Injured Sizzle chick, HELP!

[lilchik]

OMG, I just went out to the coop with a flashlight to check on my Frizzle chicks thats just hatched out today and stepped on a 6 week old Sizzle chick. My coop and run are secure, so I leave the coop open at night and some of my chickens roost on the stairs into the coop. While coming out of the coop, trying to protect the eggs the new momma hen pushed aside in the nest (wanted to candle them) I accidentally stepped on the Sizzle chick that was sitting on a step. I was trying to get foot placement between the chickens and didn't see her.
She squawk loud and ran off, then laid down on her side with a leg stretched out. After examing her I found no visible or palpable injuries. She is breathing a little rapidly and slightly labored and gets a wheeze then sneezes and it almost completely goes away, then comes back. She is walking okay. I put her near the heat lamp in the coop.
I think she may be a little shocked. But I am afraid there may be some internal injury, such as a lung, because of the slightly labored breathing. I palpated around the neck and chest area and everything felt okay externally.
This all just happened about 10 minutes ago. I am going to give her time to relax a bit, then check on her again.
Any ideas?

 

[JennsPeeps]

She sounds shocked to me. I had something similar happen with a 3-week-old BO chick a year ago. She ran under my foot and it scraped off some scales. It puffed up and bled but wasn't broken. I treated her with bacitracin and bandages and kept a close eye on her.

A few weeks later I couldn't even tell which foot it had been. A year later she's still under foot.

 

[lilchik]

It's been about 45 minutes since the injury and the chick is sitting near the heat lamp, respirations are fast, around 80 per minute, slightly labored and with every breath can hear rhonchi in the lungs. I think maybe a rib fractured and punctured a lung. For people a chest tube would be inserted. What do you do for a chick? Also, how can I tell for sure (without an Xray) before doing something drastic?

She is sitting upright, holding her head up in normal position, as though sleeping.

 

[peaceful]

Poor sweet baby. The way you describe her after 45 minutes doesn't sound as good as I would have hoped. At the same time what are you thinking of doing? Sometimes too much invasive stuff isn't worth it, given the stress and suffering it can cause them.

 

[lilchik]

At this point I'm just going to keep a close eye on her. It is possible things look worse than they are because she may still be in shock. I want to keep her comfortable and don't want her to suffer.

She is one of my first Sizzles, out of my Silkies and Frizzles. Her colors are so unique. When I sold chicks I wouldn't sell her.

I feel really bad. I thought I was being careful but ended up being careless. I should have shined the flashlight on the steps, but was trying to carry too many eggs without a basket to put them in. I quess thats how we learn, by our mistakes. Unfortunately my poor chickie has to suffer at my expense.

 

[PoultryPedia]

From what I know, it does not work to try to insert needle through wall of lungs to drain.
I'd just keep the little one sheltered from others and in small area where it's not likely to run around much.
Broken ribs can be okay without specific treatment many times, I think.
Guessing: If any hole to lungs heals quickly without too much bleeding, I think lungs should reabsorb some blood okay. I know they can reabsorb a small amount of water.
Your chick could probably use extra vitamins & minerals the next few days.
So sorry for the accident. You were trying to be careful--things just happen sometimes.

 

[lilchik]

Thanks for all the support. It is so helpful to talk to others how love chickens.

I gave her a few drops of infant liquid MVI, I'll continue those just for support.

 

[lilchik]

I am beginning to feel a little relief. I just checked on her, 3 hrs after getting stepped on. She is breathing much easier and normal respiratory rate. I would say her respirations a slightly labored as the chest movements are still more pronounced than the other chicks and her rate is still just a little faster.

I think she is going to be okay.

 

[lilchik]

This morning she is lying around while the other chicks are active. Breathing rate is normal, nonlabored, but still a little noise with each breath, its real faint and I have to put my ear against her to her it. She not lethargic, if I pick her up she seems to have normal strength and is alert. When I put her down she walks normally but then goes and lies down.

Hopefully she is just a little bruised and sore. Will keep a close eye on her.

 

[noodleroo]

So glad to hear she's better. Accidents just happen sometimes; I'm surprised I haven't stepped on any of mine. In humans, the tissue that holds the ribs together is called 'costal cartilage' and if it gets injured or torn, it is really painful. Hopefully thats all it is and she'll be good as new real soon.