QUAIL LIMP LEG - NO SIGN OF INJURY

[Hungarianquail]

Help! My coturnix quail is 5 and a half weeks old. This morning I found that he cannot stand on one of his legs. I picked him up and that whole leg is entirely limp. I don't feel any broken bone sticking out or see any superficial injury. He has a band on his leg, but it's not too tight or too loose. Only 4 in a 12 square feet coop, but isolated him anyway to get him off wire and a small 1 sq ft space, where he can reach water and food with less hassle. He hops around on one leg for now. What could it be? What do I do?

 

[ashlierami]

Help! My coturnix quail is 5 and a half weeks old. This morning I found that he cannot stand on one of his legs. I picked him up and that whole leg is entirely limp. I don't feel any broken bone sticking out or see any superficial injury. He has a band on his leg, but it's not too tight or too loose. Only 4 in a 12 square feet coop, but isolated him anyway to get him off wire and a small 1 sq ft space, where he can reach water and food with less hassle. He hops around on one leg for now. What could it be? What do I do?View attachment 1455147

Is there any swelling on the joint? Have you checked to see if there is any resistance? Like put his foot on your finger while holding him and see if he has resistance or just doesn't have use in it at all. Are they skittish? Could he have jumped up and landed wrong on his leg? Is the pad of his foot normal? Meaning no scabs or brusing? The band does not look tight at all but I would remove it for now.

 

[Hungarianquail]

Is there any swelling on the joint? Have you checked to see if there is any resistance? Like put his foot on your finger while holding him and see if he has resistance or just doesn't have use in it at all. Are they skittish? Could he have jumped up and landed wrong on his leg? Is the pad of his foot normal? Meaning no scabs or brusing? The band does not look tight at all but I would remove it for now.

No swelling, no scabs, bruises or anything. No resistance at all. The pad looks fine. I do think it may have gotten startled and jumped, then landed bad. That's the only thing that makes sense. He looks aware and otherwise normal. I think that is a good sign, that it may not be head injury. Question is if it's broken, dislocated, or sprained. He holds it up (not dragging it behind), so the upper thigh must be functional. The problem must be at the knee joint. Hopefully just a sprain and it will heal on own.

 

[ashlierami]

No swelling, no scabs, bruises or anything. No resistance at all. The pad looks fine. I do think it may have gotten startled and jumped, then landed bad. That's the only thing that makes sense. He looks aware and otherwise normal. I think that is a good sign, that it may not be head injury. Question is if it's broken, dislocated, or sprained. He holds it up (not dragging it behind), so the upper thigh must be functional. The problem must be at the knee joint. Hopefully just a sprain and it will heal on own.

My bets would be on a sprain. Quail are so famous for jumping up and bumping their heads and such. I went thru that so many times but the good thing is they are strong and heal. I have a 6 year old Texas a&m and he has had like 5 or 6 injuries in his lifetime and he's still going strong. I would just keep an eye on him and make sure the others (if you keep him with them, if you don't he should be in their sight or he will be lonely) don't bully him or anything. I would try an Epsom salt soak and gently massage his leg muscles and foot this may help work out any tension or sprain if there is any. If it's a break I assume he would be in terrible pain and would have freaked out when you tried to test for resistance.

 

[Rossi1969]

Just curious, did your quail recuperate from the injury? I have quail dragging his leg. He fell the wrong way coming out of the sand box.

 

[Hungarianquail]

Yes, actually. 100%. Took a few weeks. I wrapped it for a while to add a little support. Then he slowly started putting weight on it and eventually couldn't even tell he had a leg injury any more.

 

[Rossi1969]

That's great. Mine just fell out of his sand box this afternoon. I noticed she hurt her leg so I brought her in and set her up in a small cage with a blancket at the bottom. I gave her food and water and left her laying down. I just checked on her now and she's dead...I don't understand. How can she have died from a leg injury???

 

[Hungarianquail]

That's great. Mine just fell out of his sand box this afternoon. I noticed she hurt her leg so I brought her in and set her up in a small cage with a blancket at the bottom. I gave her food and water and left her laying down. I just checked on her now and she's dead...I don't understand. How can she have died from a leg injury???

Shock kills faster, than the injury. It may have died due to shock. It also could have suffered a head injury? No telling. It just happens.

 

[Quails4life]

when a quails foot is sprained should I wrap it and with what?

 

[Quails4life]

That's great. Mine just fell out of his sand box this afternoon. I noticed she hurt her leg so I brought her in and set her up in a small cage with a blancket at the bottom. I gave her food and water and left her laying down. I just checked on her now and she's dead...I don't understand. How can she have died from a leg injury???

Aww poor chicken