Is it safe to flush a wound with Epsom salt solution?

[Nemmy]

One of my poor 9 week old bantams was picked up by a neighbor cat and carried over the fence to another yard! Luckily the landing or my demonic sounding shriek caused the kitty to release her and she escaped with what seems to be a medium sized wound (about the length of the tip segmant of my pinky)

Are Epsom salts safe to flush a chicken wound with? The only other safe option I have is sea salt saline, which Research tells me is good for flushing but not killing germs. Epsom salts have some germ killing ability so I was hoping to use an Epsom flush if possible. It is just to keep my poor chicky clean until the bf brings home iodine and blue-kote.

Also, would it be a good idea to trim the feathers around the area to prevent infection or leave them for protection? I would cover the area with a bit of gauze if I did to prevent pecking, and later use the blue-kote to cover the red.

Please help! I'm so ashamed that I wasn't prepared with chicken first aid items, I should know better!

 

[CMV]

Yes and yes. Trim as many feathers back as you need to in order to keep them out of the wound, and epsom salts make a great wound cleanser. Just don't let her drink/eat any of it. Keep her separate until the wound heals to prevent overly curious brooder mates from picking at it. Gauze is probably going to be a waste of time and a source of frustration for both of you. Vet wrap can be used to cover wounds, but anything else is usually dislodged within minutes.

Good luck.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Epsom salt soaks work best by being applied more often, for short amounts of time. 4 ten minute soaks a day is better than one half hour soak a day. There are many articles on the net about epsom salt soaks for infection.

 

[Nemmy]

Thank you both very much! Now i can do a second flush with Epsom to prevent bacteria from getting too comfy in there. I will likely switch to blue kote or iodine after today since she doesn't already have an existing infection to draw out. I don't want to dry her skin out too much.

The wound is MUCH smaller than I thought, about 1/8th the size I estimated before. Phew.

I separated her into the empty brooder area, she keeps peeping for her two other bantam buddies and they are doing the same. Kinda sad, but really darn cute too!

 

[Nemmy]

I have been packing the wound with neosporin (no pain ingredients) and she is doing well, no signs of infection!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thank you both very much! Now i can do a second flush with Epsom to prevent bacteria from getting too comfy in there. I will likely switch to blue kote or iodine after today since she doesn't already have an existing infection to draw out. I don't want to dry her skin out too much.

The wound is MUCH smaller than I thought, about 1/8th the size I estimated before. Phew.

I separated her into the empty brooder area, she keeps peeping for her two other bantam buddies and they are doing the same. Kinda sad, but really darn cute too!

I saw some where that someone put a small mirror in there their baby chick that was the only one that hatched so she thinks she has a friend. Make sure it doesn't have sharp corners so she can't hurt herself with it. She might get poop on it to. lol
OPPS, lol just noticed the date on this. lol had done a search for epsom salts to see IF it would be OK to use on chicks.