maggots on my chicken

[pawprint2104]

Help! I just checked my Easter egger and found her back side crawling with maggots. What do I do? OMG!

 

[pawprint2104]

Ok. I just did my BYC research. It sounds like i should:

1. lukewarm rinse with betadine water mixture
2. apply copious amounts of neosporin
3. Isolate from other chickens
4. Hope for the best.

Did I miss anything?

 

[pawprint2104]

Ok, that wasn't so bad, afterall.

What I learned:
1. use a good set of long tweezers (like in the first aid kits). I tried just flushing with water, but the little buggers just hunkered down. So, my vet told me to use tweezers. It worked great!
2. use a headlamp to see the teeny-tiny ones.
3. put chicken in kitchen sink. use lukewarm flowing water. let it run to flush the wound site and help rinse of wiggly maggots from tweezers.
4. be patient.
5. when you think you've found them all. Wait and pluck. Wait and pluck. We spent about an hour for the entire process. Kept finding stragglers emerging. So, waited and plucked some more.
6. Use a Betadine and water solution in a big squirt bottle to flush out the wound site.
7. When you're done. Celebrate with an IPA :-D

I have my darling Easter Egger resting comfortably in a kennel right now. Poor thing, I feel sooooo bad for her. Earlier, I went outside and saw unusual moisture on her backside. Upon pulling the feathers back I saw the writhing mass. Ugh! As I reached out to BYC for help, I watched her as she scurried around the yard trying to rid herself of her discomfort :-( She's waaaay more comfortable now.

I have an appt with the vet tomorrow, but I'm on the fence as to whether to keep it. I feel very confident I removed all the creepies and thoroughly flushed the wound. I just don't know what else they can do other than prescribe anti-bios {which I don't have :-( }

Any thoughts?

 

[Michael Apple]

Cancel the vet appointment unless you like spending money. You cleaned the wound and removed maggots. Now just check it a couple times a day and let it heal. You'll want to keep flies away from it while it heals, so use some permethrin spray around the wound. You can treat the wound with a light coat of some antibiotic ointment.

 

[pawprint2104]

Oh, thank you! I needed your input. Do you think I should get and provide antibiotics? I'm researching now, but not having much luck determining which type, how much or where to get. I know my vet can easily prescribe some, but it'll definitely cost $$$, as he'll insist on doing a complete exam, etc.

 

[Michael Apple]

Oh, thank you! I needed your input. Do you think I should get and provide antibiotics? I'm researching now, but not having much luck determining which type, how much or where to get. I know my vet can easily prescribe some, but it'll definitely cost $$$, as he'll insist on doing a complete exam, etc.

You'd only need antibiotics if there were an infection/ the bird acting lethargic or sick. I'd just help the immune system with some vitamins-electrolytes in the water a few days a week until she heals, and make sure she keeps an appetite.

 

[pawprint2104]

There doesn't seem to be any infection. The wound site doesn't appear pussy, red or inflamed...just, ummmm, open...

I've never given supportive vitamins/electrolyte. What do you recommend?

 

[pawprint2104]

Oh, and she's very active and ate heartily after the de-maggoting

 

[Michael Apple]

The stores around there likely carry a product called Sav-A-Chick which has vitamins, electrolytes, and probiotics. That should work well. I order mine from TX, so you likely don't want to wait for shipping. I use Avian Super Pack, Vitamins-Electrolytes "Plus". Probios soluble powder is good to reintroduce good bacteria back the gut after antibiotic treatments, or once a week to protect the digestive system.

 

[pawprint2104]

Thank you. I have a couple of feed stores in the area. One of them should have it