How Quickly Does Albendazole Work?

[Sara-W]

2 days ago Queenie ( one of my 17 week old chickens) was walking past my ducks when one of them decided to peck her for no reason its never happened before or since, usually they just ignore each other. Now poor Queenie has a limp Am I right in thinking that as long as she is eating, drinking moving about then I should just observe? She is able to walk around the garden and lean on it but when she is standing still she holds it up Should I take her to the vet or wait to see if it gets better? I feel terrible not doing anything

Edited August 19, 2009 by Guest

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've no first hand experience but I'm sure I've read about other chickens with limps who recovered well with no intervention. As long as you're sure there's no break (unlikely) she may just be bruised. If she seems well otherwise, I think you're doing the right thing.

[Sara-W]

Thanks for the reply, I thought I was right I just needed some reassurance She is behaving normally and was even standing on top of a bale of straw just now! She limps badly when walking around its upsetting to watch Evil ducks

[chelsea]

We've had a limper for 2 weeks now.

 

We took her to the vets this evening and she had ligament damage. I would keep an eye on your hen, if the limping continues maybe best to get it checked out by a vet.

[Falkor]

Gin was limping for a good three weeks before she returned to "normal".

 

She had tripped over the log edging in her mad dash for mealworms and as you say it was very upsetting to watch.

 

I would check the leg over to make sure it has range of movement, swelling or feels hotter than the other, cruching ...if there are any of these things then I would personally pop her into the vets if only advice and for an anti-inflam jab maybe??

 

I tried to restrict Gin from moving about too much so she was made to sleep in the Eglu as opposed to the cube as normal. She was not happy! I also limited free-ranging right down for all of them....que four VERY unhappy chooks! And I took her fave perch from the WIR as there is nothing graceful about her landings when she has two legs that work!!

[Chooks Aloud]

My Dolly has had a limp for 1.5 years now. I took her to the vet, who wasn't much help, just said put her down. I took her home as she didn't appear to be in pain at all. One and a half years later she is still living the life of Riley. Although now she can't run around any more. I have to keep her separate from the others, because of them pecking her, but she accompanies me on my gardening - she flaps to get around to follow me, or I lift her to give her a bit of a change. She's bathed, blow dried and thoroughly spoilt rotten. I love her dearly and am so glad I didn't let them put her down. A chap whose had chickens all his life looked at her for me, told me that she would never be right, but as long as I was happy to look after her so be it. She gave me a lot of eggs in her younger years, so I'm keeping her.

 

She is a lot of work, but well worth it.

[Jules.]

One of my boys has been limping for about 3 weks now. He shows no signs of it bothering him, so I've just kept my eye on him.

[Sara-W]

I observed Queenie all day yesterday, the limp was no better so today I decided I would take her to the vet only to find that our local vet surgery is closed on Thursdays I made up my mind to take her first thing tomorrow morning but after watching her today I'm unsure what to do I think there is a slight improvement so do I take her to the vet tomorrow or wait and see how she is over the weekend? She is eating and drinking brilliantly and even had a dustbath this afternoon The touching thing about Queenie is that she and her sister Mildred are the lowest in the pecking order and Mildred hasn't left her side the whole time, Queenie was sitting under the hedge earlier pecking away at the grass while Mildred stood in front of her keeping her company and looking after her The children are calling her nurse Mildred! They have such lovely personalities I am distraught that Queenie's injured

chooks aloud, I think that Dolly is very lucky that you are her owner it sounds like she has a fantastic life with you I think I would be the same if the vet said that to me.

[Sara-W]

Took Queenie to a new vet this morning, (I was unimpressed with the old vet after taking a guinea pig there last week with an obvious mite problem and being told that the guinea pig could be pregnant! ) anyway I'm so glad I took her to the new vet he was very helpful and treated her with great respect. He said that the duck had pecked her in a most unfortunate place and her muscle is damaged, he gave her an anti-inflam injection and showed me how to massage her muscle to try and stimmulate it. I have to take her back on monday, if there is no improvement he said he would do an x-ray to see if there is any damage to the bone in her leg. I'm so glad I took her now and its great to have a vet that actually knows what he's doing and takes the time to explain in detail what is wrong. I just hope that Queenie's leg gets better

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's good . What a nice vet he sounds . Hope she improves quickly with that excellent treatment .

[chelsea]

So glad you've found a nicer vet

 

Lets hope her condition improves and she's better soon.

 

Acorn our limper is currently wearing a splint that the vet made, our vet is nice also - she went to see him twice last week and told us not to bother to pay as he enjoys doing chickens

[Sara-W]

Thanks everyone for your replies Just came back from the vet, he is quite pleased that Queenie is able to lean on her "ankle" but would like to see her using her toes (she can't grasp with them at all ) I've now been told to help her by making her bend her leg (which makes her grasp with her toes slightly) several times a day, also she must stay active which thankfully she is Next appointment is Wednesday hope she improves by then

[Sara-W]

Took Queenie to the vet again this morning there has been no improvement The vet said that her muscle is now much smaller and has started to waste away so it is unlikely to start working again:( The only good thing is that she is coping well with her limp and is in no pain, the other chickens get on well with her and she is even allowed to dust bathe and share treats with Endora (top hen) The vet said he was confident that she is in no pain and as long as she is happy he thought that she will be fine

[Chucky Mama]

Could you do a bit of DIY physio moving her leg and massaging muscles if it is not sore and she will let you?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's a shame but as long as she's not obviously in pain and can get around, I suppose that's a good outcome. Poet had a disabled chicken, Bea, who lived with her happily for quite some time (she sadly died recently ).

[abwsco]

One of our exbatts lost the use of her leg completely last October. It was sticking straight out in front of her and she had no reflexes in it at all. I took her to the vets and they gave her metacam. She lived in the house with us for 13 days, gradually getting stronger each day and then went back with all the others, so don't give up hope. Mindy also returned to being top chook and she just had an occasional limp.