impaled chicken

[Eggcessive]

So sorry about the freak accident. I would have taken her to a vet if possible after trimming off some of the ends of the “spear,” since she could have bled out if an organ or blood vessels were involved. We have used the method above to remove large fish hooks from hands before. I do hope that you can save her. Chickens can sometimes withstand some pretty major injuries. Vetericyn wound spray, weak betadine (povidone iodine) and saline are all good for wound irrigation. An antibiotic may be helpful.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

Listen and feel for any signs of an air sac puncture.

Raw honey or Manuka honey would warm and melt from her body heat, helping to move it inside the length of the wound. Apply to both ends but especially the upper entry.

And if you're not hearing sucking sounds from an air sac puncture, I'd give her twice daily epsom salt soaks to flush out the wound before the surface starts healing over.

It was very brave of you to pull that out yourself, by the way. Please keep us updated on her progress!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Are you gonna name her, "Britney Spears"? Anyway, if it was me I would just pull it out and clean it up...... I'd be afraid of infection if left like that.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have a question about the raw honey. In hospitalized babies, we were never allowed to dip pacifiers in honey due to the possibility of botulism in young infants. If it were applied into a wound that ran into the body, I would wonder if in an anaerobic environment, if it couldn’t cause botulism or perhaps even clostridium perfringens (gas gangrene?) Just thinking...

 

[True Patriot]

I know honey has been used in wound care for a long time. Back to the Egyptian dynasties if I'm remembering right. It has also been linked to botulism in infants as you know. As far as internal effects I can't find anything definitive. Here is what WebMD has:
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/medicinal-uses-of-honey
If I find anything else I'll let you know. I'm interested to find out now that you mention it.

 

[coach723]

My understanding is that it is possible to get wound botulism, though I don't think it's real common. Medihoney is gamma radiated to kill all of that and retain the good qualities, and is FDA approved (with a commensurate price). I've used manuka a fair amount on wounds, some fairly deep, but not through and through like this, and have not had an issue. Doesn't mean I couldn't at some point. But for a deep wound like this, the medihoney would probably be a safer route.
In my searches, this article seems to cover the most ground in a reasonable length and in plain language.
http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticr...ion.aspx?id=738&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

 

[BreanneRN]

Perhaps others know better, but in this case I would make the assumption that infection is going to happen and start antibiotics right away, I would not wait. You have an enclosed puncture wound that is not open to air and huge amounts of contamination/bacteria. Hopefully, she won't get tetanus. I don't really know if they have tetanus shots for poultry. No one on this forum seems to be a fan of Hydrogen Peroxide, but it will kill anaerobic bacteria (tetanus, botulism etc.) by simply introducing oxygen into the wound. Good luck with the continued care of your chick!

 

[coach723]

According to Merck, birds are pretty resistant to tetanus.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/generalized-conditions/clostridial-diseases/tetanus
An antibiotic would not be necessarily a bad idea, I think no one has really suggested it because we can't really see in the pictures where the wound actually is, and how much damage there is. If it's only through part of the wing, depending on where specifically, it may be somewhat less serious than if it's through part of the body, but really can't say, other than it's certainly a puncture wound.
Hoping for an update today, and hoping she's doing well.

 

[BreanneRN]

According to Merck, birds are pretty resistant to tetanus.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/generalized-conditions/clostridial-diseases/tetanus
An antibiotic would not be necessarily a bad idea, I think no one has really suggested it because we can't really see in the pictures where the wound actually is, and how much damage there is. If it's only through part of the wing, depending on where specifically, it may be somewhat less serious than if it's through part of the body, but really can't say, other than it's certainly a puncture wound.
Hoping for an update today, and hoping she's doing well.

Thanks for the response, I too hope this bird recovers... Putting Tetanus aside, I am still fearful of infection and afraid if the OP waits until there are symptoms the bird will already have blood poisoning and resultant organ failure. You are right that the pictures are inadequate to show the extent of the wound, but the OP states that her survival would "be a miracle", so I am making the assumption that it is not just through the wing. That is what prompted my post. The OP should feel free to correct me if this is not the case. At any rate, the wound is grossly contaminated by both the initial wound and the removal of the foreign object with apparently no way to flush it out or keep it open until it can heal properly. An antibiotic might help keep this bird from sepsis.

 

[Nambroth]

Thanks for the response, I too hope this bird recovers... Putting Tetanus aside, I am still fearful of infection and afraid if the OP waits until there are symptoms the bird will already have blood poisoning and resultant organ failure. You are right that the pictures are inadequate to show the extent of the wound, but the OP states that her survival would "be a miracle", so I am making the assumption that it is not just through the wing. That is what prompted my post. The OP should feel free to correct me if this is not the case. At any rate, the wound is grossly contaminated by both the initial wound and the removal of the foreign object with apparently no way to flush it out or keep it open until it can heal properly. An antibiotic might help keep this bird from sepsis.

I'm not a vet so bear that in mind, but I agree. I am normally the type to urge caution with antibiotics due to overuse/misuse, but this is a case where I think preventative antibiotics are warranted.

How sad, and I hope she makes it with no major problems.