Luxating patella

[DWilkins]

Does anyone know if this happens with chickens and if so I can it be fixed? A young chicken I have been raising all of a sudden one day started having difficulty standing for long. I noticed when she walks I can hear a clicking /popping noise. She an walk and stand just not very sure footed. Since I have been raising since she was a baby , we have her in a cage away from my other birds. I do take her out and socialize with her and give her a chance to spread her wings . We have a dog that had this and before having surgery done, I would have to roll her knee tendon back into the groove of the bone.
Is there something I can do put what ever has become dislocated back into place? Since she still growing I would hate for it to grow out of place. Thank you!

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens can get slipped tendons. Some have luck putting the tendon back in place, and wrapping with vet wrap. The hock tendon can also rupture eventually if there is a leg bone deformity, such as varus valgus deformity or tibial dyschondroplasia (TD.)

 

[DWilkins]

Thats what it sounds like.... How do I go about putting the tendon back?

 

[Eggcessive]

Search for Poultry Pedia Podiatry and look for fixing a slipped achilles tendon. Also you can do a search at the top of this page for slipped tendon, and there will be pages of threads to read. Apparently you can run your fingers down the back of the leg and pop the tendon back in place. It isn't always successful, and I don't have any experience with it.

 

[DWilkins]

Thank you for the information! Will see what I can do...

 

[DWilkins]

I checked the tendon and it's intact.The popping noise seems to be coming further up the leg.Could it be dislocated further up?She is able to stand and walk but not for long periods without wanting to sit down. When she lays down she tends want to lay on the other side.When she stands to eat, she will throw her leg off to the side.The hock is not swollen either.

 

[Eggcessive]

You may want to get the hip and leg Xrayed.

 

[imcutest]

I'm new here and can here at the advice of my uncle who has chickens. We just noticed this evening we have a chick do the exact came thing you are describing. We've never had chickens before so this is all new. My uncle had them for 20 years.

 

[DWilkins]

I sat with "Peep" last night and tried to get a better idea of where the popping noise is coming from. It's not the tendon. The sound is coming from further up her leg, where it attaches to her body. She has full movement of it,can stand ,can walk, but is favoring the leg. Throws it out to the side when she stands to eat and will sit down then stand back up .The leg is straight and not at any weird angles. I am wondering if she somehow dislocated it and with me each day doing some physical therapy with her I can get it to go back to where it should be.She does not seem to be in any pain as she is acting normally.I may have to get her an x-ray ,but with no vets in our area that have any knowledge about chickens I don't think that's an option. I wish it were the tendon as I could put that back into place. Ummmm... at a loss here. Thank you for all the information provided to me thus far ..

 

[DWilkins]

Welcome! The is is by far the best site for answers to your questions! Have you checked the tendon on her leg? With a small chick that may be the case.Our Maltese had this problem and before the surgery I would have to roll her tendon back into the groove of her leg. Maybe that is the issue with your little chick.?