Wingstem
Hatching
Hello! I'm hoping for some advice for my little chick who appears to have a slipped tendon. This is my first time dealing with a slipped tendon. He (or she) hatched on 9/17 at about 7pm and I noticed he couldn't extend his right leg and there was a sore on the outside of the joint. After a few hours of research to diagnose the problem, following instructions for slipped tendon treatment, I was able to move the tendon and the leg was immediately able to extend... but I never felt anything like a popping of the tendon into place that many people describe.
I splinted the leg and taped him into a box in the standing position using Sussanne Chambers' technique How to repair slipped tendons. At 12 hours I redid the splint as it appeared it was slipping down. And at 24 hours total I removed the splint to see how it looked... he was very stiff but started moving on his own. I wasn't sure at first, but it was obvious in a couple hours that the tendon had slipped again (or maybe hadn't been in place to begin with). I put him back in a splint (and since then the splint has been redone a few times), and I have kept him immobilized, first in the box and now today in a sling with feet hanging free because he was really fighting the box and I was afraid he would hurt himself further.
Today I redid his leg, using tape to pull the tendon and wrapped around the joint, then splinted with cardboard like KsKingBee describes in the Peafowl forum.
He seems to be doing fairly well, is full of energy and eating and drinking well... but it's now been 4 days and I don't think I'm making much if any progress on correcting his leg. His joint is still swollen (the open wound now looks mostly healed) and I don't think I have the tendon in place. Has the tendon contracted and is it now too short? Is there still too much swelling for the tendon to stay in place? What can I do to help him?
Anyone who has suggestions and experience in this area, I'd love to hear your thoughts! And I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to tag @KsKingBee for help, and any other peafowl keepers who may have advice... I'd love to hear from you too. It seems that this is common in peafowl and you all have shown success in treating even complex cases. I'm a very long-time lurker on Backyard Chickens and have seen so many wonderful success stories in so many areas from you kind folks and I hope my little chick can be one of them.
Thank you so much for your time and help!
Little Slipped Tendon Chick in front.
With 2 of his siblings (lower left). Little Yellow Chick has egg on his face from helping his sibling eat!
Right leg with slipped tendon.
Snoozing.
I splinted the leg and taped him into a box in the standing position using Sussanne Chambers' technique How to repair slipped tendons. At 12 hours I redid the splint as it appeared it was slipping down. And at 24 hours total I removed the splint to see how it looked... he was very stiff but started moving on his own. I wasn't sure at first, but it was obvious in a couple hours that the tendon had slipped again (or maybe hadn't been in place to begin with). I put him back in a splint (and since then the splint has been redone a few times), and I have kept him immobilized, first in the box and now today in a sling with feet hanging free because he was really fighting the box and I was afraid he would hurt himself further.
Today I redid his leg, using tape to pull the tendon and wrapped around the joint, then splinted with cardboard like KsKingBee describes in the Peafowl forum.
He seems to be doing fairly well, is full of energy and eating and drinking well... but it's now been 4 days and I don't think I'm making much if any progress on correcting his leg. His joint is still swollen (the open wound now looks mostly healed) and I don't think I have the tendon in place. Has the tendon contracted and is it now too short? Is there still too much swelling for the tendon to stay in place? What can I do to help him?
Anyone who has suggestions and experience in this area, I'd love to hear your thoughts! And I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to tag @KsKingBee for help, and any other peafowl keepers who may have advice... I'd love to hear from you too. It seems that this is common in peafowl and you all have shown success in treating even complex cases. I'm a very long-time lurker on Backyard Chickens and have seen so many wonderful success stories in so many areas from you kind folks and I hope my little chick can be one of them.
Thank you so much for your time and help!
Little Slipped Tendon Chick in front.
With 2 of his siblings (lower left). Little Yellow Chick has egg on his face from helping his sibling eat!
Right leg with slipped tendon.
Snoozing.
Your little buff sweetie is so cute! I know my little chick's got a long road ahead but want to give him the best chance possible for a full and happy life... that's my job.
The skin over the joint looks red, but most of the puffiness is gone. I didn't play around with it or try to move the tendon, I just kept it straight and re-splinted. His leg seems to curve sideways at the joint... not the bones, just right at the joint, there's some give there and the leg bends/moves inwards. Now in the new splint the leg is staying straight. What do you think of this?
