MJ swollen knees

[J@son]

Shot a MJ buck this morning. Didn't notice anything unusual about its gait before taking the shot. However, you can clearly see the "knee" joints on both forelegs are clearly swollen - particularly on the animal's left leg. Everything else looked normal and no sign of any injuries or infection. Anyone seen something like this before? Decent head on it although still in velvet. Missing one tusk. Ears a bit tatty but no fresh injuries.

 

[J@son]

This picture also shows what I'm talking about. I was expecting I might find a cyst within the joint but it all seemed OK.

 

[Tim.243]

This picture also shows what I'm talking about. I was expecting I might find a cyst within the joint but it all seemed OK.


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The more you shoot of these the more you will find bits different....overall they suffer very little with stuff compared to Roe

 

[shakey jake]

Not unusual with muntjac

 

[J@son]

Does anyone know what we're looking at and why it happens? I wonder whether it is age related - wear and tear. However the buck I shot yesterday was mature but not old. So I'm guessing it's the result of inbreeding and not enough predation to weed out a disadvantageous inherited trait. There are clearly worse examples on the other side of the country as @Tim.243's photo shows. I'm in Gloucestershire and this is the 25th MJ I've shot but the first time I've seen an example of this - although not the first example of an unwanted / unwelcome development that appears to be worse in Essex

 

[NoIDeer]

Probably hit by a vehicle the way they graze the verges?

 

[Tim.243]

Does anyone know what we're looking at and why it happens? I wonder whether it is age related - wear and tear. However the buck I shot yesterday was mature but not old. So I'm guessing it's the result of inbreeding and not enough predation to weed out a disadvantageous inherited trait. There are clearly worse examples on the other side of the country as @Tim.243's photo shows. I'm in Gloucestershire and this is the 25th MJ I've shot but the first time I've seen an example of this - although not the first example of an unwanted / unwelcome development that appears to be worse in Essex

Well a lot of us have lumps and bumps we live with also far more of us than deer so in the small numbers who are singled out with a photo it could appear it is in high numbers bit on a scale of numbers I have shot the % is very low.

From a bag on a 100 pigeons I would expect to see 2/3 with lump/bump so the more you shoot the more you will find.

 

[venery]

On seeing a deer with that condition after shot i would have assumed sceptic arthritis but if no puss or swollen lymph nodes I would think RTA . Interesting if a genetic issue.

 

[wytonpjs]

Does anyone know what we're looking at and why it happens? I wonder whether it is age related - wear and tear. However the buck I shot yesterday was mature but not old. So I'm guessing it's the result of inbreeding and not enough predation to weed out a disadvantageous inherited trait. There are clearly worse examples on the other side of the country as @Tim.243's photo shows. I'm in Gloucestershire and this is the 25th MJ I've shot but the first time I've seen an example of this - although not the first example of an unwanted / unwelcome development that appears to be worse in Essex

Shot 78 muntjac now (20 last year), mostly young to mature, a few olds. Never seen "swollen" joints, plenty Aladdin Slippers, a few larger than most but never very large IMHO.

 

[J@son]

The joints on both legs seemed stiff and their range of movement reduced - but the left leg was definitely worse. I struggled to find the sweet spot with my knife between the two bones where severing the tendons allows the leg to twist off. And when I did get through the tendons, the top of the lower bone looked unrecognisable. However, no abscess (which I thought I might find) and lymph nodes all normal.