Help with flystrike treatment--updated with pics in thread

[Usher and friends]

We discovered on Sunday night (two evenings ago) that our white cochin (Usher) had flystrike around her vent, and I spent an hour soaking her in saline and picking off ~80 maggots (Happy Mother's Day...ugh). She's upright and eating if we feed her (her regular feed, noodles, oatmeal, scrambled egg), but she's less motivated to bend down and eat from the bowls. We soaked her in saline yesterday morning and evening, but have just been spraying her with MicrocynAH today because she seems less stressed by this. I have several questions:

1. As she breathes her backside/vent is moving (almost like she's flexing it). I've never paid that much attention to chicken breathing, but is this normal or is she trying to squeeze something out?
2. She's pooping and it was runny (seemingly less runny today), and there appeared to be dark green/black maggot shaped things in it. Maggots need air to survive and can't be living inside her (and doing continued damage), right? I've seen this stated online but I don't think that's accurate. If it is, what can we do about it?
3. We've been spraying her tush with MicrcynAH since yesterday (and BluKote the first night because we couldn't find the Microcyn, which I regret because we can't see the tissue color now). The wound seems to be be scabbing over. Are the saline soaks better or is the Microcyn enough? Is there anything else we can/should use? I've also seen slathering her with Neosporin...yay or nay?
4. She has vitamin water, but I don't know how much she's actually drinking. Since she's pooping and standing (and comb is red), we don't want to force anything, correct?

She's 8 and not really laying anymore so this is a family pet (5 remaining in our flock). We'd like to see her through this if we can so any guidance is appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She's upright and eating if we feed her (her regular feed, noodles, oatmeal, scrambled egg), but she's less motivated to bend down and eat from the bowls.

As she breathes her backside/vent is moving (almost like she's flexing it). I've never paid that much attention to chicken breathing, but is this normal or is she trying to squeeze something out?

She's pooping and it was runny (seemingly less runny today), and there appeared to be dark green/black maggot shaped things in it. Maggots need air to survive and can't be living inside her (and doing continued damage), right?

We've been spraying her tush with MicrcynAH since yesterday (and BluKote the first night because we couldn't find the Microcyn, which I regret because we can't see the tissue color now). The wound seems to be be scabbing over. Are the saline soaks better or is the Microcyn enough? Is there anything else we can/should use? I've also seen slathering her with Neosporin...yay or nay?

Hi @Usher and friends Welcome To BYC
If you have photos of the wound and of the poop you would like to share, those may be helpful.

Have you tried raising her bowls off the floor for her since she is having a hard time reaching them?

If you have video of the breathing that would be good, upload to youtube and provide a link. Chickens have an abdominal sac on either side toward the rear (see image and video below), this may be what you are seeing when she's breathing.

Yes, maggots can enter the body if the abdominal cavity is breached. Getting a picture of the poop would be good.

It sounds like you are treating the wound well. Hopefully all the maggots are gone. Soaking can help with healing, but the Microcyn and triple antibiotic ointment may be sufficient depending on the damage. I would monitor the wound closely for signs of infection.

 

[Kathy Golla]

Remember chickens’ respiration can look different if they are stressed, in pain, overweight, blood pressure is up, laying down, among many other things.

 

[Usher and friends]

Thank you so much for your responses! Some pictures are below. The poop is runny and sparse, but I'm not seeing any maggot-y type things in it anymore so that seems good. We soaked her this morning and the wound is closed, but with fluid behind it (its clear...I worried it was pus and my husband lanced it a little to make sure). She looks okay, but she's quiet and certainly in pain. I don't think she's eating much. We've put her food and water up on a stool so hopefully that will help. Any feedback on anything is very much appreciated (so irritated with myself for the BluKote).

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have any Poultry NutriDrench to give her a few drops orally? Pedialyte, Gatorade, and SaveAChick are good as well? I would mix some wet chicken feed, and also offer some scrambled chopped egg and tuna or liver. A small amount of wet canned cat food work well. Hold it up to her beak often. Getting her strength built up can be helpful to fight off the flystrike.

 

[dalasgalas]

She looks like she had one $h!t to give and now she is totally out of them!. LOL. She looks so disgruntled by this whole process. You are doing great! I bet she has a full recovery.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you so much for your responses! Some pictures are below. The poop is runny and sparse, but I'm not seeing any maggot-y type things in it anymore so that seems good. We soaked her this morning and the wound is closed, but with fluid behind it (its clear...I worried it was pus and my husband lanced it a little to make sure). She looks okay, but she's quiet and certainly in pain. I don't think she's eating much. We've put her food and water up on a stool so hopefully that will help. Any feedback on anything is very much appreciated (so irritated with myself for the BluKote).View attachment 1776466 View attachment 1776467 View attachment 1776468 View attachment 1776469 View attachment 1776470

Bless her heart
She does have a precious expression, but I can't help but be a little tickled over it, I can't decide if she's grumpy or just looking at you like "really? a picture while I'm in the tub?!"

Well, it's good that the wound is closing up. I too would encourage her to eat.
8 years old, you have done very well! She's is a pretty girl.
Do you have vet care? If she's not improving drastically in a few days, I would considering giving some antibiotics.

 

[Usher and friends]

Thank you so much for all your feedback. She is a very sweet chicken, and my children are particularly attached because we got her (and the others in the flock) when my daughter was 2 and my son was a newborn. She's actually stopped eating and drinking from bowls, and seems unable to pick up food (she'll peck from your hand, but just lets it fall). My husband rigged up a water bottle and she drank quite a bit from that today, but its for a rodent so its only really efficient if someone squeezes the bottle so she can get larger drops. That perked her up, and we used a syringe to get pureed egg, rice, and vitamin water into her (we're going to give her more that same way shortly). I've made an appointment with our vet tomorrow morning, but he doesn't typically see chickens so I hope that he can determine what she needs (presumably antibiotics?).

This is likely her not feeling well and not some other ailment that prevents her from eating and drinking normally?

 

[Kathy Golla]

It’s good that you are seeing a vet. If he thinks she needs antibiotics, see if he will also prescribe her some painkillers.
My vet likes Tramadol, it’s quite effective and well tolerated by chickens.
The vet giving her some subcutaneous fluids and perhaps even tube feeding her food may also help in her recovery.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is her crop emptying overnight?
I would continue to try to get fluids into her.

I'm glad you have a vet appointment, please keep us posted.