Splay leg that hobbling didnt fix help please

[Caseysfarmadventures]

Help us please we have a 3 month old baby emu and we took him out side to run and play well he tripped over himself and slid and it wasn't noticeable when it happened but the next day it was turned outwards someone please help we hobbled for 3 days and no change what do we do now bc it's been about 2 weeks now

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry about your Emu.
Is vet care an option?

While you wait for others to respond, can you get a photo of the back of the joint? Can you tell if the tendon has slipped, any swelling?

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about Emu's can chime in @Pyxis @casportpony

 

[Pyxis]

That isn't splayed leg It's a leg turning out at the knee. I hate to say this, but it's really hard to fix this.

Do check to see if the tendon slipped, as that is a little different - you will see that the back of knee looks flat compared to other one. If it is slipped, though, and it's been out for two weeks, it'll be really hard to get it back in and to get it to stay in.

We've been seeing it a lot this year in the emu groups, and we're not sure if this is happening because people are selling chicks from adults that have bad genetics, or bad diets, or are breeding brother/sister pairs, or what, but I've seen much more of it this year than in the past.

This is pretty bad, and I don't think hobbling will fix it. You could try to find a vet to attempt surgery, but even then surgery is very risky on birds and he might die just because of the anesthesia. And if the surgery goes okay, it might still end up turning back out again.

I've got an acquaintance up here who bought eggs and hatched a chick that is having this same issue, and she takes the chick to the vet every week and he does vitamin injections, she keeps the chick hobbled, she doesn't let it run around. And even with all that time and money, there has been no progress and last week the chick slipped the tendon in that leg, which she now also can't get to stay in. This has been going on for upwards of two months.

Edit: My friend had her chick put down on Friday. Even with extensive vet care, it was not enough. It's probably kinder to the baby to consider putting it to sleep

 

[Caseysfarmadventures]

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry about your Emu.
Is vet care an option?

While you wait for others to respond, can you get a photo of the back of the joint? Can you tell if the tendon has slipped, any swelling?

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about Emu's can chime in @Pyxis @casportpony

It's not flat on the back but it does feel off I'll try and get a picture when my friend gets here

 

[Caseysfarmadventures]

I got mine off ebay so there's no telling have u noticed it more in specific areas I'm in ga I really wanna find me 2 more eggs to hatch but I know the season is up

 

[Pyxis]

I got mine off ebay so there's no telling have u noticed it more in specific areas I'm in ga I really wanna find me 2 more eggs to hatch but I know the season is up

Yeah, unfortunately I think you're looking at next year. If you want, you can contact me around November as that's when mine start to lay - I've never had this issue in my chicks.

Basically when looking for a breeder, make sure that they aren't breeding related birds, it's okay to ask if they've had instances of this in their chicks before, make sure the breeder birds have a good diet, etc. I would never be offended if someone asked me about those things.

Being that you're in GA, you might try Warbirds Farm in FL. He's a reputable breeder and the eggs wouldn't have to travel too far to get to you.