Possible broken leg! Advice needed

[Plucky Duck]

Two days ago, one of our Barred Rock hens "two toes" was attacked by our neighbor's dog. We treated her wounds with advice we found on this forum, and despite some extensive bruising I believe she is healing well there. The problem is her leg. She has not moved her foot or put any weight on it since the attack, until today. Today she is trying to walk on the hock (elbow?) but the rest of her leg kind of juts out to the side and her toes remain curled. We examined her leg and didn't see any obvious signs of a break, swelling, tears or bruising. When you lay her on her back however, and she bends her legs up, that leg angels slightly out, but I ca't tell if that's just the way she's holding it. I am wondering if I should splint it? She is alert, moving around a bit, eating and drinking normally. Her poop is a little runny, but I suspect that could be from the trauma or the penicillin injections we are giving her for the dog bite wounds. I've tried to get some pics of her standing to give you an idea of the leg injury. Doea anyone have experience successfully splinting this type of leg injury?? Do you think she can recover use of the leg?

[/IMG]

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

What bone do you think it broken? Here is a picture:


-Kathy

 

[Plucky Duck]

I am thinking it might be broken either at the ankle joint or in the tarsometatarsus? Like I said, we don't see any signs of a break though, so it's just a guess based on the way shes holding it and the fact she won't put weight on it below that joint. If you look closely at the pic you can see the way it juts sideways

 

[casportpony]

You need to give her a thorough exam and check for obvious fractures.

-Kathy

 

[Plucky Duck]

You need to give her a thorough exam and check for obvious fractures. 

-Kathy

We still don't see anything...no swelling, bruising, skin trauma. No obvious fractures or breaks in the bone itself. I'm wondering if it could be a tendon or soft tissue injury?

 

[casportpony]

Just thought of something... pinch her toes sharply with your fingernails to see if she has feeling in them. Check god leg first, then bad, both legs should react the same amount. Make sense?

-Kathy

 

[Plucky Duck]

Still no improvement in Two Toes leg. We've examined her leg thoroughly. Still no bruising or swelling, but there is definitely something wrong with that joint! I attempted to very gently pull/ease it back into place but that didn't seem to help. For now I have splinted the leg in the hope that will work. She still has good circulation in her toes, pink color and normal temp. And she no longer has them curled into a ball. She is still eating and drinking well, and is very alert. It looks like all of her other injuries are healing well. She has one more day on the penicillin injection, and today I gave her some boiled egg yolk for extra protein. I've uploaded some more pics. If anyone has any other ideas or suggestions please let me know! Hoping she regains use of that leg, as she doesn't seem to be suffering otherwise!

 

[Plucky Duck]

I am also wondering if it could be a slipped tendon as a result of the dog attack?

 

[casportpony]

I am also wondering if it could be a slipped tendon as a result of the dog attack?

Is the hock swollen?

-Kathy

 

[Plucky Duck]

The only swelling she has is now in her foot and toes. They're a little red, too, but this started before we splinted her.