My poor RIR is limping & we don't know why! She's in pain

[HHandbasket]

We have an 8-month-old RIR named Rhoda. She started having kinda a slight limp about a month ago, but then it seemed to get better. Then about two weeks ago, she started limping again, and now it is REALLY bad. She can barely walk. We have thoroughly examined her feet, and she kinda has a scratch on it now with a small scab, but that wasn't there last week (I think she may have scratched it on a loose piece of chicken wire which has since been clipped back). Anyway, we have looked at her and cannot find anything wrong, but she seems completely unable to bear weight on her right leg now and holds it up most of the time. She is in obvious pain when she walks, but she does still eat and drink and TRIES to walk. However, her ability to keep moving is less and less every day for the last few days.

Today, picked her up and put her in my lap, laid her back and rubbed her chest/tummy until she settled down, and got a good look at her. I manipulated her legs ever so slightly, and her right hip feels like it is completely dislocated.

I don't know what to do. I don't have the hundreds of dollars it would cost to take her to a vet. Do you think I should see if she heals and ignore the fact that she's hurting? Or should I cull her? She is starting to groan when she moves, but it doesn't seem to have hurt her appetite. Just not sure what to do.

Thoughts, advice, please???

 

[math ace]

search for "bumblefoot" and see if the scab she has looks like this.

Look at the PAD of her foot and see if it is swollen. Feel the PAD of her foot and see if feels tough - - like a rock is under the skin.

I don't know of anything else that effects the leg - - - but I am sure others will join in with their experiences.

 

[HHandbasket]

Thank you.

The first thing I did, though, when she started limping was look up bumblefoot, and that is most definitely not what she has. She does have soft pads on the bottom of her feet, but they do not feel swollen & they both feel the same as each other & the same as the pads on the bottoms of my other chickens' feet. I can totally feel the hip is dislocated, though. I do not remember seeing her get hurt or anything, tho, but that doesn't mean she didn't fall or something. I can't be out there with her ALL the time! The scratch/scab on her upper foot is just that, a scratch (it's on the top of her foot, not the bottom).

 

[chkn]

I'd definitely spray some antiseptic on any cuts, like that Scarlet Spray. How are the joints? You could try mashing an aspirin and giving her a little bit every day for a couple days. Plain aspirin, mixed in something, and maybe just a quarter or less. Let us know how she's doing. How about vitamins in her food, the poly vi sol? I've been meaning to get some myself.

 

[mulewagon]

For a regular hurt but not broken leg, I put them in a small cage for a week or so until they can walk well again.

But a total dislocation? We'd have to cull that one. I don't see how it could heal itself, and trying to fix it would likely just break more things.

 

[Kasia]

You can go to the feed store and get some DMSO. I have been using DMSO on my birds, ducks and chickens with leg problems for over 6 years. You will want to dilute the DMSO 1 part DMSO to 9 parts water. Make sure the clear gel is completely dissolved. DMSO smells awful, but it works wonders. Take a cotton ball and rub it all over her leg, up to her hip if you have to. DMSO helps swelling and inflammation. You can apply it twice daily and you should be able to notice a difference.

I don't have the money to take everybody to the vet every time something is wrong, unless it's something I really can't handle. I run a bird rescue, so I have a lot of injured birds come in, and it's mostly chickens. DMSO costs about $7 and lasts. I'm still on my first jar. I have a lot of babies with leg problems and DMSO really does help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use DMSO for myself, never thought it would be safe for chickens, other than horses. Do you get the gel Kasia I have the liquid and I mix with aloe vera gel. Will remember that if Mine ever hurt a leg or foot

 

[HHandbasket]

I will look into getting the DMSO. Thanks for the tip!

She is still really limping but TOTALLY came running/flapping from cleeeeeeeear across the yard when I came outside with treats and gave the "chook chook chook" call! When she stopped, though, you could almost see it in her eyes, going "Ow ow ow, I shouldn'ta done that" (like we all do... us older folks anyway LOL). She's still hurting today but seems less in pain. Found her a little while ago sunning herself on a dry spot and dustbathing.

We're going to put her in a large dog crate for a couple of days so she's not running around and further hurting that leg and see how she does. If no improvement in two days or if she seems to get worse, we'll cull her. We have another bird that needs to be culled as it is.

Ugh. This is the part of chicken-keeping I hate.