hock joint injury to keet..hugging left leg to body

[casportpony]

https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Practice on a slightly bent straw. Put a wide piece of cloth tape sticky side up on the table. (You may have to hold it in place with a dab of tape.

Lay the slightly bent straw along the center of the wide cloth tape. It will look a little like the flap on an envelope, a long, flat "v" with the bend closer to one long side and the top and bottom of the straw closer to the other long side. Now put an identical (more or less) piece of cloth tape right over the first one, sticky side down. (The sticky sides are facing each other, and surrounding the straw.

Gently crimp the tape to get it close to the straw for the whole length of the straw in the tape. You should have a flat rectangle of tape, Werth a straw running through it. Now trim the tape with the scissors so the shape follows the bent straw. Should end up with a long, flat (open) "V" of tape, not sticky.

Now take short pieces of the narrower cloth tape, and working first on one side and then the other, lap them over the cut edge you made. No tape ever goes "around" all the way. Each strip will go (more or less) from on top of the straw, across the cut edge, folding back at the edge, and over to the straw on the other side of the flat envelope. As you layer the strips, you can crispen up the edge and pout in a little twist to make the straw go the way a keet's leg does when it is standing. If you can't get the twist bit in, don't worry about it. Getting the wrapping strips on is more important than the twist.

What you are doing is building a rigid (because of all the layers of tape) lightweight bird cast. I think
@casportpony may have a link to a video of someone splinting a broken bird leg using essentially the same technique. I am having to write this on my cell phone, so resources limited in my end, sorry!

I'll see if I can find a video like that.

-Kathy

 

[charid]

Ok. Vet visit went very well...and then it didnt. She said is hock joint is in great condition. No fractures visibly. No swelling. No scarring to joint or deformity. Full ROM. Proper circulation. Adequate lengthening of tendon. Popped right in place. She used a straw but didnt want to tape it. He was already hobbling on the splint pretty darn good. Put him in the carrier rather than relying on my breasts to keep him warm. Lol. Yea cop would love that story Im sure.

So...got home.Took him out. No splint. Gone. Checked tendon and its in. Went to modify another straw. Him and his travel companions were conked out when I came back in. I put him in isolation with his mirror and his....snuggle thing. Its just a glorified towel that he seems to have bonded with. I am going to let him sleep and let stress levels drop and attempt a splint tomorrow morning.

She said that his health is such that he could make a full recovery...but she doesnt treat birds and I feel now was overly optimistic and yet this babies will to survive and adapt is amazing.

 

[charid]

e name="Garden Peas" url="/t/1119358/hock-joint-injury-to-keet-hugging-left-leg-to-body#post_17263347"]Keet won't be very happy with you or the universe when splint first goes on. Make sure it gets plenty of rest so it can heal, and it will increase its activity level when it is ready.

Also, when you put the splint on the actual keet, try to see that the tendon is in place if you can. It's hard to see as you are solo taping a wiggly, strong bird, so if you can't, don't worry. If the leg is mostly extended, tendon will probably be where it belongs.[/quote]

Extended to the back of the body or front?

 

[charid]

These are the methods I used. His leg was fully extended to front for splinting but as soon as he stood up he swung the splinted leg to the back which is why i rubber banded him.

And i watched rubbermaid and straw link video.

 

[charid]

Treatment recap

Day 1 splint...kicked leg out to back. Rubberbanded it and immediately was bearing weight. After couple hours checked in on him. He was running around on it...put him in a smaller space to rest. Lost rubberband in a matter of hours. Left it off.

Went to record him standing on the leg but came back with camera and he was asleep in food. Recorded him eating anyway.

Day 2 Morning. Treatment 8am - removed first splint. Too long. When laying his body had pushed it down. Lower leg on front below knee looked bruised. Not too bad but I will monitor it. Some swelling nothing worrisome. Treated again with shorter splint and rubberband. Rubberband wont stay on except for 5 minutes. Left it off. Standing for briefer durations today. Wont use it to walk like he did yesterday. Hopefully he is just tired from day 1.

Day 2 afternoon. Treatment 430pm - pushed splint up as it had slid down to calf. Seemed tired and when he put weight on leg seemed to cause pain. Rebanded his legs. Put him in the small box to eat and rest. If he is still sluggish and in pain in a few hours I am removing splint as it may be causing more bruising to leg.

Day 2 914pm. Removing rubberbandscand splint. If he can hug his leg into body, it cant be doing any good..if he is able to bend leg the tendon is able to slip. After removal visual inspection showed no loss of circulation, bruising from before was less. Joint was swollen but reasonably so.

Day 3 730am inspection revealed swelling and coloration much improved. Tendon was taped directly over hock joint then splinted with a cushioned straw. Notched top and bottom so it cant slide up or down from hitting foot or body. Baby always gets the cloth tape off but the other stuff is too sticky. Leaving this splint for 5 days. He is rubberbanded too. He doesnt mind the splint but the rubberband seems to cause him discomfort. I see no lacerations or bruises to explain it.

Day 3 120pm check in with bird. Was so angry. The rubberband had gotten caught on the splint and pushed the straw tight into the good leg cutting off circulation. Had i been gone longer...it would have been gone.

I will never use this technique again. Instead prefer the knot method of joining two bands so the loophole stays a constant size.

Day 4 - 7am Rebanded with 2nd technique. Splint is in decent shape. Added divided low dose aspirin to drinking water.

Day 4 - 3 pm. Baby was walking around. Rubberband kept getting hung up on splint but because 1 loop size wasnt dependent on the other loop size none of his legs got choked. Right leg is completely functional already (the rubberband choked leg from yesterday). The splint is pushed out of position to back of knee. Tendon was taped beneath straw splint so I may just need to reposition or replace splint. The plan was to leave splint be for 5 days but...he uses his left leg like a paddle. Not quite bearing weight. Maybe he has to build strength back up. Let him run around on a firmer surface. Huge help as the shelf liner acts like a smooshy surface to weak legs.

He also flew and is acting more independent of me. Not sue how he is making his landings tbh.

 

[charid]

I'll see if I can find a video like that.

-Kathy

@Garden Peas hoping this helps to clarify the steps for a tape cast (if they are correct). The thought of taping directly to his leg worries me.

Step 1 Place tape centered on the inside of the leg (straw is substitute for leg in the demo)

2. Center tape over the outside of the leg

3. Crimp the pieces of tape together and trim the seam at the ftont and back of leg to follow the contour of the leg

4. Taping from the middle of the outside of leg, wrap shorter thinner pieces of tape to cover the cut edge at front of leg and wrap halfway around to middle of inside leg (meaning tape wraps front half of leg in a semicircle and does not go around the back of leg)

5. Repeat step 4 for back of leg

 

[charid]

@casportpony

Need help. I used cloth tape now it is tightly fused to his skin and I cant cut it off. Is there something I can use that will quickly dissolve the glue and not harm his tissue? Water didnt work or maybe it would if i had more time before work. Here is his leg without splint just tge tape. Dont know if this is progress or not.

He doesnt bear weight but paddles with his toes.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This is a note found at the top of the page on Poultrypedia - hope it helps.

** Special Note on Removing Tape from Legs, Feet & Toes ***

*​

Use baby oil to gently and easily remove sticky tape. Then use waterless instant antibacterial hand cleaner/sanitizer to amazingly easily clean off baby oil.

Note: You SHOULD NOT USE DUCT TAPE, but if you do, try using a cleaning spray such as 'Goo Gone' to remove the tape. Then wash the legs with dish soap & rinse off.

If you are not careful how you remove tape, you can cause a chicken pain and damage. The bird likely will also become reluctant to put pressure on places where the skin has become sore. It may then develop more problems with distorted standing and walking patterns, and troubles with deformed bones.


Reference site info: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

 

[charid]

This is a note found at the top of the page on Poultrypedia - hope it helps. ** Special Note on Removing Tape from Legs, Feet & Toes ***

*​

[COLOR=0B5394]Use baby oil[/COLOR] [COLOR=0B5394]to gently and easily remove sticky tape.[/COLOR] [COLOR=0B5394]Then use waterless instant antibacterial hand cleaner/sanitizer[/COLOR] [COLOR=0B5394]to amazingly easily clean off baby oil.[/COLOR] Note: You SHOULD NOT USE DUCT TAPE, but if you do, try using a cleaning spray such as 'Goo Gone' to remove the tape. Then wash the legs with dish soap & rinse off. [COLOR=000000]If you are not careful how you remove tape, you can cause a chicken pain and damage. The bird likely will also become reluctant[/COLOR] [COLOR=000000]to put pressure on places where the skin has become sore. It may then develop more problems with distorted standing and walking patterns, and troubles with deformed bones.[/COLOR] http:// [rule] Reference site info: https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/poultry-podiatry

Thank you. Sorry to keep hounding everyone about this issue. This baby had been doing so well then it just went bad. I put so much into taking care of him now its all sadness...