Sweet Sweet White Leghorn Limping

[JustLook]

Sky has been limping for a week. One leg she can’t put any weight on but she is drinking and eating and slowly learning to sort of get around. I had a vet tech near me do total body assessment and did not find any broken bones and we are hoping it’s just soft tissue (possible predation attempt during a brief free ranging excersize …fox?). I can’t trust this vet tech to know anything of a broken egg inside her or anything like that.

What’s concerning is that it’s been a week with not much improvement. Except she has recently decided I am her best friend and loves being nursed by me inside and just stares at me while
I watch tv. She doesn’t even care what’s on. She just naps and occasionally opens her eyes and just stares at me and then falls asleep on my chest like a warm sleepy fluffy puppy. I digress. No improvement to her apparent injury.

Is that normal for a soft tissue injury? Or should I worry about something else.

Please help she is in excellent spirits and is just tough as dirt about the whole thing. She about to turn 2 next month with her brood mates who think she is just milking this for more treats and dad time.

Thanks in advance.

Michael
New Jersey Highlands

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Sky has been limping for a week. One leg she can’t put any weight on but she is drinking and eating and slowly learning to sort of get around. I had a vet tech near me do total body assessment and did not find any broken bones and we are hoping it’s just soft tissue (possible predation attempt during a brief free ranging excersize …fox?). I can’t trust this vet tech to know anything of a broken egg inside her or anything like that.

What’s concerning is that it’s been a week with not much improvement. Except she has recently decided I am her best friend and loves being nursed by me inside and just stares at me while
I watch tv. She doesn’t even care what’s on. She just naps and occasionally opens her eyes and just stares at me and then falls asleep on my chest like a warm sleepy fluffy puppy. I digress. No improvement to her apparent injury.

Is that normal for a soft tissue injury? Or should I worry about something else.

Please help she is in excellent spirits and is just tough as dirt about the whole thing. She about to turn 2 next month with her brood mates who think she is just milking this for more treats and dad time.

Thanks in advance.

Michael
New Jersey Highlands

I'm sorry your hen is injured. I've dealt with temporary limps before - one in an eight week old baby, and one in a full-grown hen.
The little pullet sprained her hock joint pretty bad. We had to get her some pain meds and keep her immobilized, but she was fine after a few weeks.
The other hen got her leg tangled in some netting and wrenched it trying to get free. She was fine after a few days, no care needed.

But with both, they were able to put weight on their legs, unlike yours.

I'd think it's a break or a very, very bad sprain if she is refusing to put any weight on it.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

So there's no swelling, lumps, bumps, bruises, etc?

 

[JustLook]

No not that we could ascertain. The vet tech has worked with birds not chickens at work but he said it could be like a hairline fracture that might heal. She acts like the pain is radiating from the bottom of her foot but that could just be pain radiating from a joint. I can’t find anything wrong with her foot.

 

[JustLook]

I'd think it's a break or a very, very bad sprain if she is refusing to put any weight on it.

Yeah that’s kinda what the vet tech said. Thanks that was great information. Very helpful and encouraging.

 

[JustLook]

Sky has been limping for a week. One leg she can’t put any weight on but she is drinking and eating and slowly learning to sort of get around. I had a vet tech near me do total body assessment and did not find any broken bones and we are hoping it’s just soft tissue (possible predation attempt during a brief free ranging excersize …fox?). I can’t trust this vet tech to know anything of a broken egg inside her or anything like that.

What’s concerning is that it’s been a week with not much improvement. Except she has recently decided I am her best friend and loves being nursed by me inside and just stares at me while
I watch tv. She doesn’t even care what’s on. She just naps and occasionally opens her eyes and just stares at me and then falls asleep on my chest like a warm sleepy fluffy puppy. I digress. No improvement to her apparent injury.

Is that normal for a soft tissue injury? Or should I worry about something else.

Please help she is in excellent spirits and is just tough as dirt about the whole thing. She about to turn 2 next month with her brood mates who think she is just milking this for more treats and dad time.

Thanks in advance.

Michael
New Jersey Highlands

Thanks all. We’ll try and remember to come back and update

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

Thanks all. We’ll try and remember to come back and update

How is Sky? Did you just try to keep her inside and decrease her mobility? Did you give aspirin water?

I just found your post because I was searching about limping leghorns. Our sweet hen, Foggy, has a limp we noticed yesterday evening. She seemed better earlier today but then worse just before bed she was laying down and not standing. I've brought her inside on a fluffy towel in a cat/dog crate.

It's frustrating that it's happened to her because she is small and light. I thought the heavier breeds were more likely to get hurt.

Just like yours, no sign of any cuts or scrapes or infection etc outwardly.