Hen with persistent infection in face/cheek

You have all my sympathy and understanding, having just gone through a similar ordeal with a young pullet with an injured leg that I euthanized just two days ago. The emotional toll is heavy. How is she behaving? Some chickens deal with pain more easily than others. If she's perky and not lethargic, she's dealing with her pain.

However, I can assure you it hurts. And it hurts a lot worse than another surgery would. As @coach723 says, the wound needs opening again and cleaning out. I would add that you have two ethical options at this point- euthanasia or surgery.

If you choose euthanasia to spare her and you further agony, that would be a valid decision, having already done so much and still she isn't cured.
 
The first vet we took her to - who we know and trust but who is new to chickens - felt quite confident it wasn’t cancer. Both surgeries (under anaesthetic) removed some cheesy substance but the vet said it wasn’t encapsulated in a way that allowed for the infection to be removed as a whole. I feel she was really thorough on the first surgery but expressed concern that the infection might be in the hen’s eye socket or sinus.

Given how it’s progressed I think the infection is just where it is, but have no faith that we’ll be able to treat it given two vets have failed with the hen under anaesthetic.

I have no doubt it must hurt, but she is behaving pretty normally. One of the first off the roost in the morning, eating and drinking with the other hens, just done her first moult so not laying but otherwise curious and active.
 
Only you can make the decision to try more surgery yourself or to euthanize now. It's a very agonizing decision, no two ways about it. You would have a very excellent chance of experiencing tremendous emotional relief after euthanizing your hen.

However, if there is a niggling, nagging thought that she might recover if you undertake one more round of treatment, then that's what you should do.

In addition to a do-it-yourself surgery, I would ask the vet for an antibiotic prescription for the most powerful one there is, and put her on it as you attempt the surgery and cleanout. I know you are aware that this commitment is not to be undertaken lightly, and deciding to euthanize should carry no shame or second guessing.
 
I have one more observation upon recalling an infection on an older hen I had been unsuccessfully treating. I had concluded, before I euthanized her, that she likely had a compromised immune system responsible for the lack of healing. Perhaps that's what is at work in your hen's case.

If I were to pursue another attempt at trying to conquer this infection, I believe I would do the surgery with a nice large incision, clean out the wound as best I can, then put pine tar on the wound or a similar drawing salve, and leave it. It would be soothing to your emotions to know you've tried one last time with a slightly different procedure. It might work.

Pine tar has a 2000 year history of being used successfully by farmers on livestock wounds. It can be found at any feed store. It is applied, left to harden, then the animal is turned loose with no further care, although you would be completing one more round of an antibiotic to assist her immune system.
 
Thank you for the counselling, compassion and support, on every level.

We attempted an initial surgery before taking her to the vet the first time and I don't think we can try it again. My husband is an experienced wildlife biologist, trained in handling animals, but even he felt out of his league and like we shouldn't be doing surgery of the kind we were attempting without anesthetic - and the location of the infection so close to her eye makes immobilizing her head difficult and any slips potentially catastrophic.

I fear we are left with the decision of when to cull and I am having trouble finding the ethical path through that choice. I want to do the right thing and know she must be in pain. Do we wait any longer given she is still acting like a chicken and eating and drinking and roaming around with her buddies? Do we wait for it to ulcerate and become even more painful? I know this is an extremely personal decision - I just hoped that she would give us a clear sign at some point and that hasn't happened yet...
 
Thank you for the counselling, compassion and support, on every level.

We attempted an initial surgery before taking her to the vet the first time and I don't think we can try it again. My husband is an experienced wildlife biologist, trained in handling animals, but even he felt out of his league and like we shouldn't be doing surgery of the kind we were attempting without anesthetic - and the location of the infection so close to her eye makes immobilizing her head difficult and any slips potentially catastrophic.

I fear we are left with the decision of when to cull and I am having trouble finding the ethical path through that choice. I want to do the right thing and know she must be in pain. Do we wait any longer given she is still acting like a chicken and eating and drinking and roaming around with her buddies? Do we wait for it to ulcerate and become even more painful? I know this is an extremely personal decision - I just hoped that she would give us a clear sign at some point and that hasn't happened yet...
I know my opinion is just from an internet stranger, but I wouldn’t judge you if you waited. When or if you are ready, cervical dislocation is the most humane way to do it yourself, but if it makes you nervous, there are other alternatives that are almost as humane. Or you can call a vet who is willing, which would probably be the easiest. I truly wish you and your sweet hen luck in your journey.
 
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I just wanted to throw out there for consideration my experience with sugardine for treating stubborn infections of bumblefoot. It might also work on this hen, but not sure how I would go about poulticing that particular area, would have to experiment with that. I have a 6 year old roo that has had his third bout of bumblefoot. Really nasty ones with no central core, but rather ribbony through the foot. Last bout took over a year to heal, incredibly frustrating. This bout is now healing, almost closed up as of yesterday with sugardine treatments. Plain white sugar mixed with betadine/providone iodine 10% solution. For bumblefoot I have packed the hole with sugar, and then put a drop or two (you don't need much) into that and then covered with a duoderm bandage (you can get on amazon) cut to size and then wrap with co wrap. Initially I changed daily, then went to every other day. Then every 2nd or third day, just depends on how it's doing. It has been slowly, slowly getting smaller, no pus generation, as of yesterday the hole has almost healed up (from the inside out). I was really out of options with him since nothing else has really worked and I was unwilling to do any more surgery and tissue removal since his feet have already had so much done to them, this was a last ditch effort and it has surprisingly worked very well for him. Sugardine is commonly used for horses particularly for hoof issues, which is where I heard of it. So figured I would give it a try. Happy I did. I imagine my roo is also.
@Winchikn , if you decide to try (entirely up to you and I understand why you might not) I think I would go in at the back/bottom of the swelling, away from the eye. As long as you get that infection out of the cavity, it doesn't necessarily have to be at the spot below the eye. Then you would not be so near the eye, and easier to work on. If you decide to euthanize, no one will question your decision. :hugs
https://www.americanfarriers.com/ar...-mess-that-works-when-treating-wound-injuries
 

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