Chicken STINKS and is in PAIN.

[AnimalsComeFirst]

I'm at my breaking point of wondering if this chicken has a good quality of life, or whether to put her down. Gloria, my barred rock, has had this leg problem and breathing issue for a year, but its growing worse. She stinks so bad when I walk by, and when I pet her my hand stinks after. She lays down all the time and barely moves, unlike 6 months ago when she would actually eat grass and do dust bathes.

I love this chicken, but i'm trying to do whats best for her. I wouldn't want to be a smelly, thin chicken in pain because of her leg that cannot be cured no matter what I put on it. I need advice. I would pay 50 dollars at this point to get her fixed in one visit to the vet so she would be able to live her life! But I don't think thats the case.

Please, any advice. Ideas. Suggestions. I need help.

She sleeps and lays down all the time.

Big scab on either side of her leg.

Here's a video of her so you can see her leg and how she walks.

 

[sharol]

The comment about smell leads me to think that you might have infections that have rotted some of her flesh. If she has gangrene, she is miserable and in pain.

Can you look under her feathers and see if the infection in her foot has spread anywhere else?

Good luck with your girl. That foot looks bad. Do you know what it is?

(I had a really hard time replying to the post, it may be the embedded video, but "quote" doesn't work.)

Sharol

 

[rikithemonk]

How have you been treating the injury?

My bet for the breathing and smell would be a secondary infection. Her immune system has been fighting the leg infection for so long that it has become weakened and opportunistic bacteria have have flourished elsewhere. Its most likely bacterial, so an antibiotic should help.

What exactly happened to her leg?

Riki

 

[spish]

id first try and soften that scabbyness on her foot to see whats underneath. can you bring her inside for a few days and smoother her feet in vaseline? this will soften those feet right up and loosen the 'crust'.

is it her body that smells or just her foot? can you describe the smell at all? her come and wattle look nice and red so i dont think shes super sick or anything..perhaps a small infection somewhere under the scales...

 

[AnimalsComeFirst]

Her foot (we think) got stepped on by a horse before she came to us, causing a open wound and a huge scab grew over it.
We have treated the injury by soaking everyday for a week and trying to loosen it, tried killing the bacteria with hydrogen perioxide/iodine, tried bandaging it up for a few days with vaseline on it.
Its both her body and her foot that smells.... its a horrid smell, smells like somethings rotting.

 

[AnimalsComeFirst]

The comment about smell leads me to think that you might have infections that have rotted some of her flesh. If she has gangrene, she is miserable and in pain.

Can you look under her feathers and see if the infection in her foot has spread anywhere else?

Good luck with your girl. That foot looks bad. Do you know what it is?

(I had a really hard time replying to the post, it may be the embedded video, but "quote" doesn't work.)

Sharol

I just checked her feathers.... she is old, so her skin is crusty, but there's no spreading of the scab/infection. Its just on her legs.

 

[stoopid]

Poor baby. I have enjoyed seeing her stink eye over the past year, and am offering to help pay for her vet bills, if anyone thinks something can be done.
It looks pretty bad, though. I hope we can come up with something.
I will be seeing Dr Peter Brown this weekend, will ask if he has any thoughts on this.
Roberta

 

[stoopid]

Instead of vaseline, have you tried Neosporin, or Bacitracin? At least there is an antibiotic in those.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

Also, that weird 5th toe thing on the back of her leg is a spur. I have meet her in person and know its a spur.
her spur points down, but it is in crusted with something?? I can tell what ???

Gloria had Tylan 50 for about a week, but it did not do much.

 

[stoopid]

I think she will need antibiotics for longer than a week, with that severity of an infection.
I didn't notice the spur at first, I bet if that got trimmed shorter, it may make it easier for her to walk.
I have had some birds tripping over their spurs, unfortunately, trimming is necessary.
Just try not to cut too short, as she already has sores.
I use a doggy nail clipper, and just cut small pieces away at a time.