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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider not taking my lame pet to the vets?

224 replies

THERhubarb · 06/09/2013 13:56

Before you all tear me apart let me explain....

This is a 2 week old chick. We have 3 of them and this is the youngest. I paid around £3 each for them and they are being cared for by one of my hens.

Yesterday I noticed this little fella was limping but was still getting around. I checked its foot, couldn't find anything stuck in it so let it go back assuming it would get better by itself.

Today it cannot put any weight on the foot. I have taken it indoors and examined it and it's not any of the usual foot diseases I've so far googled. I can't feel any broken bones so could just be a sprain, but obviously I don't know for sure.

The chick is a Pekin bantam so its tiny still and difficult to treat I would imagine. I've not put it back with it's mum or the others but have brought it in as it was not coming out of the hutch for food or water, at least this way I can make sure its eating.

I've just phoned the vets and they charge £10 consultation fee plus whatever else for treatment/medication.

Now when all is said and done, it is just a chick and doesn't appear to be in constant pain, it just can't walk around as it refuses to put the bad leg down. I am tempted to just pop it back under mother hen tonight, then take it out again tomorrow and do what I'm doing today, which is to keep it in an egg box with food and water and hope that the leg gets better with plenty of rest so it can eventually join the other two and mother hen.

Would this be totally unreasonable?

OP posts:
Original poster
THERhubarb · 09/09/2013 14:08

Again, photos up if anyone wants to see it.

Just about to get it up out of its intensive care cage and encourage it to stand on its leg a bit more to feed.

OP posts:
MrsDeVere · 09/09/2013 14:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Twattybollocks · 09/09/2013 14:16

Just because you didn't take it to the vet doesn't mean you aren't treating it. I've had a fair few small animals over the years and I've seen a fair few vets who were frankly fucking useless regarding small animals and one who was downright cruel (picked up my rabbit by the scruff causing it to shriek in pain and fear, I doubt he will make that mistake twice) I've been well aware on a number of occasions that my own knowledge of rabbit and guinea pig health and behaviour far exceeded the vets, but have been forced to suck it up and pay in order to get the medication required.
You are exactly right in what you are doing and its what I would expect anyone with a decent knowledge of animal husbandry to do.

tabulahrasa · 09/09/2013 14:16

"Ah I see, my brain only read one 'not' instead of two."

The two nots wasn't exactly my best use of language, lol.

"I have friends and family who rush to the vet with a pet in circumstances in which they would never take a child to the doctors."

Unfortunately though, there are no over the counter painkillers available for animals, so you do end up having to use a vet for fairly minor things. Some human medication is easily available and useful for minor things in pets - but painkillers you have to get on prescription.

Twattybollocks · 09/09/2013 14:18

The chick is v cute btw, and as you say looks pretty chipper and bright in the second photo. Not distressed, or depressed as you would expect to see an animal in a lot of pain/suffering.

Original poster
THERhubarb · 09/09/2013 14:21

There are over the counter painkillers for small animals - I just got some.

OP posts:
unobtanium · 09/09/2013 15:00

I know vets can splint chicks' feet -- since a nice vet splinted my tiny budgie's broken foot about forty five years ago. Budgie got better.

Pet or not, worth it or not, I wouldn't dare to say, but don't assume a vet can't help your chick.

unobtanium · 09/09/2013 15:03

Just seen the piccies. You are hardly neglecting it.

Good luck

Original poster
THERhubarb · 09/09/2013 16:02

unobtanium - if the leg was definitely broken then I would consider it but without an expensive x-ray it may be difficult to tell. How much did it cost you to get your budgie's leg splint, if you don't mind my asking?

Leg doesn't seem to be bent in any way other than the way it should go so if it is broken, I am hoping the bones will fuse back together. I could try making some kind of splint to help it walk. Trouble with this breed is that they have feathery legs so sticky tape may well be a liability! Still, it's something to consider, if only to help it walk.

OP posts:
MrsDeVere · 09/09/2013 16:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Spikeytree · 09/09/2013 18:16

This is what I used for splinting my chick's leg. I cut it down obviously. This stuff is so good I even use it for myself.

Twattybollocks · 09/09/2013 20:37

I'd use the stick of a cotton bud cut down with a little cotton wool for padding and either vetwrap or Elastoplast to secure to the leg if you want to do a splint.

Original poster
THERhubarb · 10/09/2013 13:17

Cheers y'all. Not sure how it's going to go really. She's still not walking, just sort of dragging herself along with her wings and her one good leg which isn't brilliant. Not sure if a splint would help? The cotton bud idea sounds good, might use two, one at either side to see if this will help her get out and about but if she needs a permanent splint in order to walk then it doesn't bode well tbh. I have to take her quality of life into consideration and right now she's unable to be a proper chicken. I will give her until Friday when it will have been a whole week and if I don't think she is going to be able to walk unaided then it might be best to euthanise her.

OP posts:
MyBaby1day · 11/09/2013 05:11

YABU, it's a little animal and is suffering, you should pay whatever and take it to a vet. Animals do cost and are a responsibility and you should have known that when you got it. Poor thing Sad

Tee2072 · 11/09/2013 06:29

It's a chick. I think the OP is doing more than enough.

Some if you need to go spend some time on a farm.

Twattybollocks · 11/09/2013 06:31

That's a shame rhubarb :0( could be that there's some nerve damage, or possibly a break high up near where the leg joins the pelvis and the chicks body is making it impossible to feel. As long as its bright and chirpy and eating/drinking I think you can give it a few more days, if there's no improvement then I think a quick end at home is the kindest option. I certainly wouldn't subject a tiny chick to the stress of a car journey and vets if I was just going to have it put to sleep if I could do the job at home as effectively and painlessly as a vet.

FreudiansSlipper · 11/09/2013 06:53

poor little chick

he is getting the best care, his own little room, fresh food and care

i would not take him to the vets, yes he is just a chick but what can they do that you are not. And if it is the worse outcome at home would be the best place

NandH · 11/09/2013 07:33

I had PET chicken once, had it for 6 years, it went lame and I did as you are doing for about a week but the chicken didn't get better. I took 'chic chic' as she was called, to the vet where I was told she was old and wouldn't live much longer anyway(she was one of those big fat white hens that are only bred for meat) and it would be expensive to repair so we had her put to sleep.

Chickens you eat make excellent pets Grin

MrsDeVere · 11/09/2013 07:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
THERhubarb · 11/09/2013 12:33

Jury is still out over the chick's recovery. Trouble is that we are away a week tomorrow and neighbs are looking after the chickens until Sat when the in-laws come to stay for a few days to housesit for us. There is no way we can ask the neighbs to care for the chick in the way we are doing. Besides, they have foster children; an 18 month old baby and a 4yo who is far from gentle. So if the chick cannot be returned to its mum in a week then I'm afraid that decides it.

It is able to stand on that leg now but whenever it tries to move it just topples over and ends up using its wings as leverage. It can get around a little but when I've put it back in with the others, it just sits in the corner cheeping and making no effort to move.

So whilst there has been an improvement, it's just not enough yet. This chick needs to be up and about pronto.

OP posts:
Farmstay · 11/09/2013 14:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
THERhubarb · 11/09/2013 14:35

Farmstay - I know how to do it thank you. There has been a presumption on this thread that either I don't know how to euthanise chickens or that I need my dh to do it for me. I don't believe I've led people to think this by what I've written. We always knew that we may have to do this as there is no way you'd take a chicken to the vets to be put to sleep with the prices they charge and the stress of getting the hen there in the first place.

These two other chicks look like they might be male and if we don't get any takers for them when they are older then we'll have to euthanise them too as we can't keep cockerels.

For now though, I think I'm in the best position to decide if the chick is suffering or not. I can assure you that it is not. However if it is unable to forage or move around then obviously we will euthanise. As it appears to be making slow progress, I am prepared to give it a chance. If it was a cockerel chick I might have euthanised by now, the fact that it's probably a hen is massively standing in its favour.

OP posts:
FoxMulder · 11/09/2013 14:36

I took my gerbil to the vets once. They thought I was pretty weird and assumed it must be for the sake of my (non-existent) kids. I guess they normally only see cats & dogs and the odd rabbit.

Original poster
THERhubarb · 11/09/2013 14:42

Oh and we don't use the broken neck method as I prefer to know that the animal is brain dead. Apparently they can still be conscious for a short while after you have either broken their neck or chopped their heads off. (There was a famous chicken which lived for ages without its head.) We therefore use a brick on the head. Not the cleanest of jobs but it's very quick and we can guarantee that the chicken dies instantly.

OP posts:
FoxMulder · 11/09/2013 14:46

I should have done that with the gerbil, I think I just dragged out it's suffering unnecessarily. It died on the vet's table - probably from the stress of it all.