Chicken has infected wounds and abscess from fox attack- need advice!!!

[Iovemypeeps]

A fox unfortunately got into our chicken coop on Thursday night and killed 8 of our chickens and injured one. We took the injured one inside and just sprayed the main wound with antiseptic, however we didn’t find its puncture wounds till several days later and they had already mostly scabbed over. Since then, I have just been spraying Microcyn AH wound and skin care spray on them a few times a day and I put antibiotic ointment on a couple times, because that was all we had and I didn’t know what else to do. We’ve been keeping it inside, and it has started eating and drinking pretty normally again However, I noticed a bad smell coming from the puncture wounds 2 days ago, and yesterday felt a hard lump underneath which I assume is an abscess. I tried to clean them out better last night with the Microcyn spray but my question is should I take it to a vet or try to treat it at home myself? I’ve seen on here that Pen G works well for wound infections, I wouldn’t be able to get that until tomorrow night though. But we don’t want to spend too much on a vet and the avian vet near us doesn’t have appointments until Thursday so we’d have to go to an emergency vet who doesn’t really treat chickens often. I just don’t want to wait too long trying to decide what to do though, as the infection has already probably been untreated for 2-3 days already, and the chicken is acting so much better than when it first got attacked, but I don’t want it to go downhill again from the infection. Any advice would be appreciated, this is my first time trying to care for an injured chicken so I don’t even know if I’m cleaning the wounds the right way.

 

[RoosterML]

Could you pull the scab on the wound and squeeze out as much as you can/ clean it out?

 

[Iovemypeeps]

I should add, there are about 5 puncture wounds on her chest and one is quite deep. The abscess is maybe about the size of a quarter and underneath some of the wounds. The wound we originally found is on her back and is much larger but not as deep and doesn’t seem to be infected. If we didn’t bring her to the vet, would the abscess need to be lanced or would it just clear up on its own with antibiotics?

 

[Iovemypeeps]

Could you pull the scab on the wound and squeeze out as much as you can/ clean it out?

I could try but I am afraid to contaminate the wound more, I don’t really know the best way to clean it out. And I don’t know if the abscess would squeeze out through the wounds? They aren’t draining that much.

 

[RoosterML]

I could try but I am afraid to contaminate the wound more, I don’t really know the best way to clean it out. And I don’t know if the abscess would squeeze out through the wounds? They aren’t draining that much.

If you do open up the wound somehow. I would have a syringe without needle loaded with water to squirt in and clean followed by another syringe filled with peroxide and clean with that also.

 

[Iovemypeeps]

Ok so if I try to clean them out good tonight, will it be fine if I don’t start it on antibiotics till tomorrow night? Except now I’m seeing you need a prescription to get the needles and syringes so I don’t know if that will work. But it’s too late to go to the vet tonight now.

 

[Cinnamon11]

Can you show a picture of the wound?

 

[Weeg]

Ok so if I try to clean them out good tonight, will it be fine if I don’t start it on antibiotics till tomorrow night? Except now I’m seeing you need a prescription to get the needles and syringes so I don’t know if that will work. But it’s too late to go to the vet tonight now.

She may need antibiotics,, you can get fishmox antibiotics and use then fro chickens on chewy. Try to take the scabs off and squeeze out any puss and infection. Try a warm compress on the punctures 3 times a day for 10 minutes each. That is what we did with or dogs puncture. @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @Overo Mare @casportpony

 

[Phneyda]

I wouldn’t force the abscess open! You could release the infection and the chicken could go septic.
You don’t need a prescription to get an oral syringe or Jacquard syringe. You should be able to find them at a pharmacy or large grocery store with a pharmacy section. To clean out an abscess you will need a saline solution. You can make that at home (1tsp to cups warm water). We boil our water then mix in the salt, then let it cool for abscess/wound cleaning & netti pots.

 

[Iovemypeeps]

Can you show a picture of the wound?

Here’s the larger wound. It looks nasty but I don’t think it’s infected, at least it seems to be healing, doesn’t smell, and doesn’t seem to be swollen.