HELP!!! Banty SCALPED by flock mates!

[Eggcessive]

BluKote is very good to use when it has healed some--it works as an antiseptic/antifungal, but the blue color helps to prevent pecking. She will need to be re-introduced gradually.

 

[ChickenFox]

Thought I'd give an update. Been so busy lately I forgot to do it earlier. Squeaker is doing well.

She can see out of both eyes and the skin where the vet stretched it up has stayed thus far. There's even some some feathers starting to grow back on the little sections of skin that was left on her face. Her skin is all a healthy pink though there are still some spots where the skin hasn't grown together yet to cover the skull. Still she is doing very well and feisty as ever. Hates taking her meds but especially hates the rinse I have to do of her stiches twice a day. She eats and drinks just fine and I actually put her outside for about an hour today in a wire dog kennel so she could get some sunshine, fresh air, grass and possibly bugs...stupid chicken wants back in with the things that scalped her though. Not happening. I have some chicks that are only a week old that I'm going to try introducing her to when they're big enough and she's healed to see if they will get along at all. 2 of them are babies of the ones in the other coop so I didn't want to put them in there anyway. They're banty's as well so here's hoping everybody will get along when the time comes. Going in Thursday for a checkup. Thank you all for the advice and support.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Good news!!

 

[ChickenFox]

Just to give you all an idea of what she looked like, imagine all the pink skin you see here minus the eyelids and little bits close to her beak just gone. Nothing but bone and muscle. The vet I took her to stretched skin from her back and chest to pull up and cover everything. I'm starting to see new skin growth on the edges of the stitches.

Poor Squeaker has been through so much. Doesn't keep her spirits down long though.

(Don't mind the wet feathers. I'd just given her a sponge bath a few minutes before. She gets so messy in her box inside.

)

 

[LaynaDon95]

Poor girl. She looks great now though! Good job chicken mama!

 

[Eggcessive]

She looks great. I'm glad the vet got her fixed up.

 

[ChickenFox]

Well....She popped her stitches yesterday evening.

The skin that was doing so well on top of her head is back down to the base of her skull. It's probably about a 3/4in x 1 in section of skull showing again. I called the vet first thing but she's out of town until Monday. So I'm keeping everything moist and clean with neosporin and still giving her antibiotic orally twice a day. I'm going to run out soon so I hope the vet will give me some more. :/ There was a little gap in the skin when Squeaks went in for her checkup but the vet wasn't at all worried about it. Said she thought it would eventually fill in on its own but now?... I don't know. Squeaks is still eating and drinking and constantly trying to make her great escape. I think she's still putting on weight too which is a good thing. I just so wish those stitches hadn't ripped.

At least the skin hasn't fallen down her neck right? Got to find an upside somewhere....actually right before the stitches popped I was excited because she was finally cleaning her feathers again, didn't think what would happen if she rubbed her head on the oil glands above her tail. *doh!* Love my Squeaker. Hate to see her like this but she's still acting like nothings wrong other than I won't let her outside....I do have a question for you all. I noticed yesterday too that she is stretching her neck and opening her beak either like she's choking slightly or trying to pop her ears. No coughing or anything but she does it quite often. I'm starting to wonder if she is trying to pop her ears but since she doesn't have them anymore there's a pressure somewhere... Speaking of great escape Hubby just informed me she's strolling around the kitchen again. lol I'm starting to think she's going to be a permanent fixture in our house.

 

[CarolinaSkies]

How is your girl doing since she popped her stitches? We had a very similar injury and the bald area did fill in and even has feathers now. The area at the base of her neck where the loose skin gathered corrected itself too and no longer had a lump of loose skin. They have an amazing ability to heal. Good luck with your girl.

 

[ChickenFox]

She's doing great.

She's almost doubled her weight which is good as she got scarily thin for awhile. The Doc took out the stitches a few days ago (not that they were doing anything) and trimmed off a little of the dead skin that had been stuck in them. Her skin is slowly growing out and spreading from the healthy tissue. She has almost all the skin back around her eyes with the exception of part of one eyelid but it's growing back as well just at a slightly off angle. She can fully close here eyes now and I'm starting to see where her ears used to be/ is....might be my imagination but I swear when I said her name today she actually turned and looked at me. I have to be imagining it as the doc was certain her ears were gone...but if I see the ear opening maybe some of the inner working have healed some? None the less she is doing great and enjoying her new cage in our kitchen. She gets frequent visits from my EE banty babies who have started escaping from their brooder. lol She's still showing off her "Bald Spot" as my hubby calls it but the vet and I are seeing some granulation of new skin now. Her next check-up is in 2 months. She's known at the vets office as Zombie Chicken.

 

[CarolinaSkies]

Yeah!!!! So glad for Zombie.