Chicken neck attack!! Help!

[Anabariful]

Are you kidding me??? That's the same chicken?!!

WOW. Just wow!!


How's her appetite and such? And I expect the answer is no, but has she laid an egg since the attack?

Her appetite and weigh appear to be good. She is back to free ranging daily with Mable. no egg yet.

 

[Anabariful]

I agree with 10-14 days for stitches removal. Great to see that she is a such a survivor. Glad you posted this, since there is another person with a similar wound needing some info. It is from LadyRed about a hawk attack in the emergency forum.

I know this might be a silly question but since it's my first chicken attack, I thought I'd leave the stitches in for a longer time due to the depth of the lacerations. Again, I'm by no means an expert or vet. I can have my husband help me remove them tonight. Should I or wait a bit longer?

 

[JurassicBawk]

Normal stitch removal is 10-14 days, but that's for regular surgery where the skin has healed and the stitches are not needed. If you remove these stitches now, I have a feeling that her skin will just separate and cause issues because nothing is healing up at the stitch point. It kind of looks like those stitches are literally holding her together, and to me it would be more good than bad to leave them. If she's acting otherwise fine, and if her body is potentially healing up from the inside out, then I'd leave them for now.

 

[sawilliams]

I know this might be a silly question but since it's my first chicken attack, I thought I'd leave the stitches in for a longer time due to the depth of the lacerations. Again, I'm by no means an expert or vet. I can have my husband help me remove them tonight. Should I or wait a bit longer?

Try to remove then a few at at time. To and bottom where you know is healed better. If it started to pull open stop at that stiitch and pot some ointment on it and try again in a day or 2.

I think as some had mentioned some of the skin might not heal back together but at this piont some of the undertissues should be repaired and connecting. You just don't want to too it back open if three isn't enought internal support yet

 

[Eggcessive]

After 14 days, I would think that the stitches may start growing into tissue or the body may have a reaction to them. Are you seeing good joining of the wound edges where the stitches are? I am not a vet, but an RN who has had a lot of animals who have had various surgeries. Most had stitches out at 10 days, but the 14 day window is okay. Have you checked here on your thread for the exact day you put in the stitches?

 

[Eggcessive]

You might try what sawilliams suggested in removing a few, or every other one. SteriStrips or tape made into steristrips could help if the wound has not healed. Wish we could be there with you to see it in person.

 

[casportpony]

Normal stitch removal is 10-14 days, but that's for regular surgery where the skin has healed and the stitches are not needed. If you remove these stitches now, I have a feeling that her skin will just separate and cause issues because nothing is healing up at the stitch point. It kind of looks like those stitches are literally holding her together, and to me it would be more good than bad to leave them. If she's acting otherwise fine, and if her body is potentially healing up from the inside out, then I'd leave them for now.

I agree that I looks like some may be holding her together, but it's been my experience that leaving them in longer doesn't help.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

It certainly isn't pretty and if she were a human I would remove the sutures, clean all the crusty junk out, flush the wound, and assess it from there.
That being said---she looks fabulous and I am not sure that opening the wound and letting it heal from secondary intention is the best way to go here (but secondary intention healing is most likely happening, judging by the suture line). Her wound seems to be finding it's own way of healing and may very well be looking pretty good under that suture line. It doesn't look like the edges of the wound have approximated but seeing as there was an extended period of time between the injury event and the suturing, that would be expected.
I like the idea of removing one suture at a time (assuming you did separate sutures and not a running stitch) to assess whether things are going to come tumbling out of Gretchen. Good advice there.
Also, with the antibiotics that you gave, the interior of the wound might be nice and sterile and opening it up now will allow bacteria and barnyard stuff to contaminate the wound and lead to infection.
Yes, 10-14 days is the usual for sutures. Any healing of the wound edges that is going to happen will have happened by then. After that, sutures would only serve as an irritant and a wicking agent for bacteria.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

I might also be tempted to soak the crusty areas on the suture line with warm water, perhaps placing Gretchen in a tub of warm water, and working on picking those bits out. Hard to tell from the pic whether that is necrotic tissue or dried blood and exudates. That kind of crust can harbor bacteria and should be removed if possible. Gentle cleansing after soaking should do the job.

 

[Eggcessive]

Today is the 13th full day after the stitches were put in on Sept. 15th after reading back in the thread. Thanks for posting on the other thread of Lady Red76 about your hen's story and progress.