Help! Warning, gross wound with pictures.

[fancierpantsmcgee]

I noticed my sweet hen wasn't acting like herself this morning and her tail was down. I picked her up, thinking maybe she was egg bound and noticed a little brown fluid got on my shirt. When I looked underneath her feathers, between her vent and leg, I found an awful, open wound, infested with maggots. I initially thought we'd have to put her down because it looked so bad but I decided to try and clean it up to see the extent of it. I put her in a bath of warm water to drown out the maggots, cleaned her up with mild soap and blew her dry. Now I've used tweezers to remove a couple leftover maggots and flushed the wound thoroughly with saline and benzethonium chloride wound wash. The tissue around the wound is necrotic. It's black. I'm wondering if I should trim away the dead skin or just leave it and try to keep it clean. I will be going to get some systemic antibiotics at the farm store today. I'd love to be able to save her! Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

 

[Eggcessive]

It might help to repeat another soak later today, and then once a day in warm soapy water or Epsom salts. I haven’t treated flystrike before, but the maggots can keep hatching for 24 hours. Try to wash off the black necrotic skin a little each time, and it may bleed a little. If you can ask for Fish Mox at your feed store or TSC, it is amoxicillin, and would be helpful. Dosage is 250 mg twice a day for 7 days. Here is a good article about treating flystrike:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

 

[fancierpantsmcgee]

It might help to repeat another soak later today, and then once a day in warm soapy water or Epsom salts. I haven’t treated flystrike before, but the maggots can keep hatching for 24 hours. Try to wash off the black necrotic skin a little each time, and it may bleed a little. If you can ask for Fish Mox at your feed store or TSC, it is amoxicillin, and would be helpful. Dosage is 250 mg twice a day for 7 days. Here is a good article about treating flystrike:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I didn't think about the potential for more maggots to hatch.

 

[Eggcessive]

Let us know how she is getting along.

 

[fancierpantsmcgee]

Let us know how she is getting along.

Unfortunately, we decided she was too uncomfortable and decided to put her down this afternoon. She seemed to be declining as the day went on and wouldn't walk, eat or drink. I don't think she would have recovered. She was almost 7 and at least she had a nice life. We sure will miss her. I really appreciate your advice and you checking in.

 

[Marisa14]

Hi, I’m going through the same thing with my splash Orpington, Lilly.
I am taking her to the vet this afternoon to clean up her wound.
I feel like a terrible “chicken mama” because I just assumed she was starting to moult as 2 of my other girls are moulting.
She is still eating and has been acting normal up until this morning.