Halo has a broken leg

New patient today, found by my mother. Called her Halo.

One leg hangs limply, a little discoloured, no feeling that I could detect. Also starvation poops, sharp keel, slightly discoloured wattles and messy vent. Not good...
Hand fed her peas+corn and an SOS pill, and booked her an appointment at the vet first thing tomorrow morning. I hope, hope, hope she makes it through the night.

She had a loop of plastic-coated wire fitted round the good leg. My guess is the idiot who 'banded' her broke her other leg in the process.

I'm so sorry to hear about Halo, Teresa. Bless her heart.
Many thanks to your Mom.

I will be thinking the best thoughts possible that she is able to hang on.
One thing's for sure, she is in the best of hands.

Please let us know how things go tomorrow at the vet.

Halo is stable. Can't wait for the morning, to take her to the vet. The fracture is very high up on her leg, and quite beyond my skill to treat.

Got pics. Note how she's positioned her bad leg on the food dish.



Here you can see the wire somebody put round her good leg, and the difference in colouring between the two feet. (The wire has been removed now.)

Appreciate the pictures of Halo, Teresa.

It definitely looks like the circulation is not the best in her left leg.
Heaven only knows how long she has been like that.

It was a blessing that your Mom spotted her.
I'll be anxious to hear what the vet has to say.

Poor bird. I hope they can fix the leg.

Halo has her upper leg broken in two places but it's a much cleaner break than Hercules's was. After splinting, the X-ray showed that the bone was well aligned and shows promise for setting in the correct position. The fracture wasn't exposed, so hopefully no necrotic tissue; the question is now whether the bone will knit, and that may depend on how many days ago it happened.

She's remaining hospitalised, as the vet is very concerned about her poops -- oil paint green, with a lot of liquid around it -- and her crop is slow to empty. So she's staying there to get sub-q fluids and injectable meds (coccidia are strong suspects at the moment, plus secondary bacterial infection) and also so she can be seen by the surgeon when he comes back on duty Monday morning, to see if she will need an operation to her leg.

She's a darling, and I'm keeping everything crossed that she'll get well again.

I sure hope she makes it. Sounds like intensive care is the best place for her given everything going on.
Let us know when you hear anything.

Many thanks for the update, Teresa.
Sending special 'get well' wishes Halo's way.

Chuck and I will keep our fingers crossed as well that she recovers without further incident.

Please keep us posted.

Poor thing. Let us know how it goes.

Thank you, Charis, Cindy and Jay!

I will definitely keep you posted.

We will be sending prayers & keeping our fingers crossed that poor Halo recovers 100%

I love her name too!

Yes, we'll be praying for her.

Thank you for your prayers!

She's improving, but she's staying at the vet's at least until tomorrow.
She's eating by herself but her poops are still not good, so it's best she is where she can get sub-q fluids and injectable meds, until her intestinal tract is able to absorb what she needs.

No surgery, at least not for now! Let's hope the bone knits!

I'm glad she's at least improving. Will continue to pray for a recovery. Thanks for the update.

Appreciate the update, Teresa.
I'm glad Halo is improving.

The sub q fluids should help considerably. Hydration can make all the difference in the world.
Special 'get well wishes' for Halo's speedy recovery continue.

Hey... guess who came home this evening!

Big improvement, especially in the poop department! She's to continue taking Baytril, Flagyl and Loxicom (this last one is new to me, seems to do the same as Metacam). Next appointment in 9 days for another X-ray.



Somebody is in need of a good clean, eh! But the colour of the bad leg is SO much better!

Good deal. I'm glad she is on the mend.

Thanks for the update, Teresa.
I'm thrilled that Halo is now home with you.
Sending special 'get well' wishes to the sweet girl.

Please keep us posted on how she's getting along.

Halo is doing really well! Her poops are still on the soft side, but nothing like they were at first.
She's now finished the course of anti-inflammatory med, and continues on Baytril and Flagyl. She's very alert and feisty and has learned when it's medication time -- hops to the bottom of the basket, eyeing me suspiciously and grunting her displeasure!

This morning it was very sunny and warm, so I bathed her, taking care not to get her splint and bandages wet, and then put her basket in the sunshine. She loved it!

She's due for her next X-ray on Friday.

It sounds like Halo is coming along well, Teresa.
Will also keep fingers crossed that the X-ray is on a positive note.

Wish I had better news to give you... Halo's leg has hardly knitted yet. Considering how frail she was when I got her, I did suspect that the injury was a few days old, but as there was no exposed bone surface, I hoped that the absence of necrotic tissue would allow the bone to heal.
The vet said that bones start to heal (correctly or not) very quickly in birds, and that if the treatment is done late, then it may still result in a non-union, like what happened to Hercules. But unlike Hercules, surgery cannot be attempted at this point, because she has 2 fractures, very close to each other, and the operation would probably just shatter the bone. She's having her dressing changed, and she is to continue with her meds and supplements until either the bone knits eventually or it definitely doesn't, in which case the leg will have to be amputated.

Please send positive healing thoughts her way. She's a brave little trooper.

Thanks for the update on Halo, Teresa.
I am so sorry the news isn't more favorable.

I will definitely continue with the 'special' positive thoughts for the little darling.
And a BIG to you both.

Poor little thing. They do okay with just one leg though and it helps if the amputation can leave even a bit of a stump.

Poor Halo. I really hope her leg can be fixed. However, even if it does have to come off, animals have that unique lack of self-pity, and the ability to adapt and make the best of what they have got And how blessed she is to be in such caring, loving hands. She can only win, no matter what the outcome

Annie.