Open Wound with Maggots

[jennlove1]

Our chicken lot was busted into by two dogs. They killed 8 of the 14 instantly. We had 10 females and 4 males. They had not started mating/laying yet. One more died a couple days later. Three survived with no injuries (they played dead-awesome at it!). Two still have injuries and are fighting. The worst of the two that are still hurt is really bad. It started with a small hold that we cleaned and put some stuff on. The next she was doing ok. The third day her back was brown over a large space (2.5 in by 3 in probably). I told my boyfriend that we would have to clean her really good and bandage her up because I thought she was rotting. I can't see too good so I waited for him to help. He put her in the tub and said she had maggots all over her. I couldn't see them but we had to cut a lot of her feathers off and washed off the maggots we could. We also used peroxide to flush the wound. Her bone is showing and she didn't really show much signs of pain or feeling in the spot. The wound is not that big in comparison to what it is under her skin. There are black spots that have started about 1 in to 1.5 in from the opening. We went to the store and got some saline solution and flushed the wound which got more of the maggots to come out. We used that a few times and put gauze in the wound to dry it. We then put some triple antibiotic on the gauze and covered the wound. Is there anything else that we can do? She's certainly a fighter and I don't want to give up on her. She's starting to make some noises and she really tries to move. She's doing really well for what she's gone through and what she's still going through. She has also started to move when the wound is touched which I take as a good sign that something is going right. I want to do everything we can for her so I'd appreciate any advice or tips.

 

[Stiggy]

Taking her to the vets is a good idea, although Chickens can overcome great odd, getting wounds that are maggot infested isn't really one of them, the maggots will keep borrowing into her skin laying eggs and the cycle continues, the other problems with maggots is the blood poisoning ( Septicaemia ) that occurs. However keeping the area clean, removing all the feathers around the area and checking her over intently for more maggots/ wounds is a good idea and keeping her up with the cleaning and drying of the wound and she may pull through, an oral course of antibiotics is also a good idea, something like Tetracycline which is a powder that you mix into their water works well

 

[jennlove1]

We have been giving her the antibiotic also. She's doing really well. We've already looked into a vet and it's been recommended to put her down. We just don't want to do that because she's fighting. No more maggots either. She's had a lot of damage from the bites. She'll probably have a permanent limp if she makes it but she's starting to stand again.

 

[ten chicks]

Keep cleaning and flushing out wound several times a day with a diluted peroxide solution,pick maggots off manually with tweezers. Remove any necrotic tissue(black,dead)give her electrolytes and vitamins for stress. If wound appears to be spreading in size then she needs antibiotics.