lethargic, limping, swollen...no known cause UPDATE, crop problem>>>

[thunderkitty]

I have a chick that I just found to be lethargic, and when I picked her up I had no trouble catching her with her slow movements She is about 2 weeks old and is not underweight, has no poo on bum...I'm going to watch and see if she will eat or drink but, I doubt it as she isn't sitting up when I set her down



now I noticed she appears to be waddling, limping...I don't have any idea what could have happened but, I suppose I should isolate her?...Her hock joint on one leg is swollen and pink...that leg is trembling... I can imagine she is in a bit of pain, what can I do, give her?

I've isolated her now and she's sad about it but, she is eating well and drank water with trivisol gladly from a dropper. I'm only wondering about painkiller now whether I can give her a tiny amount of aspirin or the like? I suppose everyone is at church this morning...

 

[Jekajo80]

Hi,

It sounds like you have done the best so far for her-to isolate her from the rest whether she likes it or not. I had this problem a few weeks ago with one of my white rocks chicks who I think got tangled up in her feeder. I didn't give her any special medicines, I just isolated her from the rest. I'm not an expert on doctoring them, but I'm pretty sure she did not have anything broken. I think she may have bruised or sprained something, as she is gradually getting better and walking again. I'd just check her legs to double check that nothing is broken or out of joint with the swollen hock, and if you can't feel anything, I'd just give her a week or two to see if she will heal on her own. Maybe if she starts feeling better in a few weeks, maybe putting her outside in a pen to let her try to walk on her own and get fresh air. Mine really started to get better when I put her outside on her own. As far as aspirin, I think it's been mentioned on another post, but I'm not how the dosing works. Hopefully someone will come along with better knowledge.

Hope your chick gets better.

 

[thunderkitty]

Thanks so much jekajo80, for responding. I'm thinking I'll just let her be, I've bee so nervous, checking on her often. I gave her the tinniest little shave of aspirin in her water, dissolved and 2 drops of trivisol. I'm going to stop at this since she is able to limp to her food and water. I hope rest and warmth will be enough other wise.

 

[Jekajo80]

As long as she's eating and drinking on her own, and she's warm, she should be ok for now. Mine got hurt a few days before I went away for the weekend a few weeks ago. Imagine how nervous I was being away from her! But she's doing much better now, a little wobbly yet, but walking on her own. Just have patience with them.

 

[thunderkitty]

So NOW on top of everything else... when I went to hold her she had a firm bulge on her chest. I looked it up and it seems to be an impacted crop? I had given them some snacks 3 days ago that I probably shouldn't have.. egg shells included which at the time I didn't know was a nono for chicks...needless to say now she has this problem... none of the others do that I could feel.. this just feels like feed though so I tried the oil down back of throat method followed by massage, things moved around but, nothing left the crop that I could feel and she was pretty mad at me. She had been very glutinous when I first seperated her, could she just be slow to digest her food for the day? I'm really paranoid I guess...I also gave her a tiny dish of sand to maybe help and some veg oil in her water to maybe help with the crop too... Well another update, her leg is doing a little better and by some miracle after vigurous massage of her crop last night she is flushed! She seems to have a fluid like contents in there though which I feel later to see if it moves down say if it was water. I'm so happy for her, I just didn't know what to think after her crop got filled yesterday, hopefully it doesn't happen again. I gave her back her ordinary water and took away her sand. If her leg gets better she'll be with the others faster then I was expecting...

 

[Jekajo80]

Glad she's better! Keep us updated on the leg.