Flystrike with my oldest girl

[Roneyroost05]

Hello..my 4.5 year oldest girl had a case of Flystrike. We've never experienced this before. I have given her numerous salt water baths with Epsom salt and Dawn dish soap. Treated her topically with Ivermectin. I've been spraying her skin with Vetericyn. And I think we finally got all of the maggots gone. Yesterday she could barely keep her head up, but today she is more perky and even jumped out of the plastic bin bath. Still weak though. She has eaten some food and some treats today, but I am having to give her water with vitamins via syringe. My question is..is this a losing battle? She has a scar/wound and some kind of skin hanging from her belly?? It's almost like a kangaroo pouch. This is where the maggots would hide. I tried to get a good photo, but too difficult by myself. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Second picture is of her poop. She managed to jump out of the bin quickly and pooped on the garage floor.

 

[coach723]

I can't see the wound well enough to really tell anything, it would be good to see the flap you are talking about. How long since you have seen any maggots? Using an ointment, like plain triple antibiotic ointment, human stuff from any first aid section of the store (no pain killer ingredients) is good. It will help keep the wound moist and help it heal. If no maggots got into her abdominal cavity, then she has a good chance to recover. If she's feeling a bit better, that's a good sign.
At 4 1/2 years old, it's not uncommon for a hen to develop reproductive problems (do you know when she last laid?), and that can make it harder for them to push droppings out, leading to droppings sticking around the vent, which attract flies and can lead to flystrike. Older hens also sometimes have kind of stretched out from all the laying, which can also cause the same issue. If needed, trim back the feathers around the vent and around the wound. It will be easier to see and keep it clean. If you can get better pictures, it would be good.

 

[Roneyroost05]

There were still a few maggots in the water when I gave her a bath this afternoon, but I didn't see any on her after that. How do I know if they have gotten into her abdominal cavity?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

There were still a few maggots in the water when I gave her a bath this afternoon, but I didn't see any on her after that. How do I know if they have gotten into her abdominal cavity?

Thank you so much for your help!

When my hen got flystrike, the vet prescribed a medication (the name I forgot) that would kill any maggots that still existed in her body. I would just ask your vet if they can give you pills that you can give to your hen for that purpose. The epsom salt bath will kill any that are on the surface of her skin, but it can't reach any that are inside. I would keep her vent area and feathers clean as much as you can.

 

[coach723]

Some use Prozap spray, made for screwflies. I would just continue to soak, flush, and pick out any you find. You may need to do that for several days, 2 or 3 times a day, to get any that are still hatching from fly eggs. If you have a squirt condiment bottle, like for mustard/ketsup that sits on restaurant tables, that can help with flushing out the wound. And tweezers to grab any you can't reach but can see. There is no real way to know if they got inside unless you can see that far. If they did, she would eventually die from sepsis.