Can I use peroxide to clean blood off white feathers?

[Ciqala]

I'm not sure how my little white leghorn hen cut her comb, but it covered her head in blood. It's no longer bleeding, but I can't put her back with the flock until I clean it all off or they'll pick and peck the heck out of her. I used warm water but it only seemed to dilute the color of red on her white feathers. Can I use peroxide? Is there something better I could use? There's no reason to keep her in the crate in the house other than the dried blood/color of red all over her head.

 

[KittyKat3756]

Peroxides are irritant so it's a bad idea to put them on your pets because they are more likely to do harm than good (same as with skin contact in humans). Just keep using warm water and possibly some mild soap. Do you have a dedicated soft kitchen sponge that you can use to wipe the feathers?

If you haven't tried putting her back in the flock, you may want to try that as there's no guarantee that the others will pick on her.

 

[Eggcessive]

I use peroxide to clean off blood or to clean a wound that has abscessed. it works very well for short term use. It is only harmful if used on raw tissue for long periods, since it can impede healing. But to use a couple of times, it is inexpensive and pretty harmless. I have used it in hospitals for decades--it has only been recently thatit has been found to prevent healing with repeated use.

 

[Cluckies]

Have you tried cold water?

 

[KittyKat3756]

Quote:Cold water should work best while the blood is fresh because warm water makes it set. If the blood is a few hours old already and has set, then warm or cold water doesn't make a difference and warm water sure feels nicer!