Neck Inury from Fishing line -advice?

[MasAhora]

A chick about 10-12 weeks old was found tangled in a fishing net.

The line cut into its neck. The injury covers about 70% of the neck: the back and sides not the front.
Betadine ointment (sticky and moist) was applied for 3 days, a scab formed (I thought this was a good thing).
She was kept in 'hospital' and given antibiotics and vitamins for 4 days as swelling started on the right side above the cut.

Today is Day 5. She spat white foam out this morning, then ate a little scrambled egg I placed in water. I am worried the scab is preventing swallowing properly.
Her poops the last two nights are barely noticeable. I've tried to apply more ointment to soften the scab this morning.

 

[MasAhora]

I've applied coconut oil to try and soften the scab without tearing it.
It seems to have torn a little, maybe 3mm.
A white spot under the skin exposed when I massaged oil in the area.
I applied little more betadine ointment (it's very mild compared to the liquid) to the area.

This is way beyond my expertise.

She's in good spirits so no need to resort to culling.
Anyone with some advice?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your pullet. I would keep the scab as lubricated as possible. Saline or water applied in a wet soak may also soften it is a hurry. Try to get her to take some very wet chicken feed and some soft cooked egg. Tube feeding may be done temporarily with small plastic tubing, such as aquarium air tubing, which will fit onto a large syringe. Baby bird food or very thin ground chick feed may fit through it. Here is a video on tube feeding:

 

[MasAhora]

Sorry about your pullet. I would keep the scab as lubricated as possible. Saline or water applied in a wet soak may also soften it is a hurry. Try to get her to take some very wet chicken feed and some soft cooked egg. Tube feeding may be done temporarily with small plastic tubing, such as aquarium air tubing, which will fit onto a large syringe. Baby bird food or very thin ground chick feed may fit through it. Here is a video on tube feeding:

Thanks I can try the wet soak saline applications over the weekend, that may also help prevent infection. Unfortunately I can't buy any tubing until Monday - if it's even available in my rural area!

 

[MasAhora]

Sorry about your pullet. I would keep the scab as lubricated as possible. Saline or water applied in a wet soak may also soften it is a hurry. Try to get her to take some very wet chicken feed and some soft cooked egg. Tube feeding may be done temporarily with small plastic tubing, such as aquarium air tubing, which will fit onto a large syringe. Baby bird food or very thin ground chick feed may fit through it. Here is a video on tube feeding:

@Eggcessive The video is great and we've found some tubing. However, the video says to insert down the right side which is the injured side. Is there are reason not try the left side? It seems our best option.

 

[Eggcessive]

The right side is where the esophagus is, and you are less likely to accidentally insert the tube into the trachea or airway which is the large hole in the middle of the beak at the base of the tongue. This shows what I mean:

 

[SurferchickinSB]

@Eggcessive The video is great and we've found some tubing. However, the video says to insert down the right side which is the injured side. Is there are reason not try the left side? It seems our best option.

I think you can drown the chick if you do it incorrectly and she aspirates fluid into her lungs, she will get sick and die.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes that is true, but I and others have learned to tube feed, and once you learn how it is done, it is pretty easy. Casportpony has a bunch of threads about learning:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-go-team-tube-feeding.805728/

 

[MasAhora]

Yes that is true, but I and others have learned to tube feed, and once you learn how it is done, it is pretty easy. Casportpony has a bunch of threads about learning:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-guide-pictures-under-construction.1064392/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/updated-go-team-tube-feeding.805728/

Thank you again, I did make an effort to search and find those threads. I've finally got a few photos which may explain my concern better.

There were 2 injuries. The lower one healed perfect. The upper one remains. The scab is starting to lift at either end. The center is not. The bulge is where food is getting stuck and then coughed up. Today I tried a raw egg to see if any could pass. Most (all?) was getting coughed up (you can see some in the first picture).

My concern is that I may not be able to push even a small tube through the injury point without causing damage and pain.

 

[Eggcessive]

The red rubber catheters are less stiff and softer to insert. They come in many sizes so that a small one would probably go in. Those will connect to a catheter tip syringe, while the air tubing works with a regular 35 ml syringe from a feed store.

I am concerned that the ligatures around the neck may be permanent and get worse as she grows. Is there any way that you could consult with a vet or avian vet in your area? I realize that that would be difficult and probably too expensive for most of us with chickens, but just wondered.

There is not a way to keep a feeding tube in a chicken as we can with people, which would keep her esophagus open as she heals. I don’t know if an avian vet could use a permanent tube into the crop through the skin that was sutured in place or not. They probably could cut out some scar tissue from the skin however.

I have worked with children years ago that swallowed caustic Drano, and who suffered burns and scarring of the esophagus. Many of those kids required treatment for years dilating or stretching the esophagus in order to eat again.