[PICS] Injured Silkie; Need Advice About Stitches or Not, Infected or Not

[Pineapplechickens]

Last week Friday my 3yr old bantam buff silkie jumped out of the coop with her tail covered in blood and I promptly took her inside to clean her wound. She is at the bottom of the pecking order (I have 5 chickens, 2 ISA Browns and 2 Handraised chickens I don't remember the type but they're slightly smaller than the browns) but I never expected it to be this bad. I didn't even see any blood on the other chickens and I live in a fairly suburban area of Hawaii on the island of Oahu where the only threat would be wild cats that would need to get past the dogs first.

I took her inside and rinsed the blood off with warm water, trimmed any feathers nearby and pulled any loose ones. It took a while to rinse as much blood out then I rinsed it with hydrogen peroxide, put on some bacitracin, gauze and wrapped it. Every morning since I would wake up, rinse the wound, treat it with peroxide and bacitracin, wrap it up and let her get a few hours outside in a private area away from the flock. Then she'll chill on a towel on the floor in my room with food, water and a mirror (I've learned that she loves looking at herself). Around 5pm, she'll actually jump into the quarantine box herself for bed.

Throughout the whole ordeal she's behaved completely normal. Maybe seems happier that no one is picking on her. She eats fine, drinks plenty of water and her poop is normal. I need advice about her wound because my boyfriend is surprised it hasn't healed yet so now I'm reaching out (and also didn't know chickens could get stitches).

1. This is my first chicken injury. It's only been bandaged and now I'm wondering should I stitch it up? I can't afford a vet right now but I'm willing to do it if I have to. Is it too big for stitches? and is it too late for stitches since I've read that leaving it open longer and then stitching might result in infections being trapped inside? Should I just keep doing what I'm doing but instead with Betadine, since I read the peroxide might be killing new skin growth? I do intend to get some chicken antibiotics from the feed store at least and maybe see what they might have to help

So this is the injury initially, I took a quick picture before I started rinsing it.

This is her 5 minutes ago since I woke her up to take the pic. The wound does have a thin layer of bacitracin which is why it looks wet. Otherwise today was the driest it looked and the gauze didn't stick at all when changing it.

I really appreciate anyone's time and advice

 

[Mmanist]

Do not continue to use peroxide. It actually will slow healing. Best to use something like blue coat, or vetericyn spray. Or even iodine solutions or betadine. Just keep clean, keep it wrapped

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Last week Friday my 3yr old bantam buff silkie jumped out of the coop with her tail covered in blood and I promptly took her inside to clean her wound. She is at the bottom of the pecking order (I have 5 chickens, 2 ISA Browns and 2 Handraised chickens I don't remember the type but they're slightly smaller than the browns) but I never expected it to be this bad. I didn't even see any blood on the other chickens and I live in a fairly suburban area of Hawaii on the island of Oahu where the only threat would be wild cats that would need to get past the dogs first.

I took her inside and rinsed the blood off with warm water, trimmed any feathers nearby and pulled any loose ones. It took a while to rinse as much blood out then I rinsed it with hydrogen peroxide, put on some bacitracin, gauze and wrapped it. Every morning since I would wake up, rinse the wound, treat it with peroxide and bacitracin, wrap it up and let her get a few hours outside in a private area away from the flock. Then she'll chill on a towel on the floor in my room with food, water and a mirror (I've learned that she loves looking at herself). Around 5pm, she'll actually jump into the quarantine box herself for bed.

Throughout the whole ordeal she's behaved completely normal. Maybe seems happier that no one is picking on her. She eats fine, drinks plenty of water and her poop is normal. I need advice about her wound because my boyfriend is surprised it hasn't healed yet so now I'm reaching out (and also didn't know chickens could get stitches).

1. This is my first chicken injury. It's only been bandaged and now I'm wondering should I stitch it up? I can't afford a vet right now but I'm willing to do it if I have to. Is it too big for stitches? and is it too late for stitches since I've read that leaving it open longer and then stitching might result in infections being trapped inside? Should I just keep doing what I'm doing but instead with Betadine, since I read the peroxide might be killing new skin growth? I do intend to get some chicken antibiotics from the feed store at least and maybe see what they might have to help

So this is the injury initially, I took a quick picture before I started rinsing it.
View attachment 2328901

View attachment 2328905

This is her 5 minutes ago since I woke her up to take the pic. The wound does have a thin layer of bacitracin which is why it looks wet. Otherwise today was the driest it looked and the gauze didn't stick at all when changing it.

I really appreciate anyone's time and advice

I'd continue what you are doing minus the peroxide. If it has already scabbed stitches wont be necessary. Definately keep putting on an antibiotic ointment. That's just my opinion though. @Kiki @Eggcessive can probably help more. At first I thought necrosis but then I remembered it's a silkie! I dont have much experience with them

 

[Mmanist]

I also have use nitrofurazone powder, on a scalped head and neck. It seem to help it heal well.

 

[Eggcessive]

Peroxide can interfere with healing and cause tissue damage. You can spray on saline, Vetericyn Wound Spray, or very weak betadine or chlorhexidene to clean the wound. It may just need the antibiotic ointment to keep it soft. Do not stitch. Eventually the wound will fill in and heal. It may be difficult to reintegrate her when she has healed. Take it slow, perhaps use a wird dog crate with food and water, to spend time with her flock. Good luck.