Does anyone know about giving antibiotics for injuries!!!!!!!

[newchickmom]

I have a turkey, about 4 months old, that has a wound on its back and I need to know how to treat it.

I have cleaned it and put antibiotic ointment on it. Now it is draining like infected.

Please Help Me!!!!!

 

[Kedreeva]

I can't offer much advice beyond what you have done. What you've done is the majority of what we do for injured wild birds. If you have a way to keep it separated from the others in a small, warm, darker and clean place, that sometimes help to alleviate stress and outdoor contaminants for the first day or two after injury.

If it's a large wound, reclean it and check the site for necrotic development (dead flesh will usually turn grey, white, green, or black, depending on progress of decay). If you see discolored skin like that, it's more likely to be infected rather than purging helpful liquids full of clotting and scabbing agents in an attempt to heal. Necrotic flesh means that the wounded area is dying off, not healing or scabbing over like it should.

If the liquid that's draining is clear, you probably don't have to worry- clear fluid is typically just serum, which is fine. If it's milky, that's typically a sign of infection.

EDIT: If the flesh around the wound is swollen or puffy, you can try icing it for a little bit with ice wrapped in a washcloth or paper towels. Don't leave the ice on for very long, 5-10 minutes on, 10 minutes off. Make sure you don't chill the bird, either, you want it warm.

You can try getting something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Gentian-Violet-Solution-1-2oz/dp/B000NORDDK if you are still worried.

If it's a largely exposed wound, you can try putting gauze over it (if the turkey is unlikely to rip it off) or wrap gauze+ace bandages around the body of the bird (under the wings) so that the wound is not exposed to contaminants for a day or two. Any dressings should be changed at least 1 time daily.

But if it's not leaking milky fluids or showing necrotic flesh, I would say just clean and reapply the antibiotic cream.

 

[newchickmom]

I would say it is leaking slightly green. It is an open wound and I did use "Wonder dust on it to make sure all the bleeding stopped, before I put ointment on it.

I wondered if an oral antibiotic would be useful?

 

[Kedreeva]

It is very important to know whether the liquid is actually GREEN or if the liquid is BLUE-GREEN because the difference in what that is is very great.

If the pus is -green- then it means there WAS a bad infection but your bird's immune system kicked ass and overran it- then you would just gently clean the wound again and renew the topical antibiotic. An oral antibiotic may or may not help, we never use them so I can't advise you there. The green should turn white or clear, or white and then clear over the next day or two. If you really feel compelled to do something extra for it, you can search for a topical antiseptic spray, but the chances are that your bird is taking care of itself fairly well.

If the pus is BLUE-GREEN then that may be an indication of a common bacteria that can infect damaged tissues. I doubt this is what you have though.

Pictures might help determine the course of action, if you can get any. Make sure you only link or amend the title for graphic pics, some people can't handle themselves around injuries.

 

[AdrieeC]

I cannot locate the article at the moment but there are some good ones here regarding injured birds. The article I read and the advice I follow is that if the bird has a wound it's best to go with inject-able penicillin. I bought a bottle from the feed store for about $13 and keep it in my fridge for such things. It should not expire for at least a year. By searching google you can find some really good diagrams of chicken anatomy, so you can choose the best place to give the shots. I choose the breast or the thigh. It seems to be a good idea to give the shot in a different area each day. I do not know the dose for turkeys, but the standard chicken should get about 1/4 cc each day for 4 days. Watch for blood when giving the shot, if you see blood, remove the needle and try again. As far as the bandages, I have had success and failure in using them so just go with your gut. I hope this helps!