Help: Old English Rooster with hard, immobile thigh and joint

[momchick]

Albert is 3.5 years old, 1.3 pounds, free range. Always healthy and active. Suddenly, two weeks ago, began staggering and falling, laying down frequently, not crowing. Inspection showed hard, swollen and hot thigh, skin yellow-white. Took him to vet. She thought it was an infection/abscess, gave intramuscular injection of antibiotic, oral pain meds, and oral antibiotic for ten days. Fever subsided, but not the swelling, nor did the movement return to the joint. Warned that avian pus gets dry and hard, I thought that might be the problem. After five days, I gave daily IM (intramuscular) injections of penicillin, which is broad spectrum and most likely to address the (likely) bacteria. Gave for an additional 7 days. No real improvement.

I began gentle massage and mobilization, which he tolerated well, and seemed to like. He seemed to stand more erect and walk less unsteadily after the treatment.

Question: other than what I have done and am doing might I try? I am a critical care surgical nurse, could give steroid injections at the sight of the hard flesh. Even perform abscess removal if I was sure of the diagnosis.

I have spent $150 already and not anxious to return to the vet. Anyone been through this? Does he need tincture of time? It hurts my heart to see him like this.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I have not been through this myself but surely someone else out there has some ideas! Sounds like you are well qualified and are doing all the right things. I'm surprised that if the vet thought it was absessed, that she didn't lance it at that time. Massage sounds good to me... maybe it will break down any "stuff" and get re-absorbed? Some times it does just take time and we are not always patient. ( I can only speak for me and I'm not!) Keep up the good stuff you are doing and maybe someone else will have some other ideas.

 

[momchick]

Thank you for that input and support. I wish I had a million to spend on my sick ones. Albert made a weekend trip with us to Reno, for a family gathering, and I continued the subcutaneous injection oxy-tetracycline. Today is his last SC injection. Tomorrow, he goes to oral doses. He is doing okay, eats well, very responsive, but pale around his eyes. The hard thigh area is smaller, I can feel the knee joint. I hope he is able to get better. He is such a little trooper. Today, he made chicken sounding vocalizations that made me feel better. I will celebrate when he finally crows again!!

 

[chickenzoo]

Perhaps you could make him a sling.... It was helpful to me, I could but the injured chicken in it, they could exercise their legs, and I could put them in the tub with cool water and help the swelling, all the while they moved their legs. use that shade cloth for the hammock section, as it does not absorb water and lets water drain through.....

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Glad for the update... hope he continues to improve.

Did he enjoy his trip to Reno?!? I've not taken mine out of town but have taken a tiny sick chick with me to a restaurant for a business meeting so regular feeding and monitoring could continue.

Let us know when he's crowing again!