# Help!-2 broken legs



## sirpigeon (Jan 25, 2002)

My pet racing homer disappeared a week ago and I thought a hawk got her.But tonight I looked in the coop and she was back--with 2 broken legs and a bruised keel. I think she must've flown into a power line. I put about 5 inches of wood shavings into a box and made a depression in the middle for her legs. My friend Tony thinks they'll heal up this way.Should I put splints on them as well? Any advice would be appreciated.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Sirpigeon,


If I were you, I would seek the assistance of a good Avian Vet...likely the Legs will need to be splinted carefully ( not too tight, not too lose, and aligned in doing so.)

Thighs of lower legs? Compound or...?

Anyway, my only experience with a Pigeon having two broken legs, was where it had two broken Thighs, not commutated...and, I made gentle splints, and suspended the Bird in a light cloth sling (kind of like a Hammok, suspended from the sides of the Bird...) so it woulkd eat, drink and poop with convenience.

Kept them there for maybe six weeks I think, and at the end, I was setting various thicknesses of wideish blocks of wood under them just below their feet so their toes could just touch, then so the Feet themselves could just touch, then a little more, so that they could, if they wanted, begin to test their Legs as they liked...

This went well, and the Bird walked clumcily when removed from the sling, and soon regained full use of them, but, because I had not set them quite aligned, the Bird walked ( and still walks) a little bowlegged.

This was maybe 12 or 14 years ago, and recently I saw that same Bird in with my wild Flock, where we recognized eachother after all these years.

Broken Bones can be of a wide range of severity, and, it is best if you could enlist the aid of a good Bird Vet for this...

Good luck with this..!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Sir Pigeon,

I'm sorry to hear about your pet homer. Maybe some supplements specific
to injuries. Could start off w/Arnica for trauma, calcium, etc. I'm sure you'll
get alot of suggestions on these products, in the meantime, Phil raises a good 
point about avian vet. If for some reason you end up treating yourself, Foy's does sell splints and also I believe a raised sling so that no weight bearing pressure can be applied. Check @ Foy's on splints, if they don't have the sling,
check Jedd's for sling. One of those two will sell wholesale only on internet, 
but if you call in the order, you can get what otherwise you couldn't on net.
Good luck w/your pij.

fp


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Yahhhh...

If the legs have been broken and not to where the skin is punctured or that they are badly out of align, almost any simple item may be employed to become a splint.

Something as simple as a section of a 7-11 Big Gulp Straw, padded gently with some gauze even...put on with 'micropore' Tape ( available at any sundy 'med' supply outfits..)

And a fine Sling may be made of some handy Tee-shirt, by cutting the material and sewing it or just folding two layers of it into a suitable form, and slitting the ends of it to tie to some suspension points on each side.

Somewhere, lost amid the years of clutter, I have some snap shots of 'Sling Bird' in their sling...it was easy to make, and was secure and comfortable for them, and I used an old, clean, fresh laundered Tee-Shirt for the material.

Thing is, unless one is familiar with the peculairities of broken bones, ( which I was not, but I had no sympathetic Vets here, and none I knew of who had Bird experience, and I had to invent something on the spot!) it would be best to have them examine and or even do the initial splinting or show you how...

And as fb wisely reminds, an enhanced diet, which supports especially the mending of bones, would be a nice thing to do for the Bird.

Be very carteful too for now, about how the injured legs get moved or wiggled in handleing or transport or as the Bird remains laying in their Loft...if transported to a Vet, please see if you may have someone hold them snugly so thair legs merely dangle, rather than risking further innury with allowing the Bird to lay on anything, no matter how soft or contoured...which for now, will only injure them further, hence, please, consider to have a familiar hand over see the splinting and the Sling, as soon as possible!


Phil


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Treatment on the legs will be determined as to how severe and where the break is. A good avian vet and/or rehabber can help there.

My pigeon Bear broke his leg in one place and it dangled like a rag doll. My rehabber ran her fingers up and down the leg until she found the break. He could not be splinted as it was too far up. She had to wrap his leg against his chest, that was the only position he couldn't wiggle out of,and he had to go into intensive care and sit in a donut. He healed well, with no problems, with only a great feathering coat after a month on garlic caps.

Please start the bird on Symphitum for nitting bone fracture, once the legs are set. Arnica, if there is any trauma, and garlic caps always a must.

The bird may be put in a sling to keep it off its feet.

I'm sure your bird will do well once the break has been set in both legs.

Treesa


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

My vet taught me how to "splint" broken legs with an extremely simple method. I have used it a few times. My vet is an officer in the Avian Veterinarians Association (one of 'em anyway) and works extensively with rehabbers (shoot--his clinic is the suggested point of contact for all rescued wildlife in Tulsa, OK).

His way is designed to be used on wild birds as a "catch, repair and release" method. That is, you can fix a bird's leg (when it's only one, of course) and then let the bird go. By the time that the "cast" is falling off, the bird's ready to use the leg anyway.

Anyhow, it involves clipping the feathers off of the leg as far up as it necessary to expose the leg sufficiently above the break. Then you use successive layers of the wide masking tape to bracket the break with a short piece of popsickle stick laid alongside the actual break for stiffness.

In somewhat more detail, you "set" the leg by positioning it in somewhat of a 90 degree bend (it's a natural position) and putting a 2" by 2" piece of tape underneath in such a way that it overlaps the leg bend in all directions. It needs to adhere to the leg above the break for approximately an inch (definitely as high as possible). A corresponding piece is stuck over the top so that the two pieces completely bracket the leg and flange out past the leg every which way.

That's the hard part, getting those two pieces correct. After that you simply reinforce with about three more total pieces--one on bottom and two on top with the popsickle stick alongside the break and under at least one piece of the tape, preferably two.

Gauge the overall feel of the stiffness of the lamination and determine (it's a guess, of course) whether the weight and strength of the bird warrant more tape. 

At the last, you trim the sharp edges and corners with scissors for practical and aesthetic reasons. Sign the "cast" to show you care.

In actuality, bird's bones typically heal far faster than human bones because of their far accelerated metabolism. It's likely that they can put weight on the healed leg in about 10 days but in practice, the casts are left on for a month after which they typically begin to fall off on their own.

I know a major loft where the owner just lets the poor birds flounder about on the floor and heal themselves (got some pretty crooked legs) and they manage. Of course, it's somewhat easier on the bird if you perform this help and then make it comfortable for them. I, for one, prefer to spoil the birds and have done the "donut" thing (a towel works perfectly for this) several times.

It's important to note that the leg simply needs to be immobilized so that the break cannot become permanent (yes, it's possible for the bone ends to seal without healing). If you sling the bird in such a way that it cannot put any weight on its legs, it won't take much at all to immobilize the legs.

Best of luck,

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Incidentally, the "underneath" side of the leg is referring to a pigeon laying on its side. It's best if another person is holding the pigeon on its side for this work. If you're alone, you need to lay the pigeon on a pillow. Struggling can be an issue but if you're very gentle, they usually understand that you're trying to help and will remain quite still.

So, to put it another way, the tape is installed in the vertical plane if the pigeon were standing, and running parallel from the front to the back of the bird. I know that verbal descriptions can be tough to read so if necessary, I can post a picture. The hard part will be finding a willing participant for the simulation.

Pidgey

P.S. I have been doing this kind of stuff for years and I AM NOT A SQUAB!!!


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Sirpigeon,

Just to clarify, the "event" itself would be considered a trauma, therefore if you
have arnica on hand, it would be helpful to administer especially within the first
24-48 hours after the incident.

Some 25 years ago, I was run over by a wheelchair repair van (I think they were out recruiting  ), and while no broken bones occurred, my homeopathic doctor had me start on the arnica immediately because it is best
begun during the first couple of days after physical trauma which has a range
of severity that certainly your bird would fit into. If you don't have on hand,
and there are no healthfood stores w/medicinal herb section where homeopathic
remedies are available, sometimes you can get @ drugstores that also have 
a natural herb supplement section. Even if started after the recomended 24-48hours, it would still be beneficial.

Otherwise, might be something good for you to have on hand in the future.

fp


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## sirpigeon (Jan 25, 2002)

Thank You all for the great advice. I have learned alot. I took 'Brownie' to my friend Judy today in hopes that she would help me splint her legs.Judy is an RN and knows alot about birds.She said it was too late to splint Brownies legs,because in the week she was gone her bones had already started to knit together.The good news is that Judy believes Brownie will regain full use of her legs.I am going to get some of the "7-11 Big Gulp straws" on hand just in case I ever get another pigeon with a broken leg.


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