Lost toenail ? Injury question.

[CoastChick]

I noticed My 4 month old EE “flamingoing” last week and inspected her feet. Looks like she lost a toenail and just the quick keeps getting bumped and then will bleed. I’ve been cleaning it up and using quikstop gel and vetericyn - I opted not to bandage it originally because I thought it would hinder her walking (she will walk on it) and roost. However, after three days, she broke it open again. Now I’m rethinking maybe I should bandage it just so everything stays put? What do you think to bandage or not to bandage?

 

[alinas2010]

Aw sorry about her toe! I don’t think there would be an effective way to bandage it so that it would stay, but you could try an actual people bandage? Just be careful about not wrapping anything too tight around it. It’s easy to cut circulation off with how bendy their toes are, bandages end up slipping easily. We had a chicken whose toenail got ripped off, too. I don’t think there was as much quick left as that, though. It did get bumped once in a while during healing and bleed, but eventually it healed up enough so it wasn’t an issue.

 

[PandemicChicken]

Did your chicken's toenail grow back?? I'm in a similiar situation - she had most of her quick and like 25% of her toenail left. I forgot to rewrap it once the bandage fell off for the 3rd time (she kept on foraging away). By the end of the day, her pointed quick was gone because it was exposed I'm freaking out because the intact quick would have meant her toenail grows back. it just looks like a hole now so I'm not sure if their quick can grow back?

 

[bmaw]

i know this is an old post but i have a hen in this situation. i think her quick was about a nub w/ nail on top. i used the wound powder and spray bandage-no bleeding since, but 2 days later she's still favoring that foot and not wanting to stand/walk much on it.

 

[alinas2010]

i know this is an old post but i have a hen in this situation. i think her quick was about a nub w/ nail on top. i used the wound powder and spray bandage-no bleeding since, but 2 days later she's still favoring that foot and not wanting to stand/walk much on it.

Sorry to hear about her losing a nail. Do you know how she lost it? Is there a chance her toe got sprained or yanked on when the nail got taken off? I could see her being a little sore if something like that happened. Was she favoring the foot right after the injury or did that just start?

Do you see any swelling anywhere else on her foot? Any chance it’s getting infected?Do you have pictures of the injury?

 

[bmaw]

Sorry to hear about her losing a nail. Do you know how she lost it? Is there a chance her toe got sprained or yanked on when the nail got taken off? I could see her being a little sore if something like that happened. Was she favoring the foot right after the injury or did that just start?

Do you see any swelling anywhere else on her foot? Any chance it’s getting infected?Do you have pictures of the injury?

thanks for your reply. I have no idea how she lost it. Monday, she was in the box and about 5 hours later when I went back she was in the dust bath. I saw blood on her egg, in the box area and on her chest when I picked her up (from tucking her leg up when she stood) I cleaned it, used styptic powder and sprayed it with liquid bandaid. it hasn't bled since but she didn't want to stand for long. she ate out of my hand and walked up to roost. Tuesday/Wednesday she came down from roost on her own and stood to drink/eat for a short time. She moved with the flock all day, interested in snacks, foraging (mostly on one leg) and sitting in between. I have given her a 12h dose of meloxicam each day which seems to help. she has a good crop and good poops. laid today. today I rubbed some comfrey lotion and PRID on it. I think it helped. She can still curl her toe on the roost, it isn't swollen, not hot...photo is before I cleaned it. she can flatten it.

 

[alinas2010]

Ouch, that does look painful, poor girl. Thanks for the pictures. It looks like she may have gotten additional injury besides just having the nail ripped off. I see a little hole here on top, is that right?

It looks pretty mangled where her toenail should be and right above it. She may have gotten her foot stuck under a fence or something and had to tug it out causing the additional injury around her nail. Did you see blood anywhere specific in the coop or anywhere? If I had to guess, I would say she is very sore based on how it looks. She may have some bruising around it that we can’t see, too since her scales are dark.

Have you looked at the underside of her foot and specifically the underside of that toe? Maybe she has additional injury on the underside?

Keep a close eye on her and watch for infection. You can apply triple antibiotic ointment, just make sure it doesn’t have a pain reliever in it. That could help protect it from the air and from drying out causing more pain.

It sounds like you have a good handle on it and are doing all you can to keep her comfortable. Let us know how she does.

 

[bmaw]

hmmm…i didnt notice that spot above the toenail. the blood was minimal in the pine shavings of one egg box and heavier in the egg box on the other side of the coop and on a tarp that was right outside of that box. she was going back and forth when i left her. i didnt see any evidence of where it could have happened.

i still feel a short point where a nail should be. i haven’t cleaned or applied anything since i sealed it off with the spray bandaid since i dont see an open wound or blood. i hope that wasnt a mistake. when i touch it to rub the balm she doesnt flinch.

she slightly improved each day. like today she ran and scratched but it comes with a price…she has to rest afterwards. could walking be a nuisance bc of balance missing that nail may be like us missing a toe? just wondered how long it would take for another to grow back, or will it?