intense pain.

[rrrsmom]

I have a sultan hen with a very injured leg. I don't see any cuts or swelling. If I run my fingers along the bone I can't feel anything that feels broken or out of place but she seems to be in horrible pain. This started Friday evening and I kept thinking with time alone away from the other birds it would heal. It doesn't seem to be getting any better. She won't put weight on the leg at all and when you touch it she shutters. (Actually it sounds like a cat's purr but that's not a good thing in a chicken) Last night when I went out to check on her... after dark... she was shuttering or purring with every exhale. What should I look for that might be something I can fix? How long do I wait? If I can't fix it, how do I know when she's in too much pain? This is horrible. I definitely can't do the unthinkable. She's a pet, not a fryer... Help!

 

[PunkinPeep]

If she seems to be suffering that much and not improving, i think you have only a couple of options: take her to a good avian vet or put her down.

I'm a little straight forward about these things, and i don't mean to be harsh. But since you have no way to figure out what is wrong, i think these are your options. I'm very sorry.

 

[viktoriacl]

Did you look at the bottom of her foot?

 

[rrrsmom]

Quote:
I did. I don't see anything that looks unusual. I picked her up today and turned her over like a baby doll. She's feeling thin to me too. I've put her in a parrot cage with a wire bottom (and a couple of soft spots where she can lay down) and it's hard to tell if she's eating her food or just tossing the food out. My husband just says time will tell. Keep her movements down to a minimum but I'm worried she's suffering. Is there something I can give her for pain while we see if it's going to heal?

 

[PunkinPeep]

I've heard of crushing baby aspirin in their water. I don't think i've done it, so i don't know the dosage.