Chicks attacked by predator one badly wounded <New PICS>Graphic

[CaliBlueChicken]

Hello,
My husband is a makes a great wound team. Luckily we both worked as certified nursing assistants for 6 years so we have some nursing background.

UPDATE: We found a scratch/shallow gauge on his back. For that one we flushed with iodine/water mix and then, dabbed q-tips in water/h202 mix to clean it (I didnt want to flush it cause the bigger wound is underneath the wing and didnt want to get h202 in it so i flushed with the iodine/water mix) Then dabbed it dry, not bone dry. Clipped a few feathers that were directly in the way. And then applied a generous amount of triple anitbiotic.

Then we cleaned the big wound, flushed with iodine/water solution, used q-tips to clean around the outer edges. then applied a healthy amount of triple antibiotic (the kind used in hospitals) we cleaned and put the triple anitbiotic under the flap of skin too.

Then we wrapped his wing in steril gauze so that it didn't dip into the wounds.

He is sleeping now, he was quite active in the kitchen today (that's where we have him staying) talking alot to me and eating his start and grow and drinking water. We had lunch together and I also heald him for a nap earlier in the day.

I am keeping the kitchen floor and area clean and sanitary, sort of like if you were to keep a person in isolation in the hospital.

After I get off work tommorrow I will head to the feed store for penicillin and more iodine, electrolytes.

Here are pictures after we cleaned and treated the wounds tonight. Just a few questions:
~Do we need to give him electrolyte/vitamin enhanced water if he has been eating and drinking regularly? If so what do you recommend... pedialyte?
~My husband thought at times his comb looked redder is that a sign of a fever? If so how can you treat that?
~What does "die off" mean? If the skin flap appears to be dying?

Thank you again!! You guys are life savers!!

I think it is looking better, there was a thin thin layer of new skin growth on the outer edges. Hard to see here since he is laying down.

Scratch/gouge we found on his back.

Down for the night.

Ok goodnight to all

 

[threehorses]

you wrote "Then we wrapped his wing in steril gauze so that it didn't dip into the wounds. " Very nice!! And I'm very very glad that you found the extra wound. that's exactly why I always say "every inch". Yay!

The one thing endlessly fascinating to me about wound care (though I'd rather never ever have to go through it again) is how many creative ways we can come up with to help the bird.

NIce job!

I have to say this looks pretty good. The one thing to worry about is internal injuries, but we can't do anything about that. We just have to have faith on that one.

In the mean time, his eating, drinking, and remaining active is such good news! I wouldn't worry terribly about the red comb as a little heat is good for killing bacteria. Birds don't quite 'do' fevers like we do - their temperatures being a norm of about 106. 107 isn't unheard of. So that's a good thing. I'd worry more about behavioral lethargy and inattentiveness.

Obviously you guys have the "birds feeling safe" part down pat!

With a very well cleaned bird like this, you don't have to doctor that wound much. I forgot to say that I like to clean it like I might never have to again -that's the aim. If you keep the wound clean and airy, slightly moisturized (with neosporin) to encourage granulization of new flesh there, often you can get away with doing nothing more than spoiling them. This was the case with Miracle/easter whose wounds were so strikingly similar to your cockerel's wounds that it makes me want to go out and hug her.

The rest will do him good. Tomorrow will be a big day as it is with humans. The proverbial "day after", when bacteria has a chance to kick in, etc. Hopefully he'll just be fine during it.

On your questions - you could do the electrolytes/vitamins if he's eating and drinking regularly. Honestly, I feel healing birds need more 'fuel' to do so. It's advisable but not necessary. I like a poultry-specific formula. If you could get Aviacharge, it's supposed to be wonderful. Otherwise, one labeled for poultry from the feedstore and used as labeled. Only cease if he won't drink as much. (In that case, use the remainder to wet that mash.)
On the "die off", yes - I mean if the skin appears to start to die. As nursing assistants, you will know what to look for. Bruising can easily be confused for dying off, by the way. I recently had a turkey hen who had an amputation. They left extra muscle and skin to wrap around the bone end to 'finish' her stump. ON the second-third day, that skin turned dark green-black and terrified me. There was no weeping, oozing, or bad smell. There was some swelling (from the air leaking from the bone) but no fluid. The vet said in that case (including the no-nastiness) if the area was hot, then that was ok. If it were cool, that meant a lack of circulation and dying flesh. (Of course, necrosis has its own signs which are similar in chickens to humans. Nastiness, in a word).

So if you see that, don't be alarmed. use your training to assess the wound.

Good luck to him tonight and particularly this tricky and important week! My prayers and well wishes to him and to his keepers.

Thank you for giving him a chance to live.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Birds in shock are usually not experiencing much pain (their brains are set up differently than ours)
A bird with injuries from an attac like this will usually be in shock and you should give electrolytes for that instead of aspirin (especially as you indicate there might be some internal bleeding issues)...
I would suggest you use a hair dryier (not too close) instead of pat-drying it. If at all possible ask for a chlorhexidine based product (hibiclens) at your drugstore and use that to clean the wound with after flushing with sterile saline (always boil any water you are cleaning with > adding 1/2 tsp of salt to a half gallon of water and boiling for five minutes will be your "sterile" saline) you should FLUSH the wound with this mixture and then use the chlorhexidine)... this is what is recomended in the veterinary articles > more info:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/542430
"...Chlorhexidine has been found to be superior to povidone-iodine and alcohol when it is used as a skin antiseptic...Although the protein-rich biomaterial of the skin surface can neutralize the germicidal activity of povidone-iodine, proteinaceous material has little effect on the antibacterial activity of chlorhexidine...."
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000401/tips/7.html

http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/3189943
"Chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibiclens), povidone-iodine (E-Z Scrub 201), and chloroxylenol (ParaSoft) sponge-brushes were compared for antibacterial efficacy in 2-minute surgical scrubs...The use of chlorhexidine achieved significantly (p less than 0.01) greater adjusted mean log10 bacterial count reductions than did povidone-iodine and chloroxylenol at all sampling times,..."

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/456300_2
Antiseptics on Wounds: An Area of Controversy: Iodine Compounds
(Iodine) >...Rodeheaver, et al.,[36] studied the bactericidal activity of povidone iodine solution in contaminated wounds in Hartley guinea pigs and the potential therapeutic benefit. Although they found that it can significantly reduce bacterial load 10 minutes after the application of the antiseptic, this effect did not persist. .... Another study[37] that evaluated contaminated 12-hour old lacerations in a guinea pig model failed to find any decrease of wound bacterial counts after irrigation with PVP-I in comparison to normal saline. ....Interestingly, povidone iodine has been found to have increased bactericidal activity in lower concentrations.[42] ....
(Hydrogen Peroxide) >...In conclusion, hydrogen peroxide appears not to negatively influence wound healing, but it is also ineffective in reducing the bacterial count. However, it may be useful as a chemical debriding agent. The American Medical Association concluded that the effervescence of hydrogen peroxide might provide some mechanical benefit in loosening debris and necrotic tissue of the wound...."

 

[CaliBlueChicken]

Thank you threehorses for all your online support. And thank you dlhunicorn for your links and knowledge as well. I just got off of work a little bit ago and Indigo has been following me all around the kithchen as I cooked lunch

. The wound still looks clean from last night so I just put some more neosporin on it. I am now off to the feed store for some poultry electrolytes. Here are pictures of him eating his lunch while I cooked. Silly bird!

Talking up a storm, telling me about his day I supppose.

Thank you so much again

Really I don't even know you guys and you are so helpful!
Good Day to you.

 

[threehorses]

He really is just absolutely adorable!! What a lovely color of blue he is.

Well obviously he's in GREAT hands, and he seems to be weathering his second day well.

Thanks for the update, and we hope for more!

 

[chickensioux]

Wow, he looks like he's doing great! Good for him and you. He's lucky. Good luck with him.

 

[CaliBlueChicken]

Quote:
thanks!!

 

[toredano]

He is gorgeous ..
He seems to be doing ok if he is eating and talking.

Good for you

You are a good chicken momma for sure.

 

[purpletree23]

He's really gorgeous. The picture of him sleeping with his wrapped wing made me sad but the following pictures he looked so much better. You've done a terrific job!! I'll say a prayer for all of you tonight. Just wonderful. I have no doubt he will continue to heal and in a few weeks you will be asking your husband to get this chicken out of my kitchen....he's driving me crazy!

Best of luck

 

[CaliBlueChicken]

Quote:
Thanks purpletee23, yea he's clucking around in the kitchen right now... eating. Thank you for the prayer

we've been doing the same. Good night