HELP - I don’t want her to lose her leg!

[korpse]

So I did Trash’s daily soaking and wrapping, and also called the vet!

So the vet on pentoxifylline: she said it’s off-label for chickens(not sure what exactly that means, but I’ll trust her) and there’s not even really a recommended dosage for chickens, so she wouldn’t be comfortable prescribing it. But even so, she also said that the drug works best closer to the time of frostbite. So I guess that’s off the table for Trash, but perhaps for someone with a chicken that more recently got frostbite and with a vet that’s more comfortable with that!

And for todays feet/leg update:
I’m continuously losing hope that she’ll keep her left leg. I’m hoping for a miracle, but expecting the worst. But I will definitely be looking into prosthetics!
The left foot is for sure a goner. It’s rigid and pretty dark.
I’m guessing the right foot will lose all but half of the middle row. It looks like the pad of her foot has begun to peel a bit. On her knee/elbow(whatever that is ) there’s a bit of a sore from resting on it, so today I tried to wrap it.
Her belly is sort of red, but I’m hoping it’s just that the pine shavings are scratchy, and not anything more serious.

As for her mood, she’s great! She wants to walk around and to fly out of her box, but I feel like she shouldn’t put a ton of weight on her feet yet. Maybe I’m just a worrier. Would it be good for her to walk around a bit? For her circulation?
Her appetite is great, she loooooves snacks. And today while soaking her, she fell asleep! Which was very sweet until I accidentally woke her up and she was startled and squawking

Left leg and foot:

Right foot/leg:

P.S. I never know if I should put the pictures in as thumbnails or full images, so here ya go I guess

 

[korpse]

I have a silkie that is facing the same issue with her feet (hoping not the legs) I have been soaking her feet daily and petroleum on her feet/legs as well. hopefully, Trash doesn't lose her whole leg but if she does there are some prosthetic options for a reasonable price I have found (I can link if you'd like).

Good luck to both you and your beautiful girl.

I’m sorry that it’s happened to you too! Winter is so hard I know someone else on this thread suggested petroleum too! But I get weird about putting that on infections. A little different, but I know when I’ve had my piercings done, some of my piercers have been weird about heavy ointments and bacteria getting trapped. But at the same time, I have no idea, and the human body is a little different. And I’d love links to prosthetics!

 

[Anime2lover]

I’m sorry that it’s happened to you too! Winter is so hard I know someone else on this thread suggested petroleum too! But I get weird about putting that on infections. A little different, but I know when I’ve had my piercings done, some of my piercers have been weird about heavy ointments and bacteria getting trapped. But at the same time, I have no idea, and the human body is a little different. And I’d love links to prosthetics!

Here is one prosthetic
https://www.etsy.com/listing/112466...MI6MT1s4Or9gIVpfDjBx09dApCEAQYAiABEgIx1fD_BwE

 

[Chickens are awsome]

I’m sorry that it’s happened to you too! Winter is so hard I know someone else on this thread suggested petroleum too! But I get weird about putting that on infections. A little different, but I know when I’ve had my piercings done, some of my piercers have been weird about heavy ointments and bacteria getting trapped. But at the same time, I have no idea, and the human body is a little different. And I’d love links to prosthetics!

Here are some that I was looking into ~

https://www.etsy.com/listing/990917...ase-send?ref=ap-listing&variation0=2056583889

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1155827200/medium-bird-and-chicken-prosthetic-leg

 

[Eggcessive]

The yellow pink tissue above the gray is where the leg will come off:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/e109f13f-1335-4032-86e4-318035d980ab-jpeg.3012768/
On the foot, that same yellow pink area is where the toes will come off:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/3c05000f-42d0-4d8c-8c1a-3c5bcd666d7f-jpeg.3012773/

 

[korpse]

The yellow pink tissue above the gray is where the leg will come off:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/e109f13f-1335-4032-86e4-318035d980ab-jpeg.3012768/
On the foot, that same yellow pink area is where the toes will come off:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/attachments/3c05000f-42d0-4d8c-8c1a-3c5bcd666d7f-jpeg.3012773/

I had a feeling ugh my poor bird!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

So the vet on pentoxifylline: she said it’s off-label for chickens(not sure what exactly that means, but I’ll trust her) and there’s not even really a recommended dosage for chickens, so she wouldn’t be comfortable prescribing it. But even so, she also said that the drug works best closer to the time of frostbite. So I guess that’s off the table for Trash, but perhaps for someone with a chicken that more recently got frostbite and with a vet that’s more comfortable with that!

Off-label (or extra-label) means the med hasn't been approved for use in chickens. I wasnt aware that pentoxifylline isn't approved for chickens, but after your vet's input, discovered it is also prescribed off-label for dogs and horses, as well as birds. So pentoxifylline is only officially approved for human use but not other animal species. The reason is almost always because millions of additional dollars haven't been spent to get a med officially approved.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pentoxifylline

http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/pentoxifylline

But yes, it is only effective to combat frostbite damage if given very soon after frostbite occurs. I was hoping it might save Trash's shank if it still had blood flow. But if her leg is infected AND necrotic from frostbite, then yes it's too late for pentoxifylline to help. And her left shank isn't looking so good in your latest pictures. (Understatement) The swelling denotes a clear line of demarcation where the dead tissue will auto-amputate from the living. It sounds like you have a very knowledgeable vet treating Trash. That is great to know she is in good hands.

As far as Trash walking around now, I got medical advice from two people on Matilda's thread to not let her walk around soon After her feet separated, until they had time to heal a bit. No one advised to limit her movement Before the feet detached. That is a good question to ask your vet, and @Eggcessive likely knows the answer too. Eggcessive has been replying to and helping people with frostbite cases on BYC for many years. Trash is also in very good hands here with Eggcessive.

As far as her reddened belly, that could be because she is spending too much time laying down instead of standing. (Could be the preliminary to a developing breast blister.) Might be good idea to make her a sling to relieve pressure on her body.

And one final thing. You gotta tell us how Trash got her name.

 

[korpse]

Off-label (or extra-label) means the med hasn't been approved for use in chickens. I wasnt aware that pentoxifylline isn't approved for chickens, but after your vet's input, discovered it is also prescribed off-label for dogs and horses, as well as birds. So pentoxifylline is only officially approved for human use but not other animal species. The reason is almost always because millions of additional dollars haven't been spent to get a med officially approved.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pentoxifylline

http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/pentoxifylline

But yes, it is only effective to combat frostbite damage if given very soon after frostbite occurs. I was hoping it might save Trash's shank if it still had blood flow. But if her leg is infected AND necrotic from frostbite, then yes it's too late for pentoxifylline to help. And her left shank isn't looking so good in your latest pictures. (Understatement) The swelling denotes a clear line of demarcation where the dead tissue will auto-amputate from the living. It sounds like you have a very knowledgeable vet treating Trash. That is great to know she is in good hands.

As far as Trash walking around now, I got medical advice from two people on Matilda's thread to not let her walk around soon After her feet separated, until they had time to heal a bit. No one advised to limit her movement Before the feet detached. That is a good question to ask your vet, and @Eggcessive likely knows the answer too. Eggcessive has been replying to and helping people with frostbite cases on BYC for many years. Trash is also in very good hands here with Eggcessive.

As far as her reddened belly, that could be because she is spending too much time laying down instead of standing. (Could be the preliminary to a developing breast blister.) Might be good idea to make her a sling to relieve pressure on her body.

And one final thing. You gotta tell us how Trash got her name.

Yeahhhhh, like in my head I know it’ll auto-amputate, but I just keep hoping for a very unlikely miracle. I just feel so bad for her! And I can’t figure out how it even happened, she must have played in her water or something. I’ve seen plenty of very smart chickens, but my poor Trash is not one of them

And her name! Well, my sister had ordered a polish surprise group of chicks, and even at 3 days old, little Trash has stolen my heart(and at this point, she wanted absolutely nothing to do with me) Her downy fluff was grey with lighter grey at the tips. At first we called her lots of things referring to the color - chinchilla, wolfy, wolf-chinchilla. But as her feathers grew in, she had the most ridiculous mullet, like I’m talking Joe Dirt
None of our other polish chicks looked like that, it was hysterical! I’d pick her up and show everyone and say “Look, this is the most whitetrash of all the chickens”. Eventually, White Trash Chicken just became Trash. And even now when I give her haircuts so she can see, I only cut the sides so she can rock her mullet again
Nothing against mullets of course, I’m a hairstylist, so I can appreciate a good mullet. But this was ridiculous

Baby Trash and her mullet:

 

[korpse]

Here are some that I was looking into ~

https://www.etsy.com/listing/990917...ase-send?ref=ap-listing&variation0=2056583889

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1155827200/medium-bird-and-chicken-prosthetic-leg

Thank you! I have them favorited now

 

[Chickens are awsome]

Thank you! I have them favorited now

Your welcome. Her little mullet looks similar to my pixie when she went through a weird growth stage. only I can say the birdy mullet looks better on trash than it did pixie she was a hot mess.