# Swollen Legs



## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

This might get a bit long winded and I should probably start two separate threads but while searching for help for this baby bird is what led to this story.
As some of you may know from this thread http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/splayed-legs-how-old-is-too-late-to-fix-it-35633.html I had a baby with a slightly splayed right leg. Upon taking pictures we noticed that his left leg was a much bigger problem and we needed to get the band off his leg. 
Well after MANY discouraging phone calls to vets I finally found a person locally who does wildlife rescue. She said she would be happy to come and try to remove the band and asked what type of bird? When I told her it was a racing pigeon there was a long pause. When I asked her if that was a problem she told me she has had too many bad experiences with those who race pigeons. She was telling me how every summer for the last 30 some years she finds lost homers, she tracks down the owner only to be told to snap it's neck!!! Even when she explained to one owner that he didn't have a bad racer it had just been chased into a truck by a hawk the answer was the same, kill it!! I wish I could say that I was surprised but in my very short time dealing with pigeons and racers I have heard this many times. The more I thought about it the angrier I got. I have read sooo many articles about how this is a dying sport and how hard it is to get young people involved, well who is going to want to get invlolved never mind involve their children in a sport that makes no qualms about killing for no reason than the bird didn't live up to expectations! I know that nobody here condones such practices so complaining about it here is like preaching to the choir but.....
I was able to sway her opinion a bit when I agreed to take in any lost homer or fancy pigeons she finds. I only have but a handful of pedigree birds so I figure at the very least these wayward birds can be used as foster parents to the pedigree eggs.

ANYWAY back to my baby and his leg problems. The wildlife lady was kind enough to come up on Thursday and was able to get the band of his swollen leg YAY!!! She suggested I get him on a antibiotic for the legs but would not tell me what kind. She said she can't be accused of practicing vetinary care without a license I am guessing with the work she does that there are some legalities involved. Knowing there is no shortage of opinions here........LOL!
As of today the swelling on the left leg has gone down quite a bit and he seems to be trying to use it BUT now the right leg that I thought was slightly splayed is very swollen, though it is tucked under him correctly. 
I saw on another thread Charis said that babies losing the use of their legs could be due to Clostridium? Does that also cause swelling? Any thoughts as to what is going on here?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Bumping up for replies or to merge with another thread. Sorry, mods .. it's a revolving door here at my place tonight with birds coming in. I think one more animal control truck in my driveway is going to freak one of my neighbors into needing to go into therapy .. no .. she doesn't like all the birds here and it's really chafing on her to have animal control here time after time after time.

Terry


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## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

Sorry it was this one I wanted to delete or change the title to Swollen legs.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I don't think this baby has Colstridum.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Could he have injured the right leg somehow?

Reti


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## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

No I don't think he injured it. First his left leg was swollen, we cut the band off and now it is his right leg.
Does anyone know how to change the main title of a thread? The Admin. was kind enough to delete my extra thread unfortunately they deleted the wrong one.


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## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

*3 Week Old Baby Severe Leg Problems*

OK I am going to try a new thread with new pictures, hopefully someone will have an idea what is going on with this poor little guy.

Last week this baby's left leg was so swollen we had to have his band cut off, meanwhile his right leg though showing slight signs of splaying was not swollen at all. You can see the original pics in this thread http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/splayed-legs-how-old-is-too-late-to-fix-it-35633.html

Here are pics of the left leg after the band was removed. You can see that while there is still swelling below the hock it has gone down considerably














Now his right leg is just as if not more swollen than the left leg was when this started, right leg pics







Won't let me attach more than 3 pictures so.....
I find it strange that the swelling jumped from one leg to the other, he has been in his donut the whole time so I don't think he was able to injure it. I called Foy's, Jerry had never heard of this though he gave me the number of a friend who also had no ideas other than to wait it out.
Any thoughts as to what may be going on here would be greatly appreciated.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

The ONLY thing that I can come up with is Paratyphoid.........ONE of the MANY symptoms is swollen joints. 
However, the fact that one leg swelled, then went away and now the other one is swelled.........I don't know. 
I think you should try to contact Pidgey through a PM or email and direct him to the post and see what he thinks. 
No one else seems to know or be willing to speculate..........


PS: you can attach more pictures by just making another post (Post Reply)........only three pics per post is allowed......


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## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

Thanks Renee I will get in touch with Him/Her? 
Leave it to me to have something that no one has ever seen before LOL!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Certainly taking the bird to a vet would be a wise thing to do. 

Likely the little guy needs antibotics and an accessment by someone that can do a real life evaluation. jmpo


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I don't know what it could be really. 
Hopefully someone has an idea.

Reti


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

moonshadow13 said:


> Sorry it was *this one I wanted to *delete or *change the title to Swollen legs*.





moonshadow13 said:


> No I don't think he injured it. First his left leg was swollen, we cut the band off and now it is his right leg.
> 
> *Does anyone know how to change the main title of a thread? *


There ya go. 

Cindy


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

Perhaps your little guy has a circulation problem which 1st showed itself in the banded leg. Now that the excess pressure has been relieved there, it's showing up in the other leg, too. Does the bird let you handle it? Until you have more definite information, I would give it some homespun physical therapy and _GENTLY_ move the leg in circles - side to side and up & down. Be sure to get the circulation going and, at the same time, feel for hot spots and/or any catching in the movement of the limb. (same thing we'd do for cats, dogs, rabbits, etc.)


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

A vet's opinion would be ideal for this. He could take fluid from the joint and see if there is an infection going on.

Reti


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## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

Thanks Cindy!! Was there something I missed or do I need admin. to change titles or delete threads? 
I figured between having a title unrelated to the actual problem and the fact I got on my little soap box with my ranting, that this thread was toast. I actually have one going that is specific to problem at hand with new pictures but thank you.
Wolfwood not only does he let me handle him, he squeeks and wiggles his wings whenever he see's me coming. I will definately try what you suggested.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

moonshadow13 said:


> Thanks Cindy!! Was there something I missed or do I need admin. to change titles or delete threads?
> I figured between having a title unrelated to the actual problem and the fact I got on my little soap box with my ranting, that this thread was toast. I actually have one going that is specific to problem at hand with new pictures but thank you.
> Wolfwood not only does he let me handle him, he squeeks and wiggles his wings whenever he see's me coming. I will definately try what you suggested.


I would be careful doing anything with the leg, until I knew what was wrong with it. You could cause it more harm.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I think an avian vet is in order also, if you don't know what is going on as time is of the essence.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Looks to me like the swelling is a little more spread out than your typical Paratyphoid boil. I'd probably resort to Doxycycline for my first try. I've got some stuff that's working real well for this sort of thing and I've kinda' given up on Baytril as the first shot. It's powder with what looks to be Polish writing on the label underneath the second label stuck on over it.

It's a 20% powder, if memory serves, and I usually dose it at 25 mg/kg, PO, BID, again if memory serves. I usually look it up in the book every time. However, a vet might also have an injectable Penicillin which could do real good. Once had a bird that I'd gone the full one-month Baytril route and finally just started the Dox. Had to go on a surprise trip so took him to the vet the day before going to get a the longest-acting injectable shot that I could get for him. The bird had been completely lame in that leg beforehand and seemed completely over it when I got back from the trip. Don't know which did it, the Dox or the Penicillin, but Dox has worked well ever since in similar circumstances.

Pidgey


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Translation please...25 mg/kg, PO, BID.


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## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

*Thanks Pidgey*

Since I want to treat just this one bird would the Doxycycline/Tylan Tablets work just as well? They are a combo of 7mg of Doxycycline/25mg of Tylan. 
That and I don't understand what 25mg/kg, PO,BID means either LOL!


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Figured you come back with any questions...

Any idea how much this bird weighs? 250 or 350 grams? At that "25 milligrams of medicine (pure) per kilogram of bird" dosage, you'd be looking at something like one of those tablets, orally (PO), twice daily (BID). If he's much smaller than that, you'd be looking at a half tablet. The Tylosan is more for respiratory problems so it'd just be riding along in a case like this for the most part.

Pidgey


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## moonshadow13 (Dec 13, 2008)

Yes I saw those abbreviations and thought wow you must think I am alot smarter than I actually am!! LOL!!

He weighs about 226 grams he is just a baby and still being fed by his parents. So those tablets are good? If so I will order them right away and adjust the dosage depending on his weight. They do have the 20% powder but I just didn't know how to adjust for individual dosing that and I am not very practiced at the eyedropper in the back of the throat but I am confident enough to pop a pill in there and hold the beak shut.
Is there anything I can or should be doing for him while I wait for the meds to arrive?
Thank you again for all your help!


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

Get him to a vet!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

wolfwood said:


> Get him to a vet!


I agree. I know I'd feel better haveing a vet look at it. Could be anything.


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