My 2 weeks baby chick fell and now she can not walk. Please HELP!!!!

[Alexutza]

Hello there, I have a problem with my new baby chick. For Easter I got a present from my boyfriend a baby chick about a week old. He knows how much I love animals and he wanted to surprise me. He kept it at his place for a few days and the day when he was supposed to give it to me, the baby chick fell from the couch and she injured her left leg. I was always scared when she was jumping from the couch that she will get hurt, but my boyfriend was always saying that she is so light that nothing can happen to her, and he was wrong.

And now I feel so bad for her and so guilty, this accident took place 2 days ago. Yesterday I took her to the vet, because I know how sensitive chicks are after they injure their legs. A lot of my grandmother’s baby chicks used to die because of their legs so that’s why I’m so afraid for my baby chick. However, when the doctor took a look at her, he said that he cant say that she broke her leg (it doesn’t look broken), but maybe she has a joint infection. He wasn’t sure about her situation. He told me when chicks get injured at their legs this early in their life; the chances for them to survive are very slim. He suggested for me to put her down. But I really don’t want to. He also gave me some antibiotics to give her every 8 hours for 10 days.

But one of my concerns is, if the chick had a joint infection, previous of the fall as the doctor mention, how come she was so energetic and happy, and she look perfectly healthy previous of the fall. I don’t want to contradict the doctor, but what if she does not have a joint infection, and the problem is just that she dislocated or broke her leg inside. The doctor didn’t even seem sure of his diagnostic, and he was more guessing than anything else. He said that the chick could have broken something inside her leg that can’t be easy to notice but his best guess is that she has a joint infection. If she has a joint infection, the chances of survival are even smaller, since apparently the antibiotics can’t do a very good job when it comes about joint infections.

The chick now seems energetic, she is curious, and at times she wants to walk but she can’t. She even stretches the injured leg many times a day, and a couple of times I saw her scratching her face with that injured leg. She also plays with her wings and she is scratching them with her beak, since new feathers are growing. She eats and drinks water normally, and when she does so, she touches the floor with her injured leg but she does not put weight on it. The only other thing is that the injured leg always trembles and shakes. I was thinking that it might because she is cold. But no matter how warm it is. The leg pretty much always shakes.

I was looking on the forum of how some baby chicks do get well even though their leg is broken. I’m just so afraid for her, and I don’t want her to die. Do you think she has chances? What should I do for her so she gets better? Please help me with some suggestions.

Thank you very much,
Alexandra.

 

[Catalina]

So sorry about your baby

I hope she gets better soon. Try to keep her warm ~ Baby chicks need to be kept at 95 F during their first week, decrease the temp by 5F (to 90F) the next week, and so on until they grow their feathers.

Put her food (chick crumbles) and water near by, so she can eat without moving.

Make sure she doesn't get pasty butt (use the search button in the blue bar above and search for pasty butt).

Get her a friend - chickens are flock animals - they need other chicks (chickens) to be happy. OR give her a stuffed toy to cuddle up with.

Good luck

And

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

allowing the frightened chick to run off the lap was not to good
she will need for you to make a orthopedic help for her leg and do it not

give the chick a stuffed animal and lay it in her brooder
surely you are keeping her in a box with the top covered 1/2 way
it is good to have a ventilation

the trouble with vets today they are not prone to be tooooo up on doctoring cxhicks
I have put the
orthopedics for chicks for begginers up on this board look for it as it was this afternoon
surely you can do this or the chick will not be kept in good health
keep her eating and drinking as that antibiotic is hard on her gut flora
she will need some yoguart soon