silkie chick with broken leg--update: amputee--am I nuts?

[suburbanminifarm]

Hi all, I am in the throes of a dilemma here, hoping you all will give me your opinion.

I have a 5 week old silkie chick with a badly broken leg. For a couple of days I splinted it myself, and gave injectable penicillin, and general care. The chick is perky and eats and drinks. (With help of course to hold the food and water)

Last night I ended up taking her to the vet (even though yes, I know it's "only a chicken") He ended up being very nice and understanding, and gave me the option of surgery on the leg to pin it and place a cast. If it looked un-save-able when he got in to surgery, he said he would amputate. Problem is......I am not AT ALL sure that silkies can hop around on one leg. He told me it would adjust and just hop, and be fine as a pet. But silkies don't fly like those little wild birds you see with one leg sometimes....so I don't really believe him.....

So here I am, about to go to the vet again and drop her off for surgery I can't really afford. I am thinking of telling him to try to repair the break and if he can't, to just put her to sleep. She's a sweet little thing if it matters, and would make a gorgeous adult.

1. Has anyone here ever owned a one - legged chicken?
2. Has anyone ever had a chick recover from a compound fracture of the leg?
3. Am I crazy?

 

[kooltex]

I've got a Roo with a broken leg in a dog crate right now. The long bone between the foot and the anlkle was broken clean in half. He had a small open wound by the fracture which looked like a bite mark. I cleaned his leg, sprayed a wound dressing on it, set it as straight as possible, and splinted it. He got Pen shots for three days, then an oral antibiotic, plus some anti inflams. He is doing great. It's been a little over a week now. I just changed his bandanges today and the bone is healing. The wound was closed.
I have heard of one legged chickens on here too. Check my post **urgent broken leg no feeling in toes cull or amputate**

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Thanks kooltex, that helps. It seems we have similar injuries. I dropped her off at the vet and am waiting to see if he chooses rerpair or amputation (please please not amputation) I have to wait 3 more hours before I pick her up. Still not sure I did the right thing. Too late now.

 

[kooltex]

Hate to say, but mine was either get better, or go in the stew pot, and he is my fav roo. But it is what it is. I'm happy he is doin' better, and not in the stew pot. Shoot, should have just splinted yours too, if it's a similar break, and kept her up. I guess they are all different though. I'm sure the vet will know what is best for your bird. Hey, yours is lucky to get to go to the vet, mine either have injuries that I can treat, or in the stew pot. I can only imagine the look on my husbands face if I were to take a chicken to the vet, but they all mean different things to everybody. Some they are treasured pets, others they help to feed the family. I'm sure you did what you felt was right, and thats what matters.

 

[welasharon]

Right thing or not depends on the person involved and the situation they are in. Mine would go to the vet. Last spring a cat I have had kittens and got mastitis. 700 dollars later she pulled through. Over night emergency care is VERY expensive. Could I afford it? It was tough but I got it paid off. Would I do it again? Yes. We all have to do what we feel we can and it varies by person and their situation. I don't think badly of anyone who can't or someone who thinks it's rediculous. Good luck!
sharon

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Yep all situations are different for sure. I totally see your point that either your chickens get better or go in the stew pot--- I see that as being totally valid. Heck, I used to tell my dogs that I'll hose it off and sew it up, but they are just going to have to get better on their own! (oh, I was mostly kidding, anyone in this family that truly needs vet care does get it, just not for every scrape or sneeze)
I'm just ... surprised at myself this time for spending the money when we hadn't even had this chick very long and weren't strongly attached. Her stubborn will to live and keep eating and drinking made me go beyond the usual home- care when I could see that the leg was going to be forever useless and prob sepsis if I didn't do more.

Speaking of not judging.....here is a short story my vet told me last night. I thanked him for agreeing to treat a chick (of all things) without questioning it at all. He laughed and said he had learned as a boy to never judge.
He grew up in a tiny village in Korea. (Yep I took my silkie to a Korean Vet-- irony much?) He was an adventurous child but wherever he explored he always had his pet Akita dog by his side. He even had a cart and harness so the dog could pull him like a mule! One day when he was 4 1/2, he fell in a creek and began to drown. His faithful dog pulled him out of the creek and saved his life. No one else was around. In doing so, the dog's teeth wounded the boy on his head (the vet still has scars he showed me on his bald head.) When the people of the village found him, they blamed the dog for mauling the boy. They hunted the dog down and killed him. When the boy was well enough from his trauma, he wandered around the village for 3 weeks crying out for his dog. By then he could tell his story better, and the people felt badly that they had killed his heroic dog. They actually erected a statue to his akita in the village that my vet says is inscribed " be careful not to judge too quickly" or something translated similar to that. My vet said that this event in his life made him become a veterinarian when he grew up, and forever taught him not to judge.
Kinda beautiful, huh?

I'll post when I get back from picking up my chick, if she's made it through surgery,fingers crossed but I'm at peace with it either way.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

Well he took off the whole leg. He assured me that the chick will be fine and in less pain in the long run this way. I don't know-- but what's done is done, so we'll see how her recovery goes. She's awake and making chirpy noises so that's a good sign.

 

[chickenlorena]

These are my two cents... I really think you did the right thing

Every creature should be given the chance to live, especially if it's cherished like yours. We have several animal companions, including 4 hens. My hubby knows that they too will end up at the vet if they get sick, just like our dogs, cats and hamster.

I think the will to live that this little one has will prove he/she'll do just fine on one leg. I think you'd enjoy watching this short video about a one-legged hen:

Please post picts when you can and update us with the recovery!!! I'd love to see this little brave one.

Thanks for your compassionate heart.

 

[kooltex]

Awe wow what a story.

Hope your chick makes a full recovery, and lives a happy chicky life.

 

[suburbanminifarm]

***sniff sniff*** that video was so sweet! Thank you for that! I PROMISE to post pics when it's morning and I have some light. Thank you all for your kindness.
(Chick ate a little and is still making contented chirpy noises-- She's tough for her size that's for sure!)