Pekin not using one leg

[Chrissaj]

Last Wednesday I noticed My one yr old Pekin, Ethel, limping. Thursday morning she was not walking at all so I removed her from the yard and “quarantined” her on the porch. She is eating fine and drinking fine. She is placing her leg back behind her and I have noticed that she is not using it at all. I put her in the pool tonight to see if she would use it to swim and she didn’t, she made one lap around the pool and came back to the step that is inside the pool all while holding or possibly dragging the other leg. I have no idea what to do for her or what the problem may be. Please help! Fred, her mate, is panicking and pacing alongside her bestie a Flossie.

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC!

Does the leg feel warm, is she putting any weight on the leg anymore?

 

[Chrissaj]

Welcome to BYC!

Does the leg feel warm, is she putting any weight on the leg anymore?

She’s putting no weight on it at all. When she stands now she uses her wing to help her balance. It doesn’t really feel any warmer than the other leg but both are fairly warm.

 

[Chrissaj]

Could her mate have done this to her? I have only have one drake (that I know of, we have four 3 mo and aren’t quite sure of their sex yet- I think I have at least one more drake but I am positive that the others are females). I started out with 4 Pekins a year ago, first time with ducks, and ended up with 2:2. Started retrieving an egg a day around 4 month mark. My other female, Flossie, is a boss. No one messes with her, no one! So poor Ethel I’m pretty sure was getting attention from both males. At the one year mark I was forced to get rid of the other male because he was plucking feathers from Fred’s chest and when we came home to blood on them one day we decided that was enough. Since getting the new babies we notice that Fred goes after one of the Cayuga’s quite often but she’s too fast for him and usually gets away. Anyway, back to the point, she had a slightly balding spot on the back of her head and a bare spot under her wings on her back, I presume from mating. I’ve honestly been toying with the idea of getting rid of Fred because the mating is just too violent for me, I’m not sure if it is supposed to be acceptable but I just can’t bare to watch and hear them scream. But since quarantining Ethel I’ve seen panic from him, he can see her but barely. I’ve have since moved the babies to our new house which has a 1.5 acre pond, Currently they play in a 4ft kiddie pool which the older ones have been content with for the past year, and they are so much happier there without him chasing them down.

i really just don’t know what has happened to her or what I can do to fix it. I’m trying to come up with any explanation at this point.

 

[Chrissaj]

Anyone else with any advice?

 

[Miss Lydia]

If she isn’t able to use the leg at all can you take her to a vet for an examine? How old is she and the drake?

 

[Chrissaj]

If she isn’t able to use the leg at all can you take her to a vet for an examine? How old is she and the drake?

They are both 1 yr and 3 months. The only place I can take her locally is an avian specialist and they are stupid expensive And my husband may divorce me if I take her. I was trying to avoid that but I guess it may be my only choice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wish we could diagnosis but since we can get our hands on her we can’t, she may have a dislocated hip or even a break. Which only a vet can fix anyway.

 

[Chrissaj]

As of last night it seems that the “knee” is swollen and when I picked her up and turned her over she was flailing her one leg which appeared as if she was kicking and not moving the other at all.
if it’s a break, will it heal on its own if I keep her “down” and by herself?

 

[Miss Lydia]

It all depends on where the break is probably. Any chance of a vet looking at her?