Neck skin missing on young chicken after attack

[threehorses]

I'm with ddawn in that I would leave it open. Bacteria love closed in airless spaces. They hate oxygen, so let oxygen and the triple antibiotics kill them.

 

[Paladin]

Threehorses, I sympathize with your agony over your creatures pain and suffering. It's so hard to watch and to deal with when there is only so much we can do. We can only do what we can and rely on them to do what they can, and God to deal with what we can't. I don't think I could euthanize her, I'm not sure I'm strong enough.
Thank you for the advice about the ampacillin, but as for date, the stuff lasts practically forever. I have used pills that are many years old to save lives in desperation and it's worked. I try to keep it all cool and dry, dry, dry.

As for trapping anything under the skin, ddawn, not a problem, there is so little left and it's firmly adhered to where it is. The skin is GONE not torn loose, though that's good advice if there had been anything to pull over the naked flesh.

For future reference, should wounds like this be bathed or left alone, other than adding antibiotic goo to it? It seemed really creepy to be spreading ointment directly on the membrane over the muscle. I'm too well trained in the 'germ theory' to be putting anything directly on that open sort of wound, but she didn't seem to mind and I know it will probably help.

Once there is a layer of something that makes a dry covering over the muscle, is it better to let it be dry and leave it alone, or to keep it moist with something like E-oil to aid in keeping the tissue moist and encouraging the healing. I know how well e works on people and cats and dogs, so I figured it would probably help a chicken too.

Thank you again, all who have responded to my plea for help. And, yes, we did take a picture just so our memories won't play us false later on.

Oh, one other thing I thought of: I have some of that spray on bandage that I got to deal with the kids and their wounds - would that be a good or bad thing to use on a chicken?

 

[geepy]

I also had a hen that was mauled, by a raccoon. All of the skin from the bottom of her head to her crawl was gone. She couldn't even hold her head up. I had to make a sling to keep her head up, she was pretty much out of it for a week. I had to hand feed her for about two weeks. I put triple antibiotic on her and put her on penicillin and also gave here vitamins. Shes doing real good now. when she was well enough to go with the flock I kept A&D ointment on the wound till it was completely healed. Some of the skin did grow back and a few feathers. She is not as pretty as she was but The fact that she lived is a miracle.
Don't put any ointment that has any sort of "caine" in the name because it can kill chickens.
My hen that really didn't have a name before now is known as Lucky chicken.

If she is eating and drinking I think she will be fine. Just keep up with the antibiotic ointment.
I knew my girl had an infection because she got a fever and that's when I started the penicillin.
Good luck

 

[geepy]

Oh. I forgot. I wouldn't use the spray bandage because it might trap in some nasties. Just keep the ointment on the wound.

 

[Judy]

I admit I am not concerned about using meds that are expired. I think in most cases, the worst scenario is they aren't effective.

Yeah, I wasn't clear, I know you have nothing to sew together, and was really talking about future reference on the suturing. Running my mouth.

Traditionally, "dirty" wounds are cleaned with dilute Betadine or the like, but truth is, I'm not big on this, either, unless we are talking about visible dirt, like a road burn. I either would have squirted it with saline or simply used the Neosporin. What I have found on myself is that Neosporin relieves discomfort, so I reach for it automatically. (I keep saying Neosporin, but I buy the generic, which is probably triple antibiotic.)

I wouldn't use E-oil til the scar tissue closed over, or nearly so; then it might improve the quality of the scar tissue. It's not something I've experimented with much, though. And I know nothing about spray-on bandages, though, again, it is closing stuff in, I assume. You could have a problem with maggots if the bird is not indoors, or even if it is, for that matter. I might try it in that case, although I'd probably try a nonstick dressing first.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Actually, upon rereading and thinking some more.... Granular tissue isn't dry, it's moist and bright red. And it does need something on it. It might be that E would be at least as good as Neosporin for this. Once it's dry, it won't be that bright red color, it will be scar tissue, more like skin color, and it does make sense that E would be good on that when it is new.

 

[nnbreeder]

This time of year another thing to watch for is flys. They will lay their eggs near or in the wound and the maggots can do a lot of damage or be fatal if not noticed right away. Just keep a good watch on her.

 

[threehorses]

If the skin is off and the muscular tissue underneath is smooth, it'll need to be about as moist as an antibiotic ointment would make it.

A brilliant one for summer is Swat ointment, in the horse section of feedstores. It's a good antibiotic ointment that has as fly repellent built in. It's safe for birds.

If you get a problem with deeper wounds, granulex is a good product. It cleans necrotic tissue and then recoats to remedicate without scrubbing and rinsing. But I think in this case a good antibiotic ointment will work.

 

[Judy]

Granulex is trypsin, a debriding agent. A debriding agent will debride granular tissue at least as fast as it will debride necrotic tissue. It is an aerosol spray, so pretty hard to spray it on necrotic tissue and avoid granular tissue. I have seen it used for years in nursing homes. Never impressed with the results.

I like the idea of the swat ointment though! Will have to check that out....

 

[threehorses]

Granulex is pretty much for - well necrotic tissue, so it's one of those things where if I use it, things are pretty rough.

Usually just an ointment works for me with some sort of fly-watch going on.

Yeah swat is great. Smells nice, too. It has enough of a repellent action where I use it under my horses' eyes in the summer. (Flies like to drink tears.) But it's pretty gentle.

I'm not sure it's my favorite and most effective ointment. For that one, I'd have to go with Nitrofurazone. That stuff heals anything and quick. Another one I loved, but I can't buy it locally anymore - only online - is the corresponding spray, Furox Spray. That's the one that saved a couple of chickens who had dog attacks a few years ago, pretty bad attacks. It sprays wet then dries into a sort of powdery coating which helps soak up a little seepage and was nice for helping to keep flies to a minimum.

I really need to buy some more " just in case". I didn't have any during The Great Goose Attack and I had sure wished for it. I ended up trying to use the puff-powder antiseptic and it went everywhere, mostly on me.