Bird has a black bottom and protrusion below the vent. I can’t tell if it a scab or dried poop. Can anyone advise?

[Chicalina]

You can make your own free saline by boiling a pan of salted water and letting it cool. I'm not sure the dosage of salt but you can Google it. Get some 10ml plastic syringes (no needle) to lavage out the wound with the saline (squirt it in and rinse it out) and boil them after the first use. Lay her on towels to absorb the runoff. Alternatives could be diluted betadine, hibiscrub or other antiseptic surgical solution (not peroxide).

As for bandages, get some vetwrap or other adhesive bandage. It's rubberised and often brightly coloured aimed at sports injuries and sticks to itself. Lift the wings to wrap around her. You'll need non adherent sterile dressing pads and lots of triple antibiotic ointment. Then vetwrap over the top.

Try and get a prescription for antibiotics even if the vet won't treat the wound. Some people buy fishmox from aquarium suppliers without a vet.

 

[Mumgold]

You can make your own free saline by boiling a pan of salted water and letting it cool. I'm not sure the dosage of salt but you can Google it. Get some 10ml plastic syringes (no needle) to lavage out the wound with the saline (squirt it in and rinse it out) and boil them after the first use. Lay her on towels to absorb the runoff. Alternatives could be diluted betadine, hibiscrub or other antiseptic surgical solution (not peroxide).

As for bandages, get some vetwrap or other adhesive bandage. It's rubberised and often brightly coloured aimed at sports injuries and sticks to itself. Lift the wings to wrap around her. You'll need non adherent sterile dressing pads and lots of triple antibiotic ointment. Then vetwrap over the top.

Try and get a prescription for antibiotics even if the vet won't treat the wound. Some people buy fishmox from aquarium suppliers without a vet.

I know her owner won’t pay for surgery if an X-ray is $100 and the ER vet visit is $106. Do you still think I should go buy some of those items and try what you suggested?

 

[Mumgold]

I know her owner won’t pay for surgery if an X-ray is $100 and the ER vet visit is $106. Do you still think I should go buy some of those items and try what you suggested?

I am going to the negative side after the past two phone conversations.

 

[Chicalina]

I know her owner won’t pay for surgery if an X-ray is $100 and the ER vet visit is $106. Do you still think I should go buy some of those items and try what you suggested?

I think ultimately the decision has to be the owner's.

The question is whether to a) try all home wound care and treatment methods, b) pay for a vet to treat, or c) cull the bird.

Are you in contact with them?

 

[Mumgold]

I think ultimately the decision has to be the owner's.

The question is whether to a) try all home wound care and treatment methods, b) pay for a vet to treat, or c) cull the bird.

Are you in contact with them?

My hope is to try all home care methods. My friend doesn’t know how to cull a chicken. I am sure there is an article or link somewhere. I couldn’t do it at this stage.
Or he could ask the vet to cull if vets do such a thing? I am going to buy some of the items you suggested. If I were to find the fish stuff (antibiotic) you mentioned how much do I buy and how do you administer it?

 

[cluckcluckhens]

So sorry you are going through this. Hope it is not flystrike. We lost one of our seniors last week to this. We never knew she had it. I found her on her side in the run with the rest of the hens and a roo just pecking on her. We could not find the wound. Lots of these came out during 3 or 4 baths in two days. It was OMG moment for us. She left us after 4 days of trying.

 

[Mumgold]

So sorry you are going through this. Hope it is not flystrike. We lost one of our seniors last week to this. We never knew she had it. I found her on her side in the run with the rest of the hens and a roo just pecking on her. We could not find the wound. Lots of these came out during 3 or 4 baths in two days. It was OMG moment for us. She left us after 4 days of trying.

So sorry for your loss.

It is so hard to put all your energy into something and not know the results. But I do believe in trying.

I think there is something to trying and giving something your all.
It is a process and a learning experience.

Sometimes I think I have watched too many tv shoes/movies where someone tried and tried to save a person or animal without giving up despite all the naysayers and then bingo ‘everything ended up ok.’ I am still hoping for that, but … Life inevitably has the other side to it.

I am happy for the help I have received on this forum. I am glad to meet so many backyard chicken people.
Sadly, I think it is flystrike.

 

[Chicalina]

My hope is to try all home care methods. My friend doesn’t know how to cull a chicken. I am sure there is an article or link somewhere. I couldn’t do it at this stage.
Or he could ask the vet to cull if vets do such a thing? I am going to buy some of the items you suggested. If I were to find the fish stuff (antibiotic) you mentioned how much do I buy and how do you administer it?

@aart @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @Isaac 0 can probably help with brands and dosage.

Or you can search the BYC forum for dosage instructions.

Culling is just euthanising and vets can certainly do that for a chicken. It would be a different method (lethal injection or gas) than a chicken keeper would do obviously.

I would probably try and treat and see how you go. Chickens can recover from some horrific injuries, given the right tlc. Have a browse through the emergency/diseases section and you'll read lots of injury stories with advice and treatment tips.

Hope it goes well.

 

[Shezadandy]

I am going to the negative side after the past two phone conversations.

This may sound gross - but based on the pictures it looks like you can locate the BOTTOM of this wound. Not the deepest part of the wound that looks deep, I'm referring to the lowest point of the blackened skin.

One of the primary problems, as I see it, anyways - is there's nowhere for the icky stuff that needs to seep away to evacuate the pocket so the healthy tissue can do its thing. This can be done with small sharp scissors, or a scalpel - it looks like you can reach in to it a fair ways - so if you can puncture the bottom of the "purse" in a couple/few spots. I'm talking about putting holes in the already dead skin, to be exceedingly clear.

If you haven't tried chlorhexidine solution yet - I strongly recommend trying it as your flushing solution. After dealing with a goat knee infection treating with iodine solution - switching to the chlorhexidine made a good difference. Our vet had us dilute it to an 'ocean blue' color, so a little goes a long way.

So, if you were to put openings in the bottom of the pocket of the wound, when you flush the wound, the solution should be applied at the top and then have a way out at the bottom- hopefully that's clear. You may have to 'open' up the bottom more than once.

And of course continue with whatever ointment - or if there's some Vetricyn hydrogel around - that too can do amazing things.

But personally I would leave this wound open (and make sure there's a "drain") because of the necrotic tissue.

This is what that chlorhexidine bottle looks like - most feed/farm supply stores should have it on their shelves in the health care aisle, it sticks right out with that bright blue color.

https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-B000H...49Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[Eggcessive]

I would agree that you can try to handle this at home. The bumblefoot can wait, since the flystrike wound under the bent is her main issue. The soaking should continue each day. Chlorhexidene 2% is great if available. Epsom salts soaking is good, and saline is also okay. But the antibiotic ointment is necessary. I don’t know how this will end up, but the vets do not sound helpful. Chickens can amaze you with their survival from wounds. Is she eating and drinking normally?