Leg Injury - help!

[Buster's Banties]

Hi - hopefully someone out there knows what I should do -

I have a 8 week old leghorn with some kind of a compression injury on her leg. I suspect it got shut in a door but I don't know for sure. She turned up limping /hopping to the chicken coop Thursday dinner.

There's no blood or open wounds just what looks like a pinch but she won't put weight on it and her foot is swollen. It doesn't seem like she can move her toes, etc...

I've been keeping her inside and loosely wrapped her leg with a comfrey compress to stimulate healing. Surprisingly she doesn't try to take it off. We did a tea tree oil, calendula, jojoba oil lanolin rub down yesterday morning. She sleeps most of the time and just sits & lay her head down when we hold her. We've taken her out for short walks yesterday & today and she tries to hop away - which I take as a good sign.

She's eating, drinking & has good poops but overnight she started panting. Based on the sneeze she just laid on me I'm guessing she'd got a cold. We're inside with the air conditioning so I don't think she's hot.

I've been feeding her medicated chick feed since I brought her inside. The swelling in her leg isn't any better. It's now a darker yellow below the injury than above it and I'm starting to worry about infection & gangrene.

 

[hinkjc]

Does she put weight on it? If so, it is not likely broken. I would not wrap it and it should heal up fine on it's own. The wrap may be causing restriction of blood flow to the lower leg/foot region.

 

[b.hromada]

I'm not certain what to tell you to do. I think others will have your answer for you. Sounds like so far, you're doing the right thing for her. Best of luck to you on healing her leg.

 

[Buster's Banties]

Shelly's doing much better - out in the enclosed "picnic" area today to get some exercise & sunshine. She's starting to put a little more weight on the leg. Her foot's still swollen but the color is better and the red pinched area has faded quite a bit.

~THANKS EVERYONE~