Hen with knee injury

Lethonomian

In the Brooder
Sep 29, 2019
10
12
34
A few days ago, my hen was free-ranging with the others as usual and then later in the day, I noticed she was not using her right leg. I couldn't figure out what it was and thought she might be sick e vitamin deficiency but it isn't getting any better after separating her in a small space with limited mobility and supplements. I have tried several times to see if I can feel anything wrong and I think it is her knee. It feels like it might be dislocated or injured somehow to where I can feel two separate knobs or bumps on her right knee. The good left knee feels like a smooth rounded joint. It's not her hock but her actual knee. I can't see much about it because of feathers. It doesn't seem really hot or swollen but I can tell it bothers her for me to move it and she still cannot put any weight on it. She's eating, drinking and still laying.
does anyone have any idea how I can figure out for sure what the injury is or is there a way to treat it without vet care? I don't even know of an aviary vet around me and with covid-19, most everything is still closed. If there's a splint or treatment I can do, I will try it but I don't want to let her suffer if there's no hope.
I don't know if it's dislocated or broken or sprained and maybe there's no way to tell without a vet. My daughter said one day she heard a pop sound when she picked her up but didn't know where it came from but when I move the joint back and forth she seems to be in some discomfort but I don't hear or feel any grinding or cracking.
 

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I'm sorry about your hen.
You could try splinting to see if that helps. Here's a good manual for you.
https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

If possible, getting an Xray would be helpful, but that can be expensive and with things the way they are right now, that option may not even be available. Depending on where you live - some vet offices are open, but clients aren't allowed inside. They come out, get your animal and treat them while you wait in your car or come back. At least here, it's sort of like "drive thru" service (appt only of course)
 
A few days ago, my hen was free-ranging with the others as usual and then later in the day, I noticed she was not using her right leg. I couldn't figure out what it was and thought she might be sick e vitamin deficiency but it isn't getting any better after separating her in a small space with limited mobility and supplements. I have tried several times to see if I can feel anything wrong and I think it is her knee. It feels like it might be dislocated or injured somehow to where I can feel two separate knobs or bumps on her right knee. The good left knee feels like a smooth rounded joint. It's not her hock but her actual knee. I can't see much about it because of feathers. It doesn't seem really hot or swollen but I can tell it bothers her for me to move it and she still cannot put any weight on it. She's eating, drinking and still laying.
does anyone have any idea how I can figure out for sure what the injury is or is there a way to treat it without vet care? I don't even know of an aviary vet around me and with covid-19, most everything is still closed. If there's a splint or treatment I can do, I will try it but I don't want to let her suffer if there's no hope.
I don't know if it's dislocated or broken or sprained and maybe there's no way to tell without a vet. My daughter said one day she heard a pop sound when she picked her up but didn't know where it came from but when I move the joint back and forth she seems to be in some discomfort but I don't hear or feel any grinding or cracking.

Just wondering how your hen is doing, and what you ultimately ended up doing to help her (presuming you were able to get her knee to heal properly)?

I’m having a very similar issue with a hen that fell into a window well. She’s eating and drinking normally, bathing, and hunting bugs with the rest of the flock...but her right knee is injured. The joint doesn’t feel hot and she’s able to use her leg some, but she has a serious limp.

I’ve got her on vitamins, electrolytes, and aspirin. She’s Not getting worse, but she’s not improving either. Aside from this issue she’s a perfectly healthy hen, I’m just not sure what to do because there aren’t any avian vets in my city so it’s all more or less guess work on my part.
 
Just wondering how your hen is doing, and what you ultimately ended up doing to help her (presuming you were able to get her knee to heal properly)?

I’m having a very similar issue with a hen that fell into a window well. She’s eating and drinking normally, bathing, and hunting bugs with the rest of the flock...but her right knee is injured. The joint doesn’t feel hot and she’s able to use her leg some, but she has a serious limp.

I’ve got her on vitamins, electrolytes, and aspirin. She’s Not getting worse, but she’s not improving either. Aside from this issue she’s a perfectly healthy hen, I’m just not sure what to do because there aren’t any avian vets in my city so it’s all more or less guess work on my part.
How long ago did this happen?
Have you tried restricting her activity for several days to see if she improves?
 
How long ago did this happen?
Have you tried restricting her activity for several days to see if she improves?

It’s been a little over a week now. I did restrict her activities/movement for a few days, but there was no noticeable change...she hasn’t gotten better, but she hasn’t gotten worse.

At first I thought the issue was her left leg...she had a nasty peck mark on her left leg from an older hen. The skin wasn’t broken, but we could see a blood spot under the surface. We cleaned her up and did basic wound care for a few days to be safe, but it wasn’t until that healed up that We realized it hadn’t been that leg bothering her.

When I hold her I’m able to gently flex the knee joint, and it doesn’t appear too uncomfortable for her. Nothing feels broken and everything seems solid, but her right knee at this point is visibility larger than her left. Everything about her demeanor is typical. She does what the rest of the flock does, but just rests a bit more.
 
It’s been a little over a week now. I did restrict her activities/movement for a few days, but there was no noticeable change...she hasn’t gotten better, but she hasn’t gotten worse.

At first I thought the issue was her left leg...she had a nasty peck mark on her left leg from an older hen. The skin wasn’t broken, but we could see a blood spot under the surface. We cleaned her up and did basic wound care for a few days to be safe, but it wasn’t until that healed up that We realized it hadn’t been that leg bothering her.

When I hold her I’m able to gently flex the knee joint, and it doesn’t appear too uncomfortable for her. Nothing feels broken and everything seems solid, but her right knee at this point is visibility larger than her left. Everything about her demeanor is typical. She does what the rest of the flock does, but just rests a bit more.
There may not be a lot you can do but try giving the joint soaks in warm epsom salts bath to see if that helps reduce any swelling. Wrapping to help stabilize it may help too, but if it's been over a week and she's able to use it, is relatively active, etc., then it may actually be better to leave it alone and see how she does.
 

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