Hey, I'm back again with my limping 2,5 years old Serama bantam since the old thread was a getting a bit bloated
She's limped for a month now on her right leg and it's gotten gradually worse. She has to swing her leg forward before trying to move, like it's hard to control it, and doesn't want to put much weight on it. Sometimes she uses it for slight support when eating or lying down. The foot doesn't react much but she slightly curls her toes if you bother her enough, the rest of the time the toes are slightly curled or just stretched out. The leg itself can somewhat be moved but it's clumsy and difficult. The other leg and her wings are perfectly normal.
She has a swollen spot near her knee that feels somewhat hard and has been there for about as long as she's been limping.
The first vet visited prescribed Metacam for 5 days to see if she improves, but thought the sciatic nerve felt swollen and it would be Marek's if the Metacam didn't help. It didn't make a significant difference.
The second vet was certain it was a fracture initially, but couldn't find any trace of that after she was X-rayed. She was prescribed Metacam for another week, which she's getting the last dose of tomorrow, it also didn't make a difference. She could get a cell test from the swollen spot done to check if it's an inflammation or infection, but the vet couldn't diagnose anything at the time
She's gotten Vitamin B complex soon after the limping started, Vitamin C for the first week or two, Chinese Skullcap since the second or third week (don't know if my dosage is correct though and it's hard to feed her), and Metacam during the second and fourth weeks
I initially thought it could be a sprain, but would it last this long without any improvement? It's not a fracture, since that wasn't visible on the X-ray. It's probably not a splayed tendon since the leg feels fine otherwise. I doubt it's a growth issue since she's a 350-grams adult hen who hasn't done any growing in almost 2 years. I've considered Marek's the whole time, but the symptoms don't feel quite right, but I guess it could be an odd form of single-leg paralysis. I've read posts that say swollen legs are not a symptom of Marek's though, and the second vet clinic didn't think it matched Marek's. The more I read about Marek's the more anything feels like it's Marek's.
I had a few birds succumb to Marek's (probably, didn't get them tested after death) about 2 years ago, but it happened quickly for all but one of them. They rapidly became paralysed in their legs and some their wings, except one roo who got a stiff leg and limping at around 4 months of age, got slightly better, then became fully paralysed at maybe 6-7 months. None of them recovered.
She has been ill several times before with lethal illnesses. Twice with some undiagnosed respiratory illness with about 6 months between. The first time she sneezed bloody mucus and breathed raspily, but got better in less than a week. The second time she had collapsed on the floor with agonal breathing and I was certain it was the end for her, but she somehow recovered within a few hours of being held upright, given human cough syrup and some egg porridge. The third time she got a prolapse after laying soft-shelled eggs for a while, and ended up getting a Suprelorin implant. She's on her second or third implant now, but surely that couldn't cause a swollen joint many months later?
I've been to the only two avian vets in my country and neither could diagnose the issue. After a month of no improvement and only gradual worsening I'm starting to wonder if there's any hope of recovery at all if I can't even figure out what it is. It hurts to watch her suffer, even though she's still alert and happy to take it easy eating, loafing around, or being held.
I'm currently giving her Chinese Skullcap, but reading the thread about that it sounds like she should have improved by now, assuming it has any effect and it even is Marek's. I can't find anything about a gradually worsening swollen joint by googling that matches, but I've run out of options.
Does anyone have any insight or wild speculation what could be the problem to share? I appreciate any input, attaching the X-ray pictures too in case they can show something. The swollen spot feels like it's just below the knee on the tibia, but the second vet initially diagnosed her with a fractured femur
She's limped for a month now on her right leg and it's gotten gradually worse. She has to swing her leg forward before trying to move, like it's hard to control it, and doesn't want to put much weight on it. Sometimes she uses it for slight support when eating or lying down. The foot doesn't react much but she slightly curls her toes if you bother her enough, the rest of the time the toes are slightly curled or just stretched out. The leg itself can somewhat be moved but it's clumsy and difficult. The other leg and her wings are perfectly normal.
She has a swollen spot near her knee that feels somewhat hard and has been there for about as long as she's been limping.
The first vet visited prescribed Metacam for 5 days to see if she improves, but thought the sciatic nerve felt swollen and it would be Marek's if the Metacam didn't help. It didn't make a significant difference.
The second vet was certain it was a fracture initially, but couldn't find any trace of that after she was X-rayed. She was prescribed Metacam for another week, which she's getting the last dose of tomorrow, it also didn't make a difference. She could get a cell test from the swollen spot done to check if it's an inflammation or infection, but the vet couldn't diagnose anything at the time
She's gotten Vitamin B complex soon after the limping started, Vitamin C for the first week or two, Chinese Skullcap since the second or third week (don't know if my dosage is correct though and it's hard to feed her), and Metacam during the second and fourth weeks
I initially thought it could be a sprain, but would it last this long without any improvement? It's not a fracture, since that wasn't visible on the X-ray. It's probably not a splayed tendon since the leg feels fine otherwise. I doubt it's a growth issue since she's a 350-grams adult hen who hasn't done any growing in almost 2 years. I've considered Marek's the whole time, but the symptoms don't feel quite right, but I guess it could be an odd form of single-leg paralysis. I've read posts that say swollen legs are not a symptom of Marek's though, and the second vet clinic didn't think it matched Marek's. The more I read about Marek's the more anything feels like it's Marek's.
I had a few birds succumb to Marek's (probably, didn't get them tested after death) about 2 years ago, but it happened quickly for all but one of them. They rapidly became paralysed in their legs and some their wings, except one roo who got a stiff leg and limping at around 4 months of age, got slightly better, then became fully paralysed at maybe 6-7 months. None of them recovered.
She has been ill several times before with lethal illnesses. Twice with some undiagnosed respiratory illness with about 6 months between. The first time she sneezed bloody mucus and breathed raspily, but got better in less than a week. The second time she had collapsed on the floor with agonal breathing and I was certain it was the end for her, but she somehow recovered within a few hours of being held upright, given human cough syrup and some egg porridge. The third time she got a prolapse after laying soft-shelled eggs for a while, and ended up getting a Suprelorin implant. She's on her second or third implant now, but surely that couldn't cause a swollen joint many months later?
I've been to the only two avian vets in my country and neither could diagnose the issue. After a month of no improvement and only gradual worsening I'm starting to wonder if there's any hope of recovery at all if I can't even figure out what it is. It hurts to watch her suffer, even though she's still alert and happy to take it easy eating, loafing around, or being held.
I'm currently giving her Chinese Skullcap, but reading the thread about that it sounds like she should have improved by now, assuming it has any effect and it even is Marek's. I can't find anything about a gradually worsening swollen joint by googling that matches, but I've run out of options.
Does anyone have any insight or wild speculation what could be the problem to share? I appreciate any input, attaching the X-ray pictures too in case they can show something. The swollen spot feels like it's just below the knee on the tibia, but the second vet initially diagnosed her with a fractured femur
