Lawnmower vs Rooster GRAPHIC PICS/ Saying Goodbye

[fishnet1971]

i couldnt get home fast enough from being out of town to see the update on our boy! you could DEFINITLY count me in on the pay pal help for you Lori. I hope the vet goes/went well?

I agree, you need to be up for the humanitarian award for this.

Maybe a BYCF award?

 

[Lorije1]

Can I just tell you how awesome my vet is? Of course I can - it's my thread

I worked all 4 years of high school and one year of college at this clinic (many moons ago). In 2005 those vets retired and a young couple bought the practice. Originally, I planned to just start taking my dogs to my horse vet, but it would be a few months before he started seeing small animals. Due to an emergency with my dog, I started seeing Dr Wife and Dr H. They were kind, compassionate, funny and very sincere. I was hooked. I have been taking my dogs / cats to them ever since - for things as small as vaccinations, to emergencies like atrial fibrillation (top half of heart quivers instead of pumps) to ending suffering for dogs I had had in my life for 12 years or more.

And now, they have seen a chicken for me.

I had a hard time waking up this morning (get off work at 1am, bed by 3, alarm went off at 720). I didn't have time to really clean up Kubota, but I soaked his stump just a few minutes in povadine solution, poured the solution over his stump to rinse it and put him on clean towels while I went to change.
First issue - what in the world to take him to the vet in? He is too big for my cat carriers. I used one of those milk crate things, just had to set him in diagonally so he would fit. Put a towel on bottom and then draped one over the top to help him feel a little more secure. When I picked him up from the kennel to put him in the crate he went nuts flapping his wings - he was so strong and I was only using one hand so he flew out of my arms about 4-5ft and hit the ground. I kind of think he may have reinjured the upper leg, but it wasn't rebroken / evidence of a break by palpation when I got to the vet.

Anyway - sure enough the vet techs, receptionist and kennel techs all came in to meet Kubota. They ooooed and aaaahed over how big and beautiful he is - I had to break it to them that he has lost at least half of his body weight over the last several days, that he is really even bigger. The tech was SO funny. Every visit they ask "any vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing?" She stopped and looked real puzzled and said "Do chickens vomit?"

She said they were all arguing over who would get to go in with the chicken, but she won because she has a bunch. I said "Oh I have 16 of my own, he isn't even mine" she said she had no idea how many they had because they were everywhere and split between her house and her folks. Yay chicken lover!!


Then Dr W came in.

She stood in the door and looked at me and started laughing. Once she regained her composure she went right to work - poking, prodding, scraping - all the while reminding me she may not be able to do anything.

The final verdict:
She clipped the noodles - said they were dead nerves. He didn't even flinch. She cut a couple of very small, maybe pencil eraser sized pieces off of the chunk. She trimmed a jagged piece on his toe, said it looked more like a claw than bone material, but she cut it anyway to keep it from hanging on stuff.
She said she could look up info on anesthetic for chickens and remove the clump, but that she didn't see any signs of infection, just dead /dying flesh, so she didn't really think it was worth the risk. The plan is for me to keep soaking (povadine or epsom salts), using antibiotic ointment and wrapping, and she also gave me more syringes / needles for the injectable penicillin I bought at the pharamacy. She loved my hydrotherapy but said I need to find a way to use a stronger stream to really loosen the dead meat. She said the concern over infection is far from over because as the dead tissue (breeding ground for bacteria) gets deeper it will be exposing live tissue to the yuck and bacteria.
We agreed I will go back next week on Friday (she doesn't usually work Fridays but will be there next week) and since he is so calm and compliant, she will cut some more meat off and see if the black place on his leg is soft enough to start to debride. She said to of course come back sooner if there are issues. Once we get the dead meat gone, she will help me wrap with a bandage that is basically made of / with antibiotics and I will be able to leave it on for 3 days at a time as long as it doesn't get wet. So Kubota and I have a long.... long .... long road ahead it looks like.

I stood at the receptionist to check out for a few minutes and the girl came up with my bill.


ZERO DOLLARS!!!!!! as in $0.00 .... nada... nothing!!!! Not even an office visit! I LOVE my vet!!!


So this afternoon I will let Kubota on the grass for a few minutes, soak him and wrap him, give him a penicillin injection. Tomorrow the plan is to put him in a small fenced area so he can get some more stimulation, exercise and grass / grit.

He is crowing now lol



ETA - Did I mention I love my vets!?!?!?

 

[kathymccown]

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[itsmyobsession]

Wooooo!!!!!hoooooooo!!!!!

 

[fishnet1971]

: thumbsup

what else can we say!!!! You go girl!!!

to Kubota!!!!!

and a ye haw to your vet!

 

[BWKatz]

er..er.er..EEEEEERRRRR!!! Ur vets ROCK!! Love the bill

Have u talked to neighbor lately?

 

[noodleroo]

I was sitting here reading your post with a big smile on my face. I'm so glad everything is going so well. I'm sending loving, healing energy to you, Kubota and your vet right now. Can you feel the love?

 

[dawg53]

I'm very happy for you....you deserved a break and you got it!!

 

[mmaddie's mom]

SERIOUSLY... there is nothing better than a

good Vet!!! I'd rather have a good vet than a good personal M.D.

I, too, love my Vet and have had him longer than my husband

(note: my "kids" are in their 30s).
So glad to hear of all the work they did to make things better for Kubota and You! Keep up the good work... and the good posts!

We are all pulling for you!

 

[Lorije1]

I have put in a request to have this thread moved to the stories about my chickens.