Please help! Ostrich injured its leg

[StephanHe]

Hi everyone, I urgently need help. One of my 3 ostriches hurt his leg today. It has a deep cut on the front of the leg, just above the knee. When it tries to stand up, his leg pulls straight to the back and he falls over. He can't step on it at all. He is about 3 years old.
He was bleeding badly, but I managed to clean the wound and bandage it to the best of my ability. I also gave him an injection for pain/fever/infection etc. and made him as comfortable as I could.
I suspect he hurt a tendon, or the muscle in his leg. Is there more I can do to help this guy?
I don't have $$$ for a vet at the moment :-(
Any suggestions or advice would be highly appreciated, I don't want to lose him..

 

[backyard pigeons]

@Pyxis has emus and is a vet. Got any ideas pyxis?

@casportpony is knowledgeable in all areas of poultry. Got any ideas?

Sorry I can't be more assistance.

 

[Pyxis]

@Pyxis has emus and is a vet. Got any ideas pyxis?

Vet tech, lol. I wish I was a full-fledged veterinarian, but vet school is very expensive.

I agree that a picture would be very helpful, if you can get one. For now I would try to keep him quiet, so as to reduce the chances that he further hurts the leg.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

Where do you live? Please do post pictures ASAP.

 

[StephanHe]

Welcome to BYC!

Where do you live? Please do post pictures ASAP.

Thank you. I am in South Africa. Pictures to follow in the morning. It is the dark outside now and not safe to venture out.

 

[backyard pigeons]

Vet tech, lol. I wish I was a full-fledged veterinarian, but vet school is very expensive.

I agree that a picture would be very helpful, if you can get one. For now I would try to keep him quiet, so as to reduce the chances that he further hurts the leg.

Oops. My bad.

 

[NutrientDensePermaculture]

I'm curious to hear the outcome, I had this happen to one of my ostrich as well, it was a result of it getting caught up in the high tensil wire that keeps your corner fence posts together

 

[StephanHe]

Vet tech, lol. I wish I was a full-fledged veterinarian, but vet school is very expensive.

I agree that a picture would be very helpful, if you can get one. For now I would try to keep him quiet, so as to reduce the chances that he further hurts the leg.

Thanks, I do keep him quiet, but if I don't help him 'sit up' he tries to do it by himself and then falls over, which is causing him even more stress and pain. I will post some pictures in the morning. I bandaged his leg where the cut was, and then started with some spray on medicine when the bleeding stopped. The wound itself is starting to heal, but I think there might still be damage inside.

 

[StephanHe]

I should be able to get some from the vet. I will contact them in the morning as well to find out if they have available. Other than that I have Dexa (inflammation/pain/fever. etc.) which I have given him some, and then Terramycin, but not sure if this can be given as it has not indication for ostriches.

 

[briefvisit]

Here’s the only way you can subdue a mid-sized ratite while you treat it. Have done it three times in a decade. Lost two of the birds.

Swoop down from above. Ya gotta get hold of its upper leg – with your thumbs pointing downward – right up the top, where the ‘drumstick’ begins. Not higher. Not lower. This keeps the body pulled back holus bolus into your own body.

I’d wear safety glasses, though I wasn’t pecked by the emu yearlings in question.

And then your assistant comes in from your right or left, to minister.

DON’T shift your grip.

Keep the two legs pulled just a little apart.

Overall then, the bird can only frantically wave its legs from the knee down, and your assistant won’t have trouble controlling the lower limb.

The chick will certainly behave in a ‘cycle’: it’ll struggle like HELL for a few seconds, then go perfectly still. But in ten seconds or thirty, it’ll launch almighty powerful heaves to try to escape. That's exactly when you must have an iron grip of its legs.

So long as you stubbornly and powerfully subdue its upper legs, it can hardly hurt itself further.

The two eight-month-olds I examined – as you know, much less bird under the feathers than you think – astounded me with the strength they showed, even though injured.

Best of luck. Please post reports.

Supreme Emu, Lake Muir, W.A.