Horrible fracture (Beware, GRAPHIC) -- what can I do?

I've just brought home a pigeon with the most horrible leg fracture -- so much so his knee is twisted 180º. It's a miracle he's alive!








The toes on the broken leg are almost black, but not the lower leg itself, so there must be blood circulating still. It doesn't look to me like the fracture happened today, as there is only a little dried blood and the knee is one big ball of infection.
For all that he still puts up a fight, eats and drinks.
I've given him Metacam and 20mg Baytril, and one way or another I'll have to get him to a vet tomorrow (as a private patient, of course, no euthanasia artists need apply!)

Anything else I can do for him?[img]

I can hear him eating right now. He's one tough customer! I've called him Hercules.

Black toes are not gangrene, do not worry. It is disturbed circulation
Knee needs cleaning, removing of dead tissue and resettling.
Looks bad, but nothing that operation cannot fix. As long as Vet has experience with these type of traumas. (And is willing to do it)
X-ray will give more precise answer too.
Give him chamomile tea for calming and pain relief, anything else with Baytril will be risky.

Thanks a million, I'm SO relieved that you think it's not as bad as it looks!

I'll go brew his tea now.

Ouch, good luck at the vet.

Aaaaaaaaah - this looks really terrible. Praying for a miracle that this little guy can keep his leg and foot. Good luck tomorrow

Oh my gosh, I am very squeamish about fractures and luckily haven't come across one yet.

Good luck at the vets, I do hope they can help him, he looks as if he's got a lot of go in him, very alert and bright eyed.

Janet

There's a new veterinary hospital in town. I'm gonna call them as soon as they're open and I pray they have an avian vet, as the one in the clinic I've been using is only there on thursdays, and she's no good.
Fingers crossed.
I have now removed his food and left him the chamomile tea. That will be removed at midnight.

The vet hospital has a decent-looking website, and their blurb says they treat exotics and birds.
http://www.clinicao.pt/

Wish us luck!

I'm sending all the positive thoughts and good wishes that I can muster, that everything goes well with the vet.

Bless you both, Teresa.

According to their web site they do orthopedic surgery and serve birds. Picture of the bone fracture in the orthopedic section is exactly what I have in mind for your pigeon. Hope it is not only pretty advert.

No, not just a pretty advert, they're the real deal!

GOOD NEWS!

Hercules has been X-rayed, and the fracture looks like this



with subsequent rotation of the lower leg. The knee is ok, but the vet said that the fracture transformed the two halves of the bone into two blades, hence the tissue damage.

He's having surgery this afternoon, performed by the orthopedic surgeon himself, and I'm to phone at about 5pm (by which time Hercules should be awake) to know what time I can collect him.
The vet said that bone and blood vessels can be mended, but he couldn't say how much sensitivity he will regain in that leg. They did sensitivity tests, but they were inconclusive. We agreed to take it one step at the time.

I'm sure they knew Hercules was a rescued feral, considering the way the receptionist grinned and asked if he had a name. At that time I grinned back and said, 'He is a pet. At least while he is under my care. And I want the best care for him.'
I liked the vet. Very professional and matter-of-fact. Neither did he feel insecure or offended (unlike my previous vet) when I told him the bird had been medicated yesterday with Baytril and Metacam; he just made a note of it.
I think Hercules has landed on his feet here, if you'll pardon the pun...

Teresa, that's great news!

I envy you to have such a Vet around. Please ask them to open a branch in Johannesburg. I'll cover probably half of their budget.
Hercules will be Ok. Birds have incredible regenerative abilities. He just needed a chance, which you provided.

Wonderful news to find a vet that didn't give you attitude about bringing in a Pigeon. I hope is that in time, as you get ot know the vet and he gets to know you, he will be willing to treat ferals at a reduced rate.

We so appreciate the update on Hercules, Teresa.
Continued positive thoughts and best wishes are being sent your way that he recovers without incident.

It sounds like your new vet is a 'keeper'.

Teresa - that sounds very good. I will keep your little Hercules in my heart and my big prayers. He really seems to be fighter and I wish him all the luck of the world. The first step was to have found YOU - now it is up to him to show what he is made of - Good Luck, little Hercules!

The surgery has finished and he's going to be fine.

When I phoned at 5pm they had just anaesthetised him, so they said the vet would phone after surgery -- that was a few minutes ago.

The procedure was rather more complicated than anticipated because the bones had already started to knit in the wrong places. They had to be separated and then shaved back to healthy bone tissue, as there was dead bone tissue at the extremities. The vet estimates the poor bird had been in that state for a week or more! :eek:
The other problem they encountered was the very extensive tissue damage: both 'blades' of bone had pierced the flesh in opposite directions. So the question was how to immobilise such an angled break for 3 weeks without causing necrosis of the flesh wounds. The answer was to use biogenic collagen pads between the bone and the wounds as cushioning material that will gradually be absorbed by the body, and which will also absorb any exudates from the wound. He (Hercules, not the vet!) may have to wear a Queen Elizabeth collar for part of his convalescence time!
So there you have it, I now possess a pigeon with breast implants in his legs!

Incredibly impressive! And, by the looks of it, incredibly expensive! :eek: Oh well, it's bread and water for the rest of the month! :That\\\'s so f

Hi Teresa,

I am ashamed, I couldn't look at this thread, I had such a horrific image in my mind, I didn't think I could help....I am so relieved that thanks to your involvement he will be all right he will be all right!

Cynthia

That is such good news. What an amazing vet to have around, like the others said, I too am so jealous.

I am really looking forward to hearing how it progresses.

I'm just fitting both my dogs up with their Elizabethan collars for the night as they keep chewing their respectives wounds given half a chance.
I can't imagine a pigeon with one on, that's got to be a photo please.

Janet

Bless his sweet little birdie heart.
Thanks for keeping us updated, Teresa.

Bless his heart. Bless your heart too. You are another Pigeon Hero.

This blooming bird is indestructible!
I only got to collect him after 10pm, because the vet had had to rush away to tend to an injured dog. When the vet went to get Hercules he was amazed to find him standing. Apparently after this kind of surgery birds usually lie down, with the injured leg trailing behind.

Worried about him being jolted about in the basket, I brought him home as you see him in the pictures, only he tucked his head in! When we arrived home I took the pictures and even did a little happy dance with him around the room. Only he pecked me. So I thought perhaps dancing was not appropriate...

In the kitchen, I used my free hand to fill one bowl with seeds and another with water. He ate really well, and then stuck his entire head in the water bowl and gulped! Then, still one-handed, I rolled a towel into a sausage shape about as thick as my arm, bent that into a large U and put it in the basket, and then put Hercules in there. He got the idea straight away, making himself cosy perched on the roll with the injured leg in an almost standing position. The basket is right beside me now. I covered it and dimmed the lights, and this truly amazing pigeon is finally getting a well-earned rest. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The vet said he would have liked to bend his leg a little more, so it would be in a more natural position, and more comfortable. But everytime he tried, the bones misaligned, so he had to compromise. I'm sure that when the leg bone mends we can gently restore mobility with a little physio and massage. But for now, I'm just so happy with what's been achieved: I felt his toes and they are warm to the touch, and the colour is coming back to them.

I'm just not sure about the Baytril dosage: the vet recommended 3.75mg twice a day, and I would have been happier with 15mg once a day (he weighs 275g). What do you think?

After the next thing I've got to tell you, you will wish this was your vet even more: the total for 4 full-leg X-rays, plus surgery, plus more Baytril was under $200!!!!!!

PS. Thank you all so much,

That is a great price! Congratulations!!!!
Vet's calulations are the same I come up with but I would give it all once a day..7.50mg. Hercules is pretty light. You may want to increase the dose as he puts on weight which surely he will with food and support.
How can he not get better with you holding him and doing the :That\\\'s so f