Broken front leg

mystang89

True BYH Addict
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
1,051
Reaction score
1,996
Points
298
Location
Charlestown IN
My 3 MO old ram broke his front leg about 5 weeks ago. I think he broke it at the shoulder and threw... "elbow"? I guess that's what you call that joint. It would be my elbow in any case.

I splinter it for the shoulder first and after 2 weeks took the splint off the shoulder and placed it around the elbow with cotton wrapping to pad the splint itself.

After 2 weeks u took that one off but it looks the exact same. It's completely limp. He has no control over moving that joint.

I placed the splint back on but this time I wrapped it too tight and that just looked terrible. Fortunately I caught that after 1 day but he stayed to chew the wool off his leg. It's ugly and I don't know anything to do. The closest vet is 1hour away and they're terribly expensive. I can't afford them especially with recent financial burdens that come at the most inopportune time.

I'm sorry. I don't know if this is more of a rant, a plea for help or a journal but I think I may need to get it off my head.
 

misfitmorgan

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 26, 2016
Messages
3,726
Reaction score
6,995
Points
423
Location
Northern Lower Michigan
Unfortunately without a lot of experience or an x-ray being able to line the bones up correctly and get it fixed is not a do it at home project. There may be chipped off bone fragments that have severed the ligament or who knows what. I'm sorry but the kindest thing to do would be take him to the vet or put him down, not fair for him to suffer for a prolonged time.
 
Last edited:

misfitmorgan

Herd Master
Joined
Feb 26, 2016
Messages
3,726
Reaction score
6,995
Points
423
Location
Northern Lower Michigan
If he truely broke it he needs a vet to xray and cast or do surgery. The cast or splint has to stay on for 8-10 weeks for broken legs on lambs. Our lamb had to get her cast redone 3 times in that time because of growth.
 

Alaskan

Herd Master
Joined
May 9, 2017
Messages
5,366
Reaction score
12,588
Points
553
Location
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Time to put him down if you can't pay for the vet to surgically remove or fix the leg.
Yeah.... sorry that you have to go through this...

But at this point I would just put him down.

Bummer that he busted it, and bummer that it didn't want to heal for you....but there we are.
 

Latestarter

Novice; "Practicing" Animal Husbandry
Golden Herd Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2014
Messages
11,384
Reaction score
17,481
Points
623
Location
NE Texas
Hate to say it but unless the ram is worth a lot of money, it might prove cheaper to put the ram down and salvage what meat you can for the freezer and replace him. Sorry you're dealing with this. Hope you find a workable solution and the animal doesn't have to suffer.
 

Latest posts

Top