2mth old Chick w/ LARGE HOLE in Chest! PLEASE READ?

[innof8happinesses]

Must be someone else. I don't own a chick named "Hashbrown"??

 

[NotTheMomma]

It is someoen else hun. I saw the post on page two.

Please update when ya can on the little chick!

 

[chickygirl2]

I would try superglue for the skin area. I don't know though if her crop has a hole, if you could use that internally as well. Good Luck !

 

[innof8happinesses]

You are all awesome for the great replies!

**UPDATE**

I got help in holding her to do a better examination (not really sure what I am looking at). The skin around the hole is hardening and dry...

The "stuff" coming out of the hole is drying too and we are not sure what it is! It fills the hole... We do not see liquid coming out anymore. I think we waited a few hours too long to do any stitching. I covered the entire area with neopsporin and placed a non-stick bandage over it with two layers of vet wrap going around it under her wings. She hates the bandages, but seems to be eating and getting around acting fairly "normal". So, think at this point I have to be a "wait & see" owner, since she appears not to show any signs of sufferring. What do you think? I took some pictures... maybe I will post them. The drying area is darkening and you can't see what the soft tissues looked like as well as yesterday.

 

[NotTheMomma]

Sounds like she's beginning to heal on her own! WOOHOO!

Now as you say, it's a wait and see thing. The great news is that she is eating and drinking!!! That gives great hope that she'll be ok.

Does she have someone in there with her?

 

[innof8happinesses]

She is alone right now... I think the others would peck her as they did when it happened... And the tank she is in is way small... but in a few days maybe we will put her with a friend. I hope she is healing!!!!

 

[NotTheMomma]

Ooops, I read the title, and in my mind keep thinking two WEEK old chick instead! Yeah, and two MONTHS she'll be OK by herself.

Duh is me!

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

LOL You're right. I mixed you up with the post about Hashbrown

Did I mention that I am exhusted?!

 

[threehorses]

OK, then here's how you tell for sure it's the crop. Put a little blue food coloring in her water and then offer it to her to drink. If the fluid coming out is blue, you know this is her crop.

In the mean time, we really need to address the cleaning of the wound. It's a bit late for hydrogen peroxide, but the wound needs to be dressed. Because the wound may be going into the crop, you really can't use hydrogen peroxide or iodine as they may get into the digestive system. Instead, use clean saline and again thoroughly clean the wound. then you'll want to dress it with neosporin.

If you determine that the wound is in the crop, then you can get a set of sterilized suture material with attached needle at the feedstore often enough. Call around and see who has it. You'll get the size for dogs and cats if they ask. The needle is curved which makes it easier to put into the skin and have it come back out. Because the suture material is sterile already, you don't have to worry about it infecting the wound further.

If this is NOT the crop, do not close the wound. Closed wounds fester and breed bad bacteria (which hate oxygen).

It's not an easy decision, but hopefully this will help. Good luck!

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Yes I agree.. If this is a crop wound the crop itself will not heal closed, but the outer skin will.... You still need to close the crop if that is the issue.
I would be leery of vet wrap if it is the crop too. It might conpress the area making her not want to eat or drink as much as she needs. You need to understand chicken anatomy. The crop is where all food and liquid goes first thing after leaving the mouth. If this was bit or ripped open you would have seen gross material coming out of it, the contents of her crop; whatever she had eaten, mushed up grain, grass, bugs, etc. The crop is always on the right side of the chest. Your chances of having a crop wound are really high if they wound is on the right side of the chest. The bird needs its crop to survive. Since it's not skin it won't heal shut, the edges will "heal" but they won't make more crop material to shut the wound like skin will make more skin to close a wound.

I really like the blue food coloring idea! Great thinking!