My hen lost half of her toe..... **UPDATED AGAIN**

[LindsayB]

Last night we kept her in our extra guinea pig cage and gave her alittle avia charge in her water. She seems to be doing just fine. I changed the bandage this morning and the tissue did not bleed at all on the gauze and looked pretty good. Shes a very easy patient too lol! She had some yogurt and strawberries this morning and is eating great. I'm going to make a trip to TSC and get some antiobiotics for her water just to be safe. I'm just curious how fast the tissue is going to grow over the bone???

 

[LindsayB]

does anyone know how it will take for the skin to grow over the area? Should I uncover it for part of the day?? any info would be appreciated

 

[gervais22]

that hen looks like she's been through the wars, with her bandage and her beak looks odd.

She looks really healthy though.

Your doing a great job keep it up

 

[swedishfish]

My dad had a rooster lose all of his toes to a really cold winter (UTAH!) He walked around on two stump legs. He was a big roo, but when my dad gave him away he was the lowest on the pecking order. After he ran around and strengthened up a bit he became dominant. Pretty interesting. I'm not sure how long it will take her to heal, but she will be perfectly fine.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

OH...poor little lady. Looks like you are doing everything right. I have a little La Fleche (about 15 weeks old) who cut her toe off on the feeder somehow when she was really little. The only effect it has had on her is making it easier for me to tell her apart from her 3 almost identical sisters.

 

[thebritt]

If she's healthy otherwise, I would not medicate her (with antibiotics). Keep the wound clean - any way you choose - and unwrap in a couple days to allow the air to dry it up. After the bandage is removed, have her on just newspaper (no straw for a couple days). You can shred the newspaper if you like to give her that "bedding" feel. She's in a clean environment, so unwrapping is good. Systemic antibiotics are not only unnessary, but can allow the bird to become "immune" to them. If you've heard of "antibiotic resistant bacteria", that is how it happens. A couple of incidences down the road, when you go to use the "broad spectrum" antibiotic, the bacteria will not die because the ones that survive will have reproduced and passed that trait onto the next generation, and so forth. These are the bacteria that could infect another bird you've never treated. You try the old treatment with no luck. Then you need a STRONGER antibiotic. And on and on. I don't eat my chickens (family to us), but when I buy chicken in the store, I always buy the "antibiotic/growth hormone free" stuff so I (and the family) don't become resistant to basic antbiotics.
I hope that sounded more helpful than preachy. I've treated some pretty nasty wounds w/out antibiotics by just keeping the wound clean. I think she'll be just fine - you're a great mommy!

 

[LindsayB]

thanks for all the advice! I have her on soft pine shavings now, its alot easier to clean up her poo now. I would like to uncover the toe but I'm afraid she'll step in her poop and make it infected. the tip of the bone also seems to be sticking out of the end just a alittle bit. I'll take a picture of it in a sec and post it.

 

[LindsayB]

 

[Judy]

You're doing just fine. Just change the dressing once a day or so, or if needed. Be sure the dressing does not put pressure on the wound; make it just a little loose there. The Neosporin is fine.

Betadine (please dilute) and peroxide both kill some new tissue growth, but either is great for initial cleaning of a wound because they also kill germs. I would not even clean the wound after the initial cleaning unless you see redness or pus; then a little peroxide or dilute Betadine is fine, just pour some water afterwards to rinse it away. (For a large wound, I would say saline instead of water, but don't feel that is needed here.) (Old worn out nurse talking here.)

Personally, I would not give a systemic antibiotic for this, simply because chickens heal amazingly well. They are often recommended after major wounds, so it is your choice. Most likely she will do fine without this. If you decide not to, but you then start seeing pus or redness on or near the wound, that would definitely be the time for antibiotics.

And please don't beat yourself up over this. I promise you that many of us could say, oh yeah, this is what I did to my chicken/kitten/whatever. Including me! Accidents happen.

Feel free to PM if needed.

 

[chickygirl2]

You will need to trim the bone back so that it doesn't become necrotic. Sterilize a clean sharp scissors- clean it in soap and water, boil in water 20 min and then use to trim the bone. I would wrap her mummy style in a towel so she does not wiggle and get loose.The stump is going to take weeks to close. Keep the area clean. I uses gauze with neosporin on and surgical tape. The bandage needs to be changed every few days. Don't let it get wet.If you don't trim the bone it will take much longer to heal. The bone needs to be shorter than the surrounding tissue. I've done this several times with a cat, chickens and a goose. Good luck : )