Just about an hour ago, I noticed that my 3yo GL Wyandotte was standing on the patio on one foot. At first I thought it kind of funny but I realized that she didn't want to put the other foot down. When she did move, it was with a pronounced limp, so I went to pick her up, and the affected foot and lower leg is warm. No obvious wounds, no redness on the leg, and from what I could tell it doesn't *appear* broken, but I didn't get a good feel of her hip. She is the boss (of herself and an EE) and is in excellent health otherwise. We have no animals aside from the chooks in the backyard, but I wonder if she might have hurt herself in a mad dash across the yard a little earlier. I didn't see what the problem was, but she shot across the lawn about 20 ft (no panicked vocalizations). I think it might have been a squirrel that spooked her.
I have an XL Skykennel I could confine her in, but she is not used to being boxed up like that and it would drive her crazy (she would pace). She appears to be in good spirits: very good color and eating like normal. I spread some scratch in the lawn where it's wet, thinking that the cool damp from last night's rain might reduce the swelling.
Is it possible that she just pulled or strained a muscle? She can't get more than 2 ft off the ground in the best of circumstances, so she could not have hurt it by dropping any great height. Her "dash" was completely ground level, and there's nothing in the yard to trip over; we just mowed a couple days ago.
Solutions we could do at home would be best, because we're strapped for cash right now and a vet appt is pretty much out of the question. Thanks in advance for the help....
UPDATE: I just went out and she was laying down in the wet grass like I wanted her to, but she got up as soon as I came out. I picked her up again and sat in a chair with her. She was mellow and didn't fidget while I felt all up and down her leg. It's still warm but I still can't feel anything broken, and still no redness. Her eyes squinted shut a couple of times when I felt her thigh just above the hock, and I could feel quivering in her hock joint, but she allowed me to mess with it as long as I wanted with no complaints. The center of her foot seems a *little* swollen, but she will still put it down when she has to, and doesn't fall over or open a wing for balance. I wonder if it isn't just a pulled muscle, and if she might have tripped over the garden hose, which had been unrolled a little since the mowing (forgot about that).
I have an XL Skykennel I could confine her in, but she is not used to being boxed up like that and it would drive her crazy (she would pace). She appears to be in good spirits: very good color and eating like normal. I spread some scratch in the lawn where it's wet, thinking that the cool damp from last night's rain might reduce the swelling.
Is it possible that she just pulled or strained a muscle? She can't get more than 2 ft off the ground in the best of circumstances, so she could not have hurt it by dropping any great height. Her "dash" was completely ground level, and there's nothing in the yard to trip over; we just mowed a couple days ago.
Solutions we could do at home would be best, because we're strapped for cash right now and a vet appt is pretty much out of the question. Thanks in advance for the help....
UPDATE: I just went out and she was laying down in the wet grass like I wanted her to, but she got up as soon as I came out. I picked her up again and sat in a chair with her. She was mellow and didn't fidget while I felt all up and down her leg. It's still warm but I still can't feel anything broken, and still no redness. Her eyes squinted shut a couple of times when I felt her thigh just above the hock, and I could feel quivering in her hock joint, but she allowed me to mess with it as long as I wanted with no complaints. The center of her foot seems a *little* swollen, but she will still put it down when she has to, and doesn't fall over or open a wing for balance. I wonder if it isn't just a pulled muscle, and if she might have tripped over the garden hose, which had been unrolled a little since the mowing (forgot about that).
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