Another Lame Duck

[loofa]

Our sweet Nutmeg, 3 year old hen, injured her leg when she was young. We don't know how or precise nature of the injury, but it's one of those old injuries that acts up from time to time. Usually she just gets super limpy, we put her in the pen for a couple of days so she doesn't hurt herself keeping up with the flock, give her some meloxicam, and then she is good to go again.
This time it's way worse. She cannot use the hurt leg at all.
About the injury
• It's not bumble foot nor is there any visible damage
• injury seems to be at the joint just above the foot - I cannot seem to find the name of this spot. It's where I would be inclined to say "ankle" only looking at anatomy drawings the ankle seems to be the next higher up joint.
• It's slightly swollen
• I took her to the vet the last time she got limpy, that's how we got the meloxicam script, so we know it's most likely an old soft tissue injury
• We are on day 3 of the extra bad flare up
What I've Done So Far
• She's in a small pen full of a thick layer of dry pine shavings
• Durvet Vitamin B complex in her water
• liquid calcium on her pea treats
• Wrapped her leg with vet tape for a day, but seemed to put her more off balance so removed
• Soaked in warm epsom salt bath
• Washed with soap (she seemed to really enjoy that so I lingered giving her a leg massage)
• Application of DMSO
(the espsom salt bath and DMSO were just done a few minutes ago, so too soon to tell how much it will help)
Questions
• Is there anything I'm missing?
• Should I be bracing/splinting her leg?
• If I should brace/splint, how is this done in a way that allows them to walk and sit? (I can likely figure this out, but if someone has pics/easy instructions that's great)
• Just wrap in vet tape again? Or just leave it bare?

Thank you!

 

[BelovedBirds]

Our sweet Nutmeg, 3 year old hen, injured her leg when she was young. We don't know how or precise nature of the injury, but it's one of those old injuries that acts up from time to time. Usually she just gets super limpy, we put her in the pen for a couple of days so she doesn't hurt herself keeping up with the flock, give her some meloxicam, and then she is good to go again.
This time it's way worse. She cannot use the hurt leg at all.
About the injury
• It's not bumble foot nor is there any visible damage
• injury seems to be at the joint just above the foot - I cannot seem to find the name of this spot. It's where I would be inclined to say "ankle" only looking at anatomy drawings the ankle seems to be the next higher up joint.
• It's slightly swollen
• I took her to the vet the last time she got limpy, that's how we got the meloxicam script, so we know it's most likely an old soft tissue injury
• We are on day 3 of the extra bad flare up
What I've Done So Far
• She's in a small pen full of a thick layer of dry pine shavings
• Durvet Vitamin B complex in her water
• liquid calcium on her pea treats
• Wrapped her leg with vet tape for a day, but seemed to put her more off balance so removed
• Soaked in warm epsom salt bath
• Washed with soap (she seemed to really enjoy that so I lingered giving her a leg massage)
• Application of DMSO
(the espsom salt bath and DMSO were just done a few minutes ago, so too soon to tell how much it will help)
Questions
• Is there anything I'm missing?
• Should I be bracing/splinting her leg?
• If I should brace/splint, how is this done in a way that allows them to walk and sit? (I can likely figure this out, but if someone has pics/easy instructions that's great)
• Just wrap in vet tape again? Or just leave it bare?

Thank you!

I'm not sure what to suggest here, but I will say that B complex needs to be fed directly, 1ml over a treat daily, if you put it in the water, it will be too dilute and you won't know how much she's getting

Could you get a video of her limping?

 

[loofa]

okay, I'll give her the B vitamins direct. I don't have a video of her and honestly I'm doing everything I can to prevent her from limping about and to just hunker down and heal. But if you can picture a duck on one foot, unable to put ANY weight on the other foot, that's really all you need to know. There are no visible injuries.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Letting her have access to warm water so she can paddle around and keep the leg muscle from getting weaker will help too along with the Liquid B complex.

 

[loofa]

@Miss Lydia thank you - it's been a week now and she still cannot put any weight on that foot. The vet doesn't know what's going on, no sign of infection or obvious damage, but we have not done x-rays mostly because of combination of expense and doubt that they will give us information that will dramatically change the course of events. I tried putting her in a wading pool but she just hopped around on her good foot, not engaging her bad one, so I think I'll put her in a bathtub next for deeper water that I can warm. I agree that exercising her hurt leg will be good as I can tell that it's atrophying

 

[loofa]

Our vet just called in a script for Gabapentin to add to the meloxicam we are giving her to see if that helps. Plus calcium and B vitamins, which all leads to our girl getting a LOT of pea treats

 

[Miss Lydia]

I sure hope it all works and gets her back up on both legs.

 

[loofa]

And I'm starting to think about "what does life look like with a one legged duck?". They are not such graceful creatures even with two legs. I wish I knew if the Meloxicam was doing anything to alleviate pain - I mean, she is an otherwise healthy duck, so if she has to live like this - in her little protective pen (so our drake cannot mount her and also so she doesn't try to follow the flock all around, hurting herself more) with her flock able to be near her just not harass her, given treats and being carried to the coop at night so she can sleep with her flock.... I think this would be okay, I just wish I could tell if we are managing her pain such that she is not overly suffering. She is eating, drinking, laying eggs, evacuating.... all fine; perhaps that's how we tell?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think that is letting you know. She’s doing all duck things except walking right now. If she was in pain she’d stop eating and lose interest in living. You aren’t seeing that. I believe you’d know.

 

[loofa]

Thank you, this is what I'm thinking too. Still nice and reassuring to have a more experienced duck tender say it