Help PLEASE?! day old chick born w/ herniated umbilicus.

[sarahannecloud9]

When the chick hatched it had a hernia the size of a thumb from the knuckle up protrudeing. I didn't expect it to make it through the night. It holding it's head up now and moveing around much better. I applied antibiotic ointment. The area has dried up and retracted quite a bit. It almost appears like it didn't absorb all the yolk as well. It hatched on it's own, however it was still attatched to a bit of the shell contents. It was a 21 day hatch. There was skin covering but now that it has dried you can't tell. Here is a real close-up. I know most of you would have put it down. But it doesn't seem in pain, and is doing almost as well as a normal day old.

Has anyone has experience with this or know the prognosis? I do want to give it time to see if it will be ok. I won't let it suffer though.

help.

 

[casportpony]

When the chick hatched it had a hernia the size of a thumb from the knuckle up protrudeing. I didn't expect it to make it through the night. It holding it's head up now and moveing around much better. I applied antibiotic ointment. The area has dried up and retracted quite a bit. It almost appears like it didn't absorb all the yolk as well. It hatched on it's own, however it was still attatched to a bit of the shell contents. It was a 21 day hatch. There was skin covering but now that it has dried you can't tell. Here is a real close-up. I know most of you would have put it down. But it doesn't seem in pain, and is doing almost as well as a normal day old.

Has anyone has experience with this or know the prognosis? I do want to give it time to see if it will be ok. I won't let it suffer though.

help.

The feed store that I go to hatches their own chicks, so I have this this many times. I think that if you keep the area very clean, maybe even treat it the same way horse people do with newborn foals, it has a very good chance. Other chicks might peck at it, so keep it by itself until it dries up and the scab falls off.


This is what I found about treating foals:

Most owners prefer to dip their foal’s navel. Traditionally, products containing iodine in different concentrations have been used to dip navels with apparent effectiveness. However, these products have been known to cause serious side effects, such as irritation and sloughing of abdominal skin.

Researchers at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, studied the use of different disinfectants on navels to determine their effect on bacterial growth. Results showed that overall a half-percent solution of chlorhexidine was the best solution to use for dipping the navel. It was the most effective against the common bacteria identified, as the major cause of umbilical infections while it did not cause complications such as skin irritation.

According to the study, the stronger concentrations of iodine (seven to ten percent) should not be used because in addition to the damage they can do to the surrounding skin, they tend to cauterize and dry the umbilical cord too rapidly.
This rapid drying can trap bacteria in the tissues, resulting in abscesses, and also cause a potential risk for a higher incidence of patent urachus developing which allows urine to drip from the drying cord (the urachus is the opening from the bladder to the umbilicus in the fetus).

One product that contains chlorhexidine as an active ingredient is one-percent Novasan

Antiseptic solution. In order to prepare the proper concentration, it should be diluted with an equal volume of water to create a half-percent solution.
Another product, Novasan

Teat Dip, with four-percent chlorhexidine plus glycerin, must also be diluted. Place one pint of the teat dip in a clean gallon container and fill with water, thus creating a gallon of half-percent solution.

Source: http://cvm.msu.edu/alumni-friends/information-for-animal-owners/navel-ill-infection-in-foals

 

[sarahannecloud9]

Thank you so very much for the help!!

 

[casportpony]

Thank you so very much for the help!!

Good luck and please do keep us updated!

 

[sarahannecloud9]

Will do! Thanks again.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

I never would have believed this, but this little fella made it through another night. It's acting like a normal chick in every was and the umbilicus look much better. I thank you so much for the help! Just wanted you to know.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

The chick is as healthy as can be! I'm just astonishe. Thanks for your help hun!!!!!

 

[Anime2lover]

The chick is as healthy as can be! I'm just astonishe. Thanks for your help hun!!!!!

How did he do growing up? Did he live to adthood?