Frozen feet... please help!

[mommiesrcool]

Thank you. I really hope she’s okay.

The shower in my spare bathroom doubles as the chicken infirmary. We’ve got some nice fluffy towels in there, and swap them out daily. She’s currently passed out with her head under her wing. I love that little bird.

Do you think the two soaks and sprays a day would be enough to prevent infection?

I think so

 

[kaydeetee86]

Update post.

Alpha is still eating and drinking, and she can walk. She’s acting normal, and she’s been very cuddly before I put her to bed. I think she’s sad that I won’t sleep in the shower with her.

I’ve been continuing to give her baby Aspirin, and I have the vitamin/electrolyte mix in her water. I’m soaking her feet 1-2x a day, and keeping up with Vetericyn and Neosporin.

I’m not feeling optimistic about the damage to her right foot, but I’m still trying. The spot between her middle toe and inner toe is weeping a bit. There is no smell. Her feet are the correct temperature, not too hot or too cold.

I’ve contacted a vet because I think she might need antibiotics. Hopefully I hear back tomorrow.

All of the other chickens are still fine, thankfully. Even the roos, with their big beautiful combs.

Is there anything that I’m missing? Doing wrong? I wish I could stop worrying so much, but I love my chickens.

I have daily photos, but these are the ones from this evening. She was not cooperating with me getting a good one of the bottom of her left foot

Thanks, y’all.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I think it looks o.k.
You've been taking good care of the foot. It can take a while for the effects of Frostbite to be seen.

 

[kaydeetee86]

I think it looks o.k.
You've been taking good care of the foot. It can take a while for the effects of Frostbite to be seen.

Thanks... I’m really trying. I just wish I could stop worrying that I’m doing something wrong.

 

[kaydeetee86]

Update:

Alpha is a tough little bird! She’s doing way better than I expected.

We’ve made two trips to the vet now, the initial one and then the follow up. I don’t want to jinx it, but I think her left foot is going to make a full recovery. The color, temperature, and texture appear to be back to normal. Her comb has also recovered, no loss.

But... then there’s her right foot. It was far more frozen than the left. It’s looking like she’s going to lose at least a toe and a half. I’m hoping to be able to save as much of the inside toe as possible. I was worried about her tiny toe, but it’s looking normal again. She’s obviously favoring that foot, but she can still walk, dig, and roost. Normal chicken stuff.

She was prescribed sulfa/trimeth antibiotics, meloxicam, pentoxifylline (for circulation), and silvadene cream. Giving her the medicine sucks for both of us, but it’s making a huge difference.

We couldn’t reintegrate her into the original flock. It took some creative restructuring in between the two coops, but she’s happily in with the Orpingtons and one other RIR.

Continuing to hope for the best for my little buddy. She’s such a sweetheart. I already loved that little bird to pieces, but the time we’ve spent together has made us pretty close.

(Of course it looks like she’s plotting my death in the photo, but we just finished with her medicine.)

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for the update. I do think that she will be able to get around just fine once she heals. Please keep up the good work and continue to update your thread.

 

[kaydeetee86]

Thank you for the update. I do think that she will be able to get around just fine once she heals. Please keep up the good work and continue to update your thread.

Thank you! That means a lot because it’s been tough. Last night I was so frustrated that I wanted to cry. I still feel like I have no clue what I’m doing sometimes.

I think she’ll be okay. She’s a little fighter, and she’s figuring it out. We’ll make any accommodations that we need to for her.

 

[kaydeetee86]

This will probably be my final update, unless I figure out how to make a prosthetic foot. (I’m going to try!)

Alpha is doing amazing, considering all that she’s been though. She’s lost both toes, and the tip of the other one. The swelling/deformity hasn’t changed at all. It looks like it’s going to be permanent.

She’s doing pretty well getting around. I almost panicked the other day because I couldn’t find her when I went to open up the coop. She was not only on a roosting bar instead of a nesting box, but she was on the top roosting bar! I’m really proud of my little bird. (I still need to switch out the roosting bars.)

Thank you guys so much for the support, and getting me through a really scary time.

Updated photos of her foot, then a few more just because she’s cute. She likes looking at the chicken in the phone.