Feral chicken badly wounded, what to do?

[stormylady]

I have never had this problem, but Ive always heard that the maggots would only eat the dead and rotted parts, I would never stitch them inside of injury however, but with an open wound it might be different.

 

[MoodyChicken]

Quote:
Actually, under controlled situations maggots are quite beneficial. Maggots will only eat dead flesh. They are frequently used on humans to treat rotting wounds that won't heal. The problem is the flies that carry feces on their feet, thus spreading bacteria. Seeing as she's so wild it might be better to put her down. Confinement will stress her out. Good luck whatever you choose!

 

[EllyMae]

Quote:
I appreciate the articles...I am actually familiar with the maggot therapy, but as I understand it(coming from the nurse point of view, oh AND the FDA) it is approved for NON-healing wounds.
I just don't know of any vets that are using that approach. I know in rabbits, the presence of maggots in a wound can send them into shock.

Either way, you, meaning the OP, have to make the final decision. Today I was at a crossroads of trying to decide whether I should put SWAT ointment(used in horses) on my hens' wound to keep the flies out. Some say don't use it, some say DO use it. My final decision was to use it and she seems to be doing fine with it.
Best of luck to you with your decisions on the care of the injured hen.

 

[jjthink]

Poor thing - it had to be devastating for her to watch her babies get killed.

You are good and brave to be helping her - maggots are not for the faint of heart even though they won't hurt us!

Post pics of her and her wounds if you can - may help in getting the info you need.

Quiet, warm, very comfy, stress free place to rest. Sounds like you are already doing.

Fluids. Yogurt. Egg. Sunflower seeds. Whatever she will take that will help strengthen her and increase her interest in the good stuff of life.

Poultry vitamins/electrolytes (e.g. Durvet) in her water for a couple/few days.

If her wounds look as though she should by all rights be in pain, you can crush a baby aspirin (no substitues) into a cup of water. Mix fresh batch no less than daily. Two or three days of this should be enough but this can be reevaluated a little down the line.

I would be inclined to not mix the vitamins and aspirin in the same water, though I don't know that it would necessarily be a problem. Maybe one in the a.m. and the other in the afternoon/eve. You can also cut up little pieces of berries and grapes, submerge in the aspirin water, remove and then feed them to her. She'll get some hydration from the fruit and a tad bit of aspirin water.

Topical neosporin - good. If she has any deeper wounds she may need oral or injectible antibiotic but if not, neosporin may do the trick.

It's true that maggots are only after the bad tissue. They will need to leave sometime though - not sure best moment for their exit!When I brought an injured feral cat full of maggots to the vet he sprayed water on the areas till they washed out the bugs. If you do this at some point, you may want to do so in a contained area like a bathtub, if the whole project doesn't stress her unduly. Have the hen on something with very good footing. You could give her a drop or two of Rescue Remedy mixed with water in advance of this project. It has a calming effect.

If she was attacked several days ago at this point and does not appear unduly ill, she probably has a very good chance.

Please keep us posted

JJ

Karen, yes, chickens can have stitches.

 

[JHaller]

Great ideas, everyone. I know that putting her down may be the best thing, but I'm too naive to do anything but try to save her.

I'm heading out for some more neosporin, some bandages, and some electrolyte. I'll try to get some antibiotics and the other supplies you all are recommending, and read up on the maggot therapy before deciding.

I'll post pictures, they may be helpful.


THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU , to all for your timely help.

Judith

 

[chickenhick]

I think the best way to remove the maggots (and I would) is to pick them off or knock them off and then rinse the wound with warm saline. Peroxide can really burn and irritate if the skin is still raw. Just keep lots of neosporin on it and try to cover it until it really starts to heal. Who knows...she may turn out to be your best hen ever...

 

[jjthink]

Neosporin WITHOUT pain relief ingredient btw.
JJ

 

[JHaller]

The chicken is standing on her own power, despite the skin on her breast being ripped away.

The worst is behind her neck. My two fingers are holding her head. Her neck is the long greenish piece starting in the center of the photo and trending to the upper right. The maggots, not shown, are under the flap of skin behind her head.

I'm not feeling as much warmth coming from her as i would like. I set a small slow cooker with some water in her cage and covered the cage in a blanket, trying to warm her environment. I'm also trying to put some nonstick bandages on her. I can't get her to drink the pedialyte. I'll try to rig a heat lamp.

 

[songbird]

Hi,
I am an emergency vet, and I hope I can help your chicken. First of all, it sounds pretty awful. You would not be wrong to put her to sleep, because dying from sepsis (a bacterial infection throughout the entire body) is not a nice way to die.

First, get those maggots off her! Not all maggots are so selective as to only eat dead tissue. Absolutely not! They absolutely will eat living tissue quite happily, and can you imagine how painful this is! Wash them off with a gentle hose, faucet, sprayer. You will have to do "maggot checks" several times a day, and each time, wash and pick off any that you see. Don't use peroxide, as some people suggest. It is fun to watch the maggots run away from it, but the peroxide damages healthy tissue, making it harder for her to heal.

We sometimes will use ivermectin (like you use for mites) to kill maggots.

How long ago did the injuries occur? If it was more than a week ago, and you clear the maggots, she might live. Sepsis usually starts around 4-7 days after the attack.

Do not try to suture or staple anything closed on a wound this old. The flap is dead - it won't grow if you stitch it back on. Any wound that is more than a day or so old should not be sutured closed. It will heal gradually, from the outside in, over time. Takes longer, doesn't look as nice, has more scar tissue, but...it will heal. (only if you get the maggots out.)

Be careful with the neosporin. If she preens and ingests it, it can cause intestinal upset, diarrhea, etc. There are other things you can use that will be safer for chickens. (check your farm store).

Wouldn't it be nice if she just ate her own maggots???!!!

Good luck with her...

 

[farrier!]

songbird, Thanks so much for the post. I was about to ask if all maggots are alike knowing how many different flies there are.