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Slipped Tendon
Perosis, Slipped Hock, Luxation Of The Achilles (gastrocnemius) Tendon
Slipped tendon, also known as perosis, occurs when the duck's Achilles (gastrocnemius) tendon pops off the side of the bone, resulting in pain and reluctance to put weight on the leg. Affected ducks may be seen having a difficult time walking, and will have a limp to their walk--or they may continuously land with one foot on top of the other. There is often a variable amount of swelling around the hock joint. If the duck's tendon is completely ruptured, they may even walk "flat-footed" or "dropped", with their toes in that leg curled downward in a crab claw stance, like they are trying to grip the floor or perch on a roosting bar.
If identified early enough when ducks are still growing, and action is swiftly taken, sometimes the condition can be reversed, or at least improved through providing support and stabilization of the hock through splinting. It may easily be confused with splay leg, however with splay leg, the whole leg deviates rather than just at the hock. Rickets may also be mistaken for slipped tendon in ducklings, however with rickets, it is caused by the long bone deformity, not tendon displacement.
Isolate the bird from the flock and place in a safe, comfortable, warm location (your own duck "intensive care unit") with easy access to water and food. Limit stress. Call your veterinarian.
Supplemental manganese
Added to the diet, while ensuring not to provide excess calcium (calcium binds manganese)
Splinting
May be beneficial for early cases. A figure-of-eight bandage is applied around the hock, providing the duckling support and stabilization.
Surgery
Performed by an Avian veterinarian, may be indicated if identified during the early stages of the condition
Case 1: Slipped tendon in a Duck A male Pekin duck had a history of non-weight bearing lameness for a week. Both of the duck’s hock joints were enlarged. Physical exam revealed that the tendons were displaced to the medial side of both hocks. The tendons were both repaired surgically and the legs were splinted into the correct positions and bandaged. The duck received antibiotics (Cefotaxime 100 mg/kg IM) for 5 days and anti-inflammatories (meloxicam 0.1 mg/kg PO) for 3 days. Additional manganese was added to the duck’s daily diet in the form of rice and chickpeas. Ref
DSM in Animal Nutrition & Health Riboflavin DSM (2017)
Wen, Z. G., et al Effects of Dietary Methionine Levels on Choline Requirements of Starter White Pekin Ducks Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences (2016)
Greenacre, Cheryl B. Musculoskeletal Diseases Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery: A Guide for Veterinary Practitioners (2014)
Hong, Cai, and Feng Zeguang Experimental Pathology of Manganese (Mn) deficiency and effects of higher phosphorus upon manganese deficiency in broiler ducks ACTA Veterinaria et Zootechnica sinica (1997)
