Leg Band Wound - Time to heal?

[kidchickens]

I have a Buff Orpington less than a year old who has a leg band wound. I believe the band had two day to cause damage. It dug into the back of her leg, so we didn't see it initially. It was a plastic spiral style leg band that didn't expand. We pried the plastic off. I feel awful about it. There was no damage to the front of the leg but the back is pretty bad. She has about an .5 to .75" length of hard extra thickness above and below where the band was. She is still walking on it and acting normal; she is in the house in the dog crate keeping warm & safe at night.
During the daytime she walks around outside with the other girls supervised. With the bandage they have not been picking at her. I'm soaking in epson salts 10 min morning and night. Then I'm applying bacitracin or neosporin and wrapping in cling bandage. She's tolerating it and not picking at the bandage. Some times she holds the foot up, but not limping.
I can find lots about bumble foot, but nothing about this type of leg wound to the degree she is experiencing. I can't tell if the above and below masses are infection or inflammation. How long do these type of wounds take to heal? Will it heal without cutting it open and doing stitches?

Before soaking

After cleaning out.

 

[Eggcessive]

I'm glad you found it in time--it looks pretty swollen and really cut into her leg. She probably would have lost her foot soon. I haven't had this happen before, but I think you are doing the right things so far. Just be careful not to wrap it tightly since she has a lot of swelling that needs to drain out of there. Make sure it doesn't get infected.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Poor girl, that is a pretty nasty cut. I think you are doing what needs to be done, just continue soaking and cleaning the wound and putting on the ointment. If you are not seeing anything indicating an infection, hopefully the swelling is just inflammation, especially since she is not limping and still acting normally otherwise, but if you can get a hold of antibiotics I would consider putting her on them since it is pretty swelled up. I've stupidly missed changing a leg band in time myself and occasionally even in one that is fit right, they seem to catch an end on something and have the point cut into their leg, when that happens it starts swelling and even a band that fit will sometimes cause problems. They usually do take a long couple of weeks to heal and the leg will usually stay a little thicker than the other one, but it doesn't seem to cause any long term problems.
Those plastic spirals are not supposed to expand but need to be changed as the bird grows. The bandettes will expand to some degree, but even those you don't want tight because again they can outgrow them and cause similar problems.

 

[MelissaTXRn]

Poor girl! It looks pretty clean in the last photo. It appears that you are doing the right things and I bet it will heal nicely.

 

[RoseMarie1]

I noticed one of mines leg bands is a little tight. Just told hubby awhile ago we got to get it off tomorrow night when she gets on the roost. Mine are leather with western shirt snaps on them so if it got really too tight it should just pop off but I don't want to take any chances. How did her leg get?
She looks so cute just standing their on her own with her foot in the water. She's having spa time. ;-)

 

[kidchickens]

She had on a plastic spiral band, similar to a key ring. I thought they would expand as they grew, but they do not. I was near them Friday for a long while and didn't see anything strange. I noticed she was walking funny on Saturday, but didn't get out to look at her because it got dark so early and she was in the middle of the chicken coop where I couldn't reach her. Sunday afternoon when we let them out to forage for the afternoon. My husband caught her and brought her in with the damage. We immediately pried it off and started cleaning out her wound. After this I'll never do any kind of band again. It's not worth this. I'm doubtful about your snap popping after what I've experienced. The first three to four day she thought it was spa time with special treats to distract her, but now she just wants to go to the coop with the other girls. That's why I was asking how long these types of wounds take to heal. I think she's losing patience with me and super clean legs.

 

[MelissaTXRn]

If it were me, I would go to every other day, soaking/cleaning/applying antibiotic ointment and wrapping. As long as it's wrapped, it should be fine to skip a day.

 

[kidchickens]

I have skipped a soak or two. But after her dust bathing during the day while she's out with the girls, she's pretty dirty. The masses were a little bit softer last night. It's just going to take so long to heal.

 

[MelissaTXRn]

How is your chicken doing?

 

[RoseMarie1]

These snaps are coming off half the time because those prongs on them aren't long enough to make it stay on right. I have found several they have lost and put them back on. Put two back on this evening. Noticed that one that looked a little tight but on the other side it where the snaps were, it was loose. I sure hope yours gets well!