Advice hen cut her foot

[Hal682]

My hen cut top of her foot no clue how. I was cleaning and observing a couple days. Now im isolating cleaning and bandaging twice a day. It doesnt look infected. She is acting find. But if i take bandage off she pecks her own wound. She is making it worse. Im afraid to keep it on too long i dont really know what to do? Bleeding has stopped is there something i can do to get bandgage off and keep her from pecking it?

 

[Hal682]

She really doesnt seem to mind living solo ..silly girl

 

[Eggcessive]

Could you get a picture the next time you change the bandage. It should be healing if you are cleaning with something like Hibiclens (chlorhexidene) and half water, and putting plain antibiotic ointment on it. Wrap with a 2x3 and vet wrap, but not too tight. Hopefully she can get back into her flock soon. If her dog crate is with her flock, that may go easier.

 

[Hal682]

Could you get a picture the next time you change the bandage. It should be healing if you are cleaning with something like Hibiclens (chlorhexidene) and half water, and putting plain antibiotic ointment on it. Wrap with a 2x3 and vet wrap, but not too tight. Hopefully she can get back into her flock soon. If her dog crate is with her flock, that may go easier.

Im put her in coop at night in her kennel with flock..had a party on my porch with the flock today..she was very happy with that. Lol..that really is my big concern is keeping her away from them. I just changed dressing before i saw this. Ill try and get picture tomorrow. She is not very co operative with being caught.and poir girl is molting bad to add to the matter.

 

[Lizzy733]

Does she need to be kept separate? If the wound is well wrapped and she's not lame, there isn't really a reason to keep her away.

When I treat bumblefoot in my flock, it's a walk-in surgery, then they're out the door in their fashionable socks. I've had good success with wrapping and the wound stays clean, even in wet days(though I swap the bandage daily in that case). As long as it's well wrapped and packed with antibiotic, it should be safe from infection.

Since the wound's on the top of the foot, it should be even easier to keep clean. I'd keep it wrapped till it is well healed over since she's pecking. Once it's closed, you can go longer without changing the bandage.

 

[Eggcessive]

The only reason I would keep her separated is if it is wet and muddy. I agree that keeping her with the flock is best, but you may need to keep her separate to doctor her foot.

 

[Lizzy733]

Just noticed the 'being caught' part. Grabbing her directly from the perch at night would likely be the easiest reliable way to catch her, or coax her in with treats.

After the initial clean out, bandaging tends to be a quicker, easier process. Id offer treats after each checkup so there's a more positive association.

I will admit, cleaning a bumble is a quick way to break their trust, so building it back should be a high priority, especially if she's wary to begin with.

I try to catch and check over my hens often and bring them in for other, more pleasant, experiences like bath time, so catching isn't always a big negative. But I also run a very small flock and they are pets, so I probably dedicate more time than most would be willing to commit to.

Treats definitely are the quickest trust builders though.