Help - limping hen

[garethj]

Hi all one of my girls seems to be limping badly and not sure what it could be? I brought her in last night to observe her and bathed her feet to clean them up so i could have a proper look underneath. Everything looked ok no signs of cut / splinters etc and no redness or swelling or black lumps. She is struggling to put it down to walk and is either sitting down or standing favouring her other foot with the sore one stretched out in front.
Any ideas what this could be and what is the best course of treatment if any other than lots of TLC?

[perchy]

One of my girls had a bad limp, we think she jumped off the top of the ark and landed badly although at first I thought it was bumble foot, if you have checked the leg and are sure it is not broken then she may have sprained or strained it, they do look pitiful when they are limping if you notice any different coloured areas you could use arnica cream to help with any bruising, otherwise lots of tlc, make sure she can get to the food and water ok and to roost, would watch her for a couple of days and if no better maybe a trip to the vets, I have to say my girl look 6/8 weeks before walking properly again.

[garethj]

Thanks perchy she is feeding and drinking fine no obvious signs of brusing at the mo but will keep a look out. There are no obvious signs of a broken leg but is there anyway i could tell? I have held her leg and gently pinched it all over and she didnt make any sharp response like i would expect if i had hit a sore spot

[perchy]

I doubt it is broken if she has allowed you to do that to her, just keep an eye, strains and sprains can take some time to heal, just as said make sure she can get to feed and water without too much effort, they are good at doing what helps them to recover

[Steve the Gas]

As per Perky.

[debby]

good luck hope she is ok

[garethj]

Hi all just an update Annie was no better so a trip to the vets was called for on Monday diagnosis was an infected limb or a sprain "2 injections and a course of baytril should see her right" by Wednesday no improvement so drove a 50 mile round trip to see a chicken specialist diagnosis this time was 1, she could be egg bound 2, she could have a Sprain 3, she could have a small fracture or 4, she could have Mereks disease.
She now has to be kept apart from the others just incase of Mereks and is now on a course of Metacam. If that doesnt work its an x-ray and failing that if it is mereks than i dont think there is a treatment.
How far do you go we have spent £100 upto now the x-ray is £40 plust treatment if any. After that its tests for Mereks and the hope its not been passed on to the others
Fingers crossed its only a sprain

[perchy]

Thank you for the update, sorry to hear you have had a bit of an ordeal, it is a sprain or strain

[Steve the Gas]

Well, for a specialist, that is one hell of a general diagnosis. Basically, it could be anything...

I wouldn't be using that so called specialist again....

[garethj]

I know Steve it would seem the only way the specialist can be sure is for me to throw endless amounts of cash his way for all the tests like i said how far do you go? i could spend all this money and then find out its just a sprain/strain at the end of it and that time is the only cure, or that its Mereks and then the only option to be pts, but i also want the best for her and dont want her to be suffering in the mean time

[Steve the Gas]

If she suffers - you will know and be able to act.
My money is on a sprain/strain.

[JD1970]

How is she getting on?