hen wounded, can't get rid of the maggots

[SilverFire5467]

wow that is very good advise! I will have to save that for myself for the future

. the hen i had there was no way of saving her, they had traveled from a gash on her rear to her chest. it was very grim and the hen was having periods of falling unconscious. I check my birds regularly now since that happened in 24 hours

 

[Hawkeye95]

I don't think you should use tape over the feathers. But if you do decide to keep the wound covered, there is a great alternative called "Vet Wrap". This is what it looks like: http://www.amazon.com/Gifted-Horse-Vet-Wrap/dp/B0002V47L0 I keep several rolls on hand for my horses. It's not sticky- but it does stick to itself. Don't know what to do about the maggots. I'm sorry. Maybe someone knows a really good way to get the maggots out.

BTW- you can buy the Vet Wrap at any farm store! Tractor Supply, Atwoods, etc...

 

[tiki244]

Hawkeye95 Yeah that is a GREAT idea. I have seen that vet wrap in the horse section of our farm store. It comes in all different colors. plan4him I think it would be best to wash her with a milder concoction and rinse with saline and still do the triple antibiotic ointment. It really heals them up good. Is it an open sore? How big?

 

[plan4him]

Silverfire5467, sorry to hear about your hen, those maggots are nasty!

Hawkeye95, thanks for the tip on vet wrap. that scares me less than duct tape.

Sounds like maybe I can suffocate the maggots by the ointment. I hope it works cause I know there are a lot getting "in" her, not just on the surface. My constitution is being severely tested!

 

[plan4him]

It's open, most of her tail looks chewed up, one pathetic tail feather left. under her right wing near the back is an irregular open would about 2x4 inches, maybe a little more.

 

[Hawkeye95]

poor thing! I hope she pulls thru!

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention about the Vet Tape, while it is not sticky- it is a 'compression' tape. If you pull and stretch on it, it will really tighten up- be careful not to stretch it too much. But you can re-do it until you get the compression just right to keep it on and not squeeze too much. It's awesome for leg wounds that need a bundle of dressing under it. (horses) But I think it could be used this way too, safely.

 

[SilverFire5467]

I think as long as they havent reached her organs and she still has a lot of energy, she should be ok...

 

[phasian]

Quote:
Vetwrap is the best! As a former vet tech I second that endorsement. I use it for all my animals. Also find that in addition to the dietary advice, that Rescue Remedy is helpful as well. Helps calm animals and speeds their recovery from shock.

 

[plan4him]

Thank you for all your advice. We'll try the gentler cleaning and the ointment and the vet wrap (loose). We'll keep feeding her healthy immune boosting stuff and watch her energy level. If she seems to not get worse, we'll try sticking it out. Otherwise, we have a friend who is able to euthanize. I just don't want her to suffer unnecessarily. I'm amazed at how attached I got to my children's chickens that I just thought would be nice for some fresh eggs. I didn't realize what a softy I would be

 

[tiki244]

Best wishes. I hope it goes well. I have hope, as my hen looked pretty bad too and I was really questioning my decision to treat her. But she got better. I wish I had a picture to post to show the before and after.