Please help my rooster may loss its tongue

[max101]

My pekin 2year old rooster attacked my 1 year old plymouth through the fence
The pekin is in bad way
I have given him a broad spectrum antibiotic as his face is blackened and he had a start of an infection
He has not eaten in a couple of days so I force feed him mince
I looked down his throat and found his tongue is near severed.
The tongue has a wierd angle to it and can flop around the mouth
The tongue has been ripped off about 3/4 of the way leaving it attached by a 1/4 thread
It has a jagged rip also
What can I do for him??
Can a rooster live without the tongue??
He can still crow weakly but cannot swallow
Should I keep force feeding him??
He has lost wieght
Any advice would be appreciated

 

[max101]

I have searched the net for information I have also tried looking in the archives but to no avail
Has anyone either experienced this or knows of anyone who Has??


Any info would be appreciated
Thanks

 

[welasharon]

I would think this one would be one for a vet to look at asap. Either the tongue needs to be reattached or finish removing it.

 

[max101]

If it is removed could he still swallow
Im from Australia and if you know anything about our vet prices here it would be close to $500 onwards for an operation like that as not many vets would preform it
He still crows and now bubbly saliva is around his mouth
I think that maybe the infection though
Will a tongue grow back as I read on a forum here that a chicks tongue did?
Remembering he is 2 years old though
Thanks for the reply

 

[max101]

Is their anyone with an answer to this question

Can a chicken survive without the tongue

I need to know any advice

I dont know what to do I dont want to kill him

Ive never done that before

Can the tongue heal before he starves as force feeding him is nt the answer as it stresses him out
Thanks for any advice

 

[Animalian]

the trachea gets sealed off at the top of the throat, not particularly by the tongue. So He would still be able to swallow. Also watching a rooster crow they don't tend to use their tongue, it's all vocal chords. A tongue gets used for more complex sounds by more complex creatures.

It may take him a while to learn to eat again, he'll have to work out how to get the food to the back of his throat. He probably isn't eating alone now because the stump it painful, that could also be why force feeding really freaks him out, because it hurts when you poke around in there. I would call the vets and ask for advice. Or cut the attached but of the tongue off yourself, TELL them that's how you found him and ask them if they can recommend suitable antibiotics.

I can compare this to people piercing then (intentionally) splitting their tongues so it looks like a snake tongue. It swells, hurts, and take a few weeks to go down and feel better. I wouldn't feed him meat or egg because of the bacteria. I'd make a slurry of mash and water, maybe chuck in some vitamins and glucose. Have you tried offering him soft food? pellets may be too hard for his sensitive mouth atm.

 

[lleighmay]

I'm sorry you're going through this with your roo. I had a rooster a couple of years ago who partially ingested a string from a feed bag which wrapped around his tongue near the base (much like you would wrap a rubber band around your finger). By the time I found him the tongue was swollen, dry, half dead, and partially severed. I used surgical scissors to cut it the rest of the way off (this was also the only way to remove the string). The rooster immediately recovered and began eating and drinking with no problems for the rest of his life. He was perfectly able to swallow, crow, etc. I watched carefully for signs of infection but there were none so I didn't give him any antibiotics. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself I would have a veterinarian remove the dangling portion of the tongue and he should be fine. If you feel capable of doing it enlist a friend to help hold him and use a small, sharp pair of scissors (surgical or sewing). One quick snip and after that your roo should be fine. Even if he were to suffer complications at least you've given him a chance.
Best of luck- Leigh

 

[drdoolittle]

I think Animalian and lleighmay have both given you good advice. I hope your roo gets better soon, poor guy.

 

[max101]

Thank you so much

I more than appreciate your advice

I will remove the tongue as it is only hanging by a thread really

My spirits are positively higher now

Thank you again for your answers he is a great roosters and I would hate to lose him

 

[Animalian]

how has your rooster been after tongue removal?