressed as that is just counter productive. Use just a shallow amount of nice warm water with Epsom Salts and use a large trug or tote (not a clear one) and place a heavy towel or rug over the top to make it dark. She should be much calmer if she is in the dark whilst she soaks. You only need the water deep enough to cover her feet, but don't leave her unattended in case she loses her balance and drowns or starts thashing in the water. She should enjoy a blow dry afterwards.