Leg amputation necessary after raccoon attack. Advice plz

[chick-habit]

Our 4 month silkie, the baby baby, whom we love so much, was attacked by a raccoon last night. It reached under a small gap between the bottom of the coop and the dirt (we've since stapled hardware cloth to the entire bottom of the coop, added mounds of soil and lined the coop with bricks) and pulled on him hard enough to severely injure his leg and puncture some air sacs. He's at the vet now, stabilizing until we decide what to do next. Saving his life would require amputation of the leg. That is only if he stabilizes enough to get to surgery and then live through surgery. We are so attached to this little guy. I want to give him the chance to live but I don't know if that's the right thing to do. Advice please.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your silkie. Leaking air sacs and a broken leg are pretty serious as individual problems, but both together are bad. Let us know what happens, and I hope he can make a recovery. The vet may be able to say if he is suffering enough to put him down. Chickens can get around on one leg, but internal injuries can be unseen. Good luck.

 

[Ese_N_Gracie]

are you sure it needs to be amputated? did you take it to an avian vet? IDK if you want to pay to pin it if it is a compound fracture but I know a lot about broken bones in birds and if it isn't compound you can splint it and put the chicken in a sling to take the weight off for a bit until it heels a little (they do pretty well on them)..... Are the air sacs just filling up making bubbles on the skin? if so this will pass when the swelling goes down (metacam will help as will lancing with a sterile needle (syringe tip). if you want to call me 213-926-1006 and I can answer more definitively. SOrry about this!

Madena

 

[chick-habit]

We took him to 2 avian vets! They both said leg would have to come off.

 

[chick-habit]

They aren't even positive he could make it through the surgery itself. I just don't want to say goodbye, he's so sweet.

 

[chick-habit]

The vet and I spoke just now. Baby stayed overnight and isn't improving. The doctor says he'd have a 20% chance of surviving surgery. At this point it seems cruel to make him suffer more. Our poor sweet guy.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm sorry about Baby.

 

[chick-habit]

Thank you. I'm just now leaving the vet after saying a last goodbye.

I'm sorry about Baby.