EMERGENCY - Need help with wound!! Warning - graphic!

[three_grannies]

Hello,

I have posted about Maeve previously. She just got over being terribly broody to the point she developed a vitamin deficiency and could barely walk. I noticed a large hardened scab on her upper left part of her chest (above clavicle - close to her crop). I thought it was possibly a breast blister. I used an epsom salt poultice and the scab easily came off on its own and now there is yellow tissue coming out of the wound. What am I looking at? Is it fatty tissue? Advice on treating and redressing the wound? Thank you for your help!!

 

[three_grannies]

I just flushed around it with Betadine and it came out some more - here is a close up. Sorry it is pretty nasty!!

 

[User690263]

Is she breathing well?

 

[three_grannies]

Is she breathing well?

She isn’t having any trouble breathing

 

[User690263]

What is her behavior like? Is that red stuff in the picture part of the yellow thing that came out of the wound, or is it blood?

 

[User690263]

If possible I would try to gently push the tissue back into the wound then put antibiotic ointment on it and maybe use some vetwrap. Good luck!

 

[three_grannies]

If possible I would try to gently push the tissue back into the wound then put antibiotic ointment on it and maybe use some vetwrap. Good luck!

Her behavior has been fine today! She just started fighting me as I was repositioning her and it popped put more. Is it a massive abscess?? I didn’t think there were any organs in the upper left part of the chest so please tell me if I’m wrong. Or could it be a tumor?

 

[three_grannies]

Her behavior has been fine today! She just started fighting me as I was repositioning her and it popped put more. Is it a massive abscess?? I didn’t think there were any organs in the upper left part of the chest so please tell me if I’m wrong. Or could it be a tumor?View attachment 3860509

I should mention there has been really no bleeding. It doesn’t seem to be vascular at all. I have pushed it back in the best that I can with a Betadine soaked gauze and will wrap it for now until I hear more.

 

[three_grannies]

I don’t know if anyone else will weigh in, but I think I may have found the answer. I think what Maeve has is a lipoma that led to the ulceration/scab on her skin.

https://poultrydvm.com/condition/lipomas

I think it was encapsulated before she got feisty and fought me. Then the capsule became disrupted and the fatty tissue spilled out of the capsule/wound opening. I’ll try to get her to an avian vet to get their opinion.

 

[three_grannies]

I thought I would provide an update in case anyone else ever experiences a similar issue. My vet performed surgery today to repair the wound. His opinion is that when Maeve went broody and started feather plucking, she likely created a wound tract. Feather shafts can run deep, and when pulling this feather out, she also pulled out some of the subcutaneous tissue from the fat pad near her keel bone. He doesn’t think she had a lipoma.

Surgery was successful as he was able to remove the desiccated fatty tissue and stitch things up!

Moral of the story - broody hens are intense and can cause major harm to themselves! To all the chickens out there - don’t be like Maeve!!