MAGGOTS on dying chicken - please help

[heron]

The vet was open for emergencies and I took her in. I knew I wouldn't be able to do the maggots myself. She had approximately 20 maggots in the folds around her inner thighs and they had eaten into the muscle there.

They probably started when the diarrhea irritated her skin. The vet said that she could clean up the maggots, but that my hen would probably only live a few more days due to her other health issues and general weakness.

I felt that this was true and I made the decision to let her go. I'm terribly sad.

Given the chance I would have done some things differently in this whole course of events. I think I did okay, but I keep thinking, if only I'd done this or done that maybe it would have turned out better.

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm glad I took her in tonight. Now it's over. I'm very tired.

 

[sammi]

so sorry..

 

[wingnuts]

I'm sorry for your loss. There is no sense in second guessing your choices. When it mattered, you made the best decision you could for her and allowed her to go peacefully.

 

[threehorses]

Aww I'm so sorry for your loss and the terrible event this was. You certainly did the right thing taking her in. Bless you for doing that.

Just know that this experience will be a learning one for many - it most likely will save other birds' lives, maybe even your own. So take that with you and hold it close.

As for "what ifs", we all have them.

When you're ready, if you want, we can talk about what to do if this comes up again so that you can be armed and ready to fight and win the battle. If you'd like, PM me, or ask the board and we'll discuss ways to handle this.

I'll just remind you - even the most experienced poultry fancier will have something happen that is new. That's how we learn. Even those of us who have had poultry all our lives practically (and grey hairs to prove it) are still learning. So forgive yourself, remember you did right by her by taking her in and making the hard decision. That's what counts.

Please let us know when/if you're ready to talk about how to prevent this. We're right here.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

So sorry for your loss

You chose what was best for her.

 

[TammyTX]

 

[Lolliegee]

So sorry for your loss!

 

[jjthink]

Thank you for getting her to the vet, and I'm so sorry she could not be saved at that point. As was said above, hopefully others will learn from this so that their birds can be saved in time. We know you wish that had been the case here.

On Sunday I found a baby groundhog so sick, with flies swarming and maggots. It came to me, as if for help. Broke my heart.Thankfully we have a wildlife rehab center in the area and he was brought there. I haven't called yet to find out the outcome, wanting to believe for a bit longer that it would turn out okay, but he looked so bad that I doubt it. And yet he had the will to come to me. I tell myself that even if it didn't work out, at least the little guy would not go on suffering. I know he must have a wound so it will depend on the severity of it and how compromised he became before help was at hand.

JJ

 

[hinkjc]

Catherine, I'm so sorry about your last hen. I'm sure this final journey was a difficult one.

 

[chickensioux]

How terribly sad for you. So sorry....