Help needed guinea keet walking on knees

[Tracieee]

Hi everyone
I’m new to this forum and urgently looking for advice. I have had chickens snd ducks for a couple of years now (pets not breeding or food). But yesterday I picked up 4 one day old guinea keets - my first guineas. They are doing fine. But I also ended up bringing home a three week old keet who has been walking on her knees since she hatched, her legs look straight but her feet are both twisted around and look unusable. She was about half the size of all the other 3 week olds but has clearly gotten enough to eat and drink and keep herself alive so far.

The breeder was going to kill her as she isn’t getting any better so I offered to take her instead. Does anyone have any ideas if there is anything I can do to help her? Is she in pain and should I have her put to sleep? Will she learn to fly and get around that way instead? Is this a common issue ? Has anyone had a similar issue before?
I want to do what’s best for her but don’t know what this is

 

[Birdie mom]

I can't really see her legs in the pictures. Could you take some more?

And make sure that she can reach the feeder and waterer.

 

[Tracieee]

Thank you I’ll take some more pics it’s hard to get her to keep still but she scoots around the cage ok for food and water and it is close by

I’ve got a couple of quick videos that show her moving around but can’t work out how to upload them?

 

[Isaac 0]

A few more pictures would be helpful, but it looks like it may have slipped tendon (perosis), or some other muscular-skeletal deformity, such as varus-valgus.

Both are quite hard to treat. Sometimes if you're able to manipulate the leg a little bit, you can get it to pop back in place, then implement some sort external coaptation device, to help correct the angulation of the leg. Looking at your bird, it may be too far gone to do such a thing.

You could try contacting a vet in your area, and see if they might be able to see her. There are surgeries for this, but will likely be expensive, and may not grant a favorable outcome. Birds should be kept off the ground, in a sling, or with padding under their hock, to reduce the chance of sores developing on hock area, which will invite bacteria in. Swelling may increase as the bird's age to the point euthanasia may be recommended.

Here are some informative links on slipped tendon.

https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/

https://bitchinchickens.com/2019/07/15/slipped-tendon/

 

[Tracieee]

A few more pictures would be helpful, but it looks like it may have slipped tendon (perosis), or some other muscular-skeletal deformity, such as varus-valgus.

Both are quite hard to treat. Sometimes if you're able to manipulate the leg a little bit, you can get it to pop back in place, then implement some sort external coaptation device, to help correct the angulation of the leg. Looking at your bird, it may be too far gone to do such a thing.

You could try contacting a vet in your area, and see if they might be able to see her. There are surgeries for this, but will likely be expensive, and may not grant a favorable outcome. Birds should be kept off the ground, in a sling, or with padding under their hock, to reduce the chance of sores developing on hock area, which will invite bacteria in. Swelling may increase as the bird's age to the point euthanasia may be recommended.

View attachment 2447282

Here are some informative links on slipped tendon.

https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/

https://bitchinchickens.com/2019/07/15/slipped-tendon/

Thank you
I’ve added some more pics now
These links are really helpful , I hope she can be helped but I fear you may be right that it has been left too long

 

[Eggcessive]

I would also try some vitamin B complex tablets. Crush 1/2 tablet and add to a little water, then feed her some of that water daily. That will help if it is a riboflavin deficiency, which can cause walking on hocks and curled under toes.

 

[Tracieee]

I would also try some vitamin B complex tablets. Crush 1/2 tablet and add to a little water, then feed her some of that water daily. That will help if it is a riboflavin deficiency, which can cause walking on hocks and curled under toes.

Thank you will definitely try that too

 

[Birdie mom]

I just saw the pics... Those legs look pretty messed up. Idk if that can be reversed... Maybe if she was a newborn chick you could have put her in a sort of splint, but I think she might be too old for that now...

 

[Tracieee]

I just saw the pics... Those legs look pretty messed up. Idk if that can be reversed... Maybe if she was a newborn chick you could have put her in a sort of splint, but I think she might be too old for that now...

Sadly I think you might be right, she is bright and alert but I just can’t see how she can be fixed and have a good life after being left like this for so long, it makes me mad too, I’ll give it a last try at a vet tomorrow then do whatever’s best for her

 

[Birdie mom]

Sadly I think you might be right, she is bright and alert but I just can’t see how she can be fixed and have a good life after being left like this for so long, it makes me mad too, I’ll give it a last try at a vet tomorrow then do whatever’s best for her

I am so sorry. These sort of things STINK. And good luck at the vet tomorrow, I hope yall are able to make the right decision