Frostbite on both legs! Help!

lauranickerson said:

I just bought a packet of the oxytetracyline from TSC. I will use that and see what happens. Unfortunately, I don't have $100 minimum to spend on chicken vet bills, when I have so many medical bills myself. There is only one chicken vet around here that I can find, and the one time I did take a chicken there for lethargy, she felt the crop (chicken just ate), said it was impacted crop, said to never feed a chicken sunflower seeds and that's why it had an impacted crop, then put a shot of lube in it's crop. Well, she didn't have impacted crop, actually, and she didn't even look into the things I brought her in for. I feel like I know more than her.

Even if I didn't mind the vet, I still don't have the money for it. I will try the things suggested here, and if she fades fast, I will make the tough decision to end her suffering then (hopefully won't get there).

She is such a fighter, and acts like there is nothing wrong with her. I think she will make it through.

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Yah, I took a chicken to an avian vet one time, he didn't know diddley. He was no help at all-an "avian vet specializing in exotic birds" OMG! I ended up putting her down bc I didn't know what to do. I had only just joined BYC and vey new to chicken keeping.You know what it was, that I learned later? Impacted crop! 8 years into it now, I am the best chicken vet my birds could have! I trust myself and all the helpful folks on BYC way more than any vet anywhere near me! You'll learn to be a good vet to your chickens too!
Your girl does sound like a fighter as most chickens and animals are, you keep trying as long as she does. Even if the worst happens, you'll see it sooner on the next bird and totally know what to do. We can't save them all but we can save a heck of a lot of them! Go Laura!

How is she doing now? how is the other foot?

Hi all. Sorry I haven't been on in a while. Been crazy busy lately, with tax AND garden season coming all at one time! Ugh!

Well, with each passing day, I'm more and more convinced that she will lose the other foot, and part of the leg all the way up until the swelling. I've kept it dry as best as I can, but I've had to take away her water when I'm not here because she's always trying to tip it over, and I tried a small cast iron skillet that she's can't budge, and she just sits in it! Ugh! So taking her water away seems to work. I bought the powdered antibiotics and started them Sunday: two more days left. I've also been putting a bit of her medicated water into her pellets so they soak up the water and she eats them. I try to do that right before I leave for work so she has SOME hydration.

I just don't know about the leg. I'm cooking for company right now, but tonight I will try to get a picture. I'm mostly nervous because if she does lose the whole leg up until the swollen area, is the bone going to fall off at that part of the leg? I am NOT too comfortable with doing any bone sawing if the bone is exposed from foot to swollen area.

Ugh. This definitely is a test of one's will. Not giving up yet, though! She's too cheerful for that!

It was a beautiful day yesterday - it got up to 70 degrees! That is 100 degrees warmer than it was barely over a month ago! Gotta love Michigan!

Anyways, about yesterday:

I let her outside, in the front yard, so she wouldn't be bothered with the other chickens. I ended up putting a little bit of fencing around her in a circle, about 3-foot in diameter. That was because by the time I set her down, walked to the coop to get food for her and came back, she was already almost in the backyard! She was walking way better than I've seen so far. She is getting more comfortable on her stump every day. I still think she might lose the other leg, though.

While I sat down to watch her after a couple hours, I noticed her 'puking.' It wasn't really puking, more just like water pouring out of her mouth when she bend over. She acted okay, and kept eating, then drinking. I think she just drank too much water too fast.

It's supposed to be nice from here on out, so I might consider moving her tub into the people part of the coop, like where I store the food if you refer to my pictures early on in this post. I'm not sure yet, but that's my plan soon.

lauranickerson said:

It was a beautiful day yesterday - it got up to 70 degrees! That is 100 degrees warmer than it was barely over a month ago! Gotta love Michigan!

Anyways, about yesterday:

I let her outside, in the front yard, so she wouldn't be bothered with the other chickens. I ended up putting a little bit of fencing around her in a circle, about 3-foot in diameter. That was because by the time I set her down, walked to the coop to get food for her and came back, she was already almost in the backyard! She was walking way better than I've seen so far. She is getting more comfortable on her stump every day. I still think she might lose the other leg, though.

While I sat down to watch her after a couple hours, I noticed her 'puking.' It wasn't really puking, more just like water pouring out of her mouth when she bend over. She acted okay, and kept eating, then drinking. I think she just drank too much water too fast.

It's supposed to be nice from here on out, so I might consider moving her tub into the people part of the coop, like where I store the food if you refer to my pictures early on in this post. I'm not sure yet, but that's my plan soon.

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Well the leg issue seems to be moving along well! Happy to hear she is adjusting to less than perfect legs! Make sure she is not crop bound, that can cause that drooling/vomiting type situation. Is she able to get at long grass in her little corral? She does get grit regularly ?

No the grass is not long. It is barely even popping out of the ground. I haven't been giving her grit because while living in the basement, she's only got pellets and eggs. While outside, I saw her gobble up a few little pebbles though.

lauranickerson said:

No the grass is not long. It is barely even popping out of the ground. I haven't been giving her grit because while living in the basement, she's only got pellets and eggs. While outside, I saw her gobble up a few little pebbles though.

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I'm glad she didn't eat any long grass but she really does need access to grit every day. Pellets and grass are tough to digest. Anyway, I'm glad she is getting her footing so to speak! lol (sorry for the pun)
You've really done a great job nursing her through the frostbite, be proud of yourself and her!!

Well folks a quick update before I get caught at work but while it's on my mind. Her other leg fell off at the swollen part. She's having a hard time adjusting, but I think she'll get the hang of it. It's just sad because she's not moving around as much now, mostly because of it probably feeling very weird.

I will take some pictures tonight. I guess at this point, I'm thankful the frostbite took the bone off too, because if it would have only killed the skin and left the bone of her leg exposed and needing to be amputated, I'm not sure what I would have done.

Again, I'll get some new pictures up soon.

lauranickerson said:

Well folks a quick update before I get caught at work but while it's on my mind. Her other leg fell off at the swollen part. She's having a hard time adjusting, but I think she'll get the hang of it. It's just sad because she's not moving around as much now, mostly because of it probably feeling very weird.

I will take some pictures tonight. I guess at this point, I'm thankful the frostbite took the bone off too, because if it would have only killed the skin and left the bone of her leg exposed and needing to be amputated, I'm not sure what I would have done.

Again, I'll get some new pictures up soon.

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Take heart, I think she will adapt just as other animals and people who lose limbs.

Just read this about frostbite- I had a little cochin rooster than was ill as a chick (pulled him through that) and got bad frostbite one winter. BOTH his legs fell off and he had to be euthanized. Sorry to hear about your hen, I'm not sure if I would have had him killed if he only lost one leg. You are lucky and seem very empathetic. I love my birds, too.