Broken leg - when to amputate?

[raisingirl78]

I had an unfortunate accident with one of my chickens. There have been many predators afoot lately and one got into the coop. My boyfriend and I set a leg trap (no teeth/spikes). Sadly, I was in a rush 2 days ago and had gone in the coop, the girls came out of the pen, and one of my girls got caught by the leg trap. Horrible!!!!!

I opened the trap and she slipped her leg out. I took her inside and bandaged the leg and put her in a cage overnight in the house where it was warm (it's been about 10 degrees where I am right now outside). The following day, after the bleeding had stopped, I removed the bandage, cleansed the leg with water and "no drip" peroxide, and re-bandaged it with sterile gauze. I made a splint out of a piece of foam from a foam cooler lid and taped the splint from joint to joint. I also gave her aspirin with apples and she seemed worlds better within a few hours.

I am keeping her in the cage inside for now with food and water and the splint in place. My concern is that infection will spread she will become septic. Her leg is limp, and her foot is about 4 times the size it should be. How long should I keep the bandage and splint and how will I know if the leg should be amputated to avoid sepsis?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[raisingirl78]

Also - I have liquid amoxicillin. Should I give this and what is the usual dose?

 

[antibacilli]

Sorry, I originally thought this was an older posting with no replies, but as I just discovered, that is not the case.

I hope all goes well with your hen. Please post an update.

 

[raisingirl78]

My post is only about 1.5 hours old; not sure why no one has responded, but all is the same as originially posted this morning. Just trying to find out if and when I should consider amputation of the leg to avoid systemic infection and also what the dose for human, liquid amoxicillin would be in a chicken.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Because a chicken CAN'T live with only one leg. Maybe a gimp foot or a bad leg but not only 1 leg.

 

[raisingirl78]

That I did not know. I have seen waterfowl without a foot before (1 footed Canada goose) so I assumed she could survive with one leg. That answers that question. How about the amoxicillin? Dose?

 

[raisingirl78]

I found this amoxicillin dose listed on medi-vet.com:

Birds
For susceptible infections:
1. For most species: 150-175 mg/kg PO once to twice daily (using 50 mg/ml suspension)
2. 100 mg/kg q8h PO
3. 100 mg/kg q8h, IM, SC, PO
4. Ratites: 15-22 mg/kg PO twice daily; in drinking water: 250 mg/gallon for 3-5 days

Not sure how reliable the site is, any thoughts??