Chicken attacked - possible prolapsed vent? Graphic photos

[Eggcessive]

You might want to get some Hibiclens (chlorhexidene) or Betadine (Equate First Aid Antiseptic) at your Walmart or pharmacy. Vetericyn is good for wounds, but the latter 2 are used in hospitals to disinfect wounds. I would irrigate the wound with a large syringe or turkey baster.

As for antibiotics, Baytril is very good, and can be obtained online. It is banned for chickens, but some vets will prescribe it for serious infections or wounds. Eggs should not be eaten for at least 5 days, and some even wait up to a month after stopping it. The dosage of 10% Baytril is 0.05 ml per pound or 0.25 ml (1/4 ml) for a 5 pound chicken. A small 1 ml syringe without a needle is available at most paharmacies free for giving infants medications, and good for small dosages. Here is where to find Baytril:
https://www.jedds.com/shop/enro/

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So I opened the wound about 1/4” on the bottom and was able to see liquid coming out. I then sprayed strongly vetericyn down from the top of the abscess so it would come out the bottom. I put ointment on it as well. I also went and got her antibiotics so I got Terramycin and crushed up 1/4 tablet and mixed with her cat food for the afternoon. I’ll keep treating with the antibiotic for the 7 days. I have decided to go from 3 treatments a day to 1/2 depending. I hope she makes it. I just went back out and checked on her as she really did not like me spraying down in the wound, but she was up and eating food so that’s good. It’s hard trying to treat her as I just got these chickens and the previous owners just let them do there thing. She doesn’t seem terribly upset though when I visit her.

That’s great that you were able to open that pocket up and clean it out! I bet she feels a lot better from that alone. You should see continuing drainage from that opening for a few days. You may need to keep flushing or reopening the opening you made if it gets clogged or starts to seal up before the infection has cleared. Your hen is lucky to have you working so hard for her! I really hope that she makes it, but it seems like you are doing all you can.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

That’s great that you were able to open that pocket up and clean it out! I bet she feels a lot better from that alone. You should see continuing drainage from that opening for a few days. You may need to keep flushing or reopening the opening you made if it gets clogged or starts to seal up before the infection has cleared. Your hen is lucky to have you working so hard for her! I really hope that she makes it, but it seems like you are doing all you can.

So it smells stronger now, I assume because I opened up the pocket. How often do you think I should try flushing it out? The skin outside the pocket is gray and seems thin, will it heal or just dry up?

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any current pictures? I would get the chlorhexidene (Hibiclens) and dilute it in half with water to use to spray or irrigate the wound.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Okay so I have been using epsom salt water to irrigate the wound and then spraying it down with vetericyn and applying ointment. I had to take the scalpel and cut down a little more as I didn’t get the bottom of the whole abscess. Should I be removing all that dead skin? I was successful at some debridement of the vent which get like an accomplish, I’m going to try and get more later tonight. The wound smells far less than it did yesterday. I’m going to put her out in a smaller crate today with the other chickens with a mosquito net around it so flies can’t get to her. I hope it lifts her spirits some. She ate some antibiotic yesterday I mixed in with food, today I put it crushed in her grapes. If she doesn’t eat that can I dissolve the terramycin in water and give it to her orally?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Okay so I have been using epsom salt water to irrigate the wound and then spraying it down with vetericyn and applying ointment. I had to take the scalpel and cut down a little more as I didn’t get the bottom of the whole abscess. Should I be removing all that dead skin? I was successful at some debridement of the vent which get like an accomplish, I’m going to try and get more later tonight. The wound smells far less than it did yesterday. I’m going to put her out in a smaller crate today with the other chickens with a mosquito net around it so flies can’t get to her. I hope it lifts her spirits some. She ate some antibiotic yesterday I mixed in with food, today I put it crushed in her grapes. If she doesn’t eat that can I dissolve the terramycin in water and give it to her orally?

Oh poor baby! I think that you are doing well in cleaning that wound, but I agree with Eggsessive that a better antiseptic would help more for irrigation. You can get chlorhexadine (Hibiclens or Nolvassan are two brand names) from most feed stores, or betadine from a pharmacy. For either, I’d dilute to about 1:30 with water. For betadine, that should be the color of weak tea. For chlorhexadine, that will be a pale sky blue. I think Epsom salt solution may be best for that vent. It looks like there may be more tissue that needs to removed. Any dead/non bleeding tissue is a place for bacteria to multiply. She will slough some herself, so you don’t need to get every bit, but anything loose should be removed.

You might want to look up info on prolapsed vent and think about trying to reinsert it - the longer it stays prolapsed, the more the mucosal tissue is damaged. Has she stopped laying eggs, I hope?

There is an oxytetracycline formulation for mixing with water, but it will be tough to solubilize the tablet. It’s not hard to give the tablet directly into their mouth. Restrain the hen, then open the beak and drop the small tablet piece in her beak base. Don’t try to shove it back into her throat. Do that last and immediately put her down and see if you can get her to take a bite of favorite food

Raising her spirits would be great, but as you already know, fly strike may be deadly to her.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

Oh poor baby! I think that you are doing well in cleaning that wound, but I agree with Eggsessive that a better antiseptic would help more for irrigation. You can get chlorhexadine (Hibiclens or Nolvassan are two brand names) from most feed stores, or betadine from a pharmacy. For either, I’d dilute to about 1:30 with water. For betadine, that should be the color of weak tea. For chlorhexadine, that will be a pale sky blue. I think Epsom salt solution may be best for that vent. It looks like there may be more tissue that needs to removed. Any dead/non bleeding tissue is a place for bacteria to multiply. She will slough some herself, so you don’t need to get every bit, but anything loose should be removed.

You might want to look up info on prolapsed vent and think about trying to reinsert it - the longer it stays prolapsed, the more the mucosal tissue is damaged. Has she stopped laying eggs, I hope?

There is an oxytetracycline formulation for mixing with water, but it will be tough to solubilize the tablet. It’s not hard to give the tablet directly into their mouth. Restrain the hen, then open the beak and drop the small tablet piece in her beak base. Don’t try to shove it back into her throat. Do that last and immediately put her down and see if you can get her to take a bite of favorite food

Raising her spirits would be great, but as you already know, fly strike may be deadly to her.

I will definitely get some betadine this afternoon for when I treat her. I am also going to try and debride the rest of the vent tonight and possibly try reinserting it. What ointment/lubricant should I use for that? Thankfully she hadn’t been laying, and I hope she doesn’t any time soon either...ouch. I will try my best to give her the tablet by her beak because it’s not working with food - she knows somethings up lol.

She is really enjoying her time outside but soon I’ll be putting her back in. The mosquito net has been on the whole time which totally wraps around the cage and I have a blanket covering half of it as well. My rooster really missed her!

 

[Neggative]

hope every thing goes well.... good luck!... and tell her high for me please!!!

 

[HippieAtHeart]

hope every thing goes well.... good luck!... and tell her high for me please!!!

Thank you for the positive vibes! It’s been rough so far, but she seems to want to make it so I keep trying everything I can!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I will definitely get some betadine this afternoon for when I treat her. I am also going to try and debride the rest of the vent tonight and possibly try reinserting it. What ointment/lubricant should I use for that? Thankfully she hadn’t been laying, and I hope she doesn’t any time soon either...ouch. I will try my best to give her the tablet by her beak because it’s not working with food - she knows somethings up lol.

She is really enjoying her time outside but soon I’ll be putting her back in. The mosquito net has been on the whole time which totally wraps around the cage and I have a blanket covering half of it as well. My rooster really missed her!

Vent prolapse is a common condition, so if you search BYCs, you’ll find lots of threads. Here’s one article:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic/
Use of preparation H to shrink the tissues is controversial. We used it the first few days, and I don’t know if it helped or hurt. When it kept re-prolapsing, I switched to KY jelly as the lubricant to reinsert.