neighbor's guinea keet - weeks old - with severe spraddle leg - help!!

[The Lisser]

I looked on the search tool for information about treated spraddle/splay leg. I found some great photos and information about how to treat young chicks, but this keet is several weeks old (it has most of the feathers on its body and it can fly). I have been petsitting for my neighbor for over a week and the keet's leg keeps getting worse. It can use one leg okay but the other leg is severely splayed out to the side and the middle joint is twisted. It cannot put the foot down at all, so the foot stays curled up. I put a rubber car mat in the cage (bottom of the cage is slick metal - she keeps shavings and hay in there but the keets keep scratching the bedding out of the way) to help with traction, but I don't know if I should attempt to do the bandaid/tape thing, since this bird is older and the one leg is twisted.

Does anyone have suggestions or experience? I wonder if the leg has "healed" the wrong way and if using a bandaid/tape splint between the legs would even help or just cause pain. I told her that the leg is getting worse and that I would ask for suggestions on this forum, she said to do whatever I think is best.

Thanks in advance for any advice!!!

Melsisa

 

[chicmom]

I'm afraid that it might be too late to fix the spraddle leg. In the beginning, I think the chicks are more flexible, but now, the joints may be "set". Also, it does sound like that one leg might be deformed......or there was something else going on other than spraddle leg.

I would love to be wrong......maybe others will come by with some really great advice!

Good luck to you and the little keet!

 

[The Lisser]

Thank you for your reply! I am going to her place this afternoon and I will try to take some pics.

Has anyone had a chicken with a broken leg that they were able to fix?

Thanks again,
Melissa