Abcess....HELP!!

[NancyinAlaska]

Again, this is my chicken that didn't feather. Since I've put her out in the coop the boys did this to the back of her neck. I just saw this infection today and it's bad. I have soaked with hot water, picked the scab to open the wound up, drained what I could, given her cephalexin orally, which I soaked in water, and coated the wound in bacitracin. It's very hard and won't drain anymore. Any suggestions on what I should do to help this heal?? I have sled dogs and have treated it like I would on one of my dogs. I have to put her back out in the coop, I don't think anyone's been picking on it, it wouldn't have closed up and abcessed if they had?? What antibiotics can I give a chicken??

 

[WingingIt]

Ow! Poor thing. I'm not 100% if it's every infection, but I've read over and over that infections on chickens don't stay liquid and drain. They turn into a harder thick consistency that you have to take out with tweezers, like bumblefoot. Like I said, I'm not an expert, so hopefully someone who knows a LOT more will come along, but that would explain why more didn't drain out. I think packing/coating it with the medicine sounds good, too.

I hope you get some great advice and that she's better soon.

 

[gsim]

I have no experience in this, but I caution you to monitor her closely to see if she is being pecked by the others. Usually bleeding can trigger that type of activity.

 

[redhen]

I had a cockatoo that had a couple of things that looked like that on her head...
the vet (after MANY tests and much money) said it was a fungal infection.

I forget what he put her on, but it took care of them right away.... and they never came back...
also...i'd check to make sure she dosent have an infected feather shaft....

 

[NancyinAlaska]

This started oput as a sore from the boys mounting her, I tought I had it under control, I DID'T

 

[Imp]

I was just reading this morning that bumblefoot requires surgery once it hardens. Not sure if your hen's abcess is the same.

Imp

 

[Mahonri]

I would continue treating as you are and if it doesn't improve with 10 days... I'd put that one down... but that's just me.

 

[sciencechick]

It sounds like you're doing mostly the right things already.
Yes, birds have a different immune system than mammals and fight infection differently. They don't produce liquid puss as we do, but a pretty much solid mass that doesn't drain. So, just picking off the scab most likely won't do the trick. It may need cleaning out with bigger guns...
I would definitely recommend isolating her from the rest of the flock, though, to keep the others from picking at her.

The Cephalexin may not be the best choice of antibiotic. The cephalexin dosage for poultry is 35-50mg/kg bodyweight, and it has to be given every 2-3 hours to be successful. Not keeping up with the recommended schedules for any antibiotic risks creating resistant bacterial strain. Best consult a vet before giving any antibiotics to your animals.

Good luck!! She's obviously in good hands

Eva

 

[ruth]

I've treated that type of abcessed wound on many hens. I call them the "love bite" wounds. Make a small incision and dig out the "gunk". It will look like cooked egg yolk that has turned rubbery. Sometimes you can grab hold with a pair of tweezers and the whole hunk comes out as one piece. Then rinse out the wound, put some Neosporin in it, add a stitch or two to close (or superglue) and put her in a cage or kennel for a few days till the incision closes up. I've never treated with antibiotics and they always heal just fine.

It is just as others have said, they get abcessed pus that turns to "gunk" that must be dug out. The good news is that it doesn't continue "leaking" so once it's dug out, it doesn't normally reoccur (at least that's been experience over the past two years and I've treated LOTS of chickens). Since I have over 200, and they all freerange, someone's always got a boo boo.

 

[cocosandy]

Randall Burkey has a good array of antibiotics if you find you need any. They also have a chart that tells of dosages and what works on what. I like tylan 50.
But if you carefully incise this thing out and fill it with neosporin and keep after it, you may not need them. Its just close to her brain.
Ive treated bumblefoot a couple of times and its a real pain...but this thing you can see, and its very likely just that hard infection.
use gloves in case its staph (as bumblefoot is)....
if it all comes out, she should be fine.