Frostbite on both legs! Help!

[lauranickerson]

I just came home from work and found my EE on the ground stumbling. I picked her up and her feet feel like ice, and her feet will not recoil or move. Her whole leg is ice cold. She seems to have been dedicating on herself today, which makes sense because she cannot stand. And I put food in front of her and she's eating like crazy. She is very underweight.

I will start a luke-warm epsom salt soak in the bathroom, but wondering what else I should do? I can't tell if any of the toes have died because her legs are naturally a very dark grey/green color.

Thanks in advance!

 

[lauranickerson]

So the feet are already room temperature to the touch after only about 5 minutes in luke warm water. At first she just laid in it, but now that the feeling is coming back, she's getting a bit more spunk, and trying to get out of the plastic tub that I set inside my bathtub. I caved and just filled the bathtub a few inches, barely increasing the temp, and now she has no choice but to soak in it. Still stumbling but not as bad. How long should I have her soak for?

 

[lauranickerson]

Here she was before I put her in, and just after I put her in. You can see her toes wouldn't even move when I put her in the water...just she just had prosthetics or something...

*sorry about the frozen stress-poo that stuck to her feathers. I am soaking her for that reason too. She will be blow-dried before she goes back outside. Frostbite doesn't surprise me with the -20 degree weather (before windchill) N. Michigan has been having lately.*

 

[lauranickerson]

Anyone?

 

[justplainbatty]

Anyone?

Hello, be patient, it takes a while to get answers sometimes. I've not had this issue (cross fingers) but I think you have done all you can for now. Sometimes the bird may lose toes or even the whole foot but still get around ok. It depends on how long she has been frostbitten and how deeply. Keep her warm and dry now, don't put her back outside until she recovers. Cage her on a heating pad and keep her quiet. Make sure she is getting hydration, syringe it to her if you have to, be careful not to get the water down the wrong pipe. You can crush a chewable baby aspirin into the water for pain.

She looks just like my girl named Pretty.

 

[lauranickerson]

Sorry, just freaking out over here. lol. Wont keeping her inside for a few days make the transition to going back out into harsh temps a problem for her?

 

[keesmom]

I would keep her inside for now. If I had to guess she will likely lose the toes on one foot, but the pad and rear toe may be salvaged. The ends of a couple toes on the other foot may be lost as well. I have known people who have birds that lose toes in the winter and they do well once healed up. All you can really do now is wait and not rush the thawing.

I have only dealt with this once before, with a broody that decided to set outside in an unprotected spot in the dead of winter, so my experience is limited. She ended up losing both legs.

Added to say - can you keep her in a basement where it's warm enough for her to thaw but not cold enough for her to freeze again? Just for a while.

 

[lauranickerson]

I think she's feeling a lot better, though I can see the damage a bit more clearly now. I don't really have a way to keep her inside...no cage, and my boyfriend would seriously kill me. I agreed to no chickens in the house when we bought the place.

 

[lauranickerson]

Okay, so I convinced the boyfriend. I have a box with scrambled eggs and some water with vitamins and electrolytes. She ate almost 2 eggs and started drinking as soon as I poured it in. She seems all there except she won't walk. I scooted the egg away when I knew she was hungry and she wouldn't walk to it. So I just gave it back and am letting her rest in the basement.

I blow-dried her on warm/cool, which she LOVED, and again, now I can see her damaged feet a bit better. Here are the pictures. Looks like at least the one toe is going to fall off.

 

[justplainbatty]

I'm so glad you can keep her inside! She needs protection from the cold and flock mates who may be inclined to pick at or rip off her toes. She needs rehab time to be able to get around on her own too. Poor girl, that looks so painful but it's good to see that her pads have blood flow. I hope she improves and gets back to chicken life soon! Best wishes.

give us updates please!