punctured w/ large wood splinter

[paparootzi]

Well I thought it was a feather sticking out but I couldn't be so lucky...About 4 inches long was sticking out of him and it is a little over 1/4 inch wide and the thickness is about 1/32 inches. It is located towards the front of him slightly on the right side and even with the top of his wing. Maybe sticking out of where his crop is???? I was afraid to just pull it out because I don't know how deep it is and I didn't know if it would cause it to bleed to death so I took some wire cutters and cut it down so that it would not hit on anything but enough to grab onto until I got some information. He seems OK but I don't know what to do? If I am able to pull it out, what should I do to prevent infection?

 

[LynneP]

You've done the right thing to date. Do you have access to a vet who will see chickens? If not, use Blu-Kote or no-peck on the site, gently, to make use of the alcohol in it and to keep other birds from pestering him. Do NOT use peroxide. Don't go digging, but watch him carefully and the splinter may work its way out. All depends on how deep it is of course. Do you think it's softwood or hardwood? Try to find the source of the damaged wood to get an idea of the size and to fix any hazard remaining in your setup. The bird may dig at the splinter. He may be absolutely fine, too.

 

[paparootzi]

Thank you for replying so fast... I'm about to send you a picture ... I'm slow

 

[paparootzi]

Here is a picture of where it is (if you can make it out)

I was also going to try to find where the piece came from to try and figure out how much is inside and I have checked the area again and the portion sticking out has absorbed some blood.

 

[LynneP]

Looks quite serious, but removing it could prove difficult, could start bleeding. If it's in the crop at least that part of the bird is protected by dense muscle.
Do you have Blu-Kote, No-peck or some alcohol, even vodka? The bird is probably going to work it out...

 

[paparootzi]

I was hoping his body would "work its way out" too (if it's not that deep). The other birds don't bother him. He is 6 months and has 2 sisters and the older birds aren't even bullies so I think he'll be OK until I can take him somewhere. Where can I get Blu-Kote or no-peck? It's Sunday so co-op is closed, but I won't do peroxide since you said because I might have if you hadn't told me not to

but is there some sort of antibiotic ointment to get at Walmart? The wood is probably from the plywood walls. They like to perch way up on the edge instead of the tree branch perches I put in there, but I would say it's soft? Would that make a difference? Better or Worse?

 

[LynneP]

Yep, no peroxide. Do you have any tincture of iodine, anything with an alcohol base?
You could use neosporin later on, not now, but only if it does not have benzocaine or other painkiller.
You could also give a low-dose aspirin crushed and dissolved in water for fluids to get inflammation down and to take pain away but only if you are prepared to segregate him.
Even a high-proof liquor will do, and you can get Blu-Kote and No-Peck from pet stores, pet departments like Walmart, ag stores, some hardware stores and of course in tack shops and TSC. The reason for not using peroxide is that it damages tissue and because once the oxygen evaporates, you're left with a soggy splinter and more reason for infection.
The alcohol stays in the wood, disinfecting it.

Birds can find or make splinters from nearly anything...oh my...

 

[paparootzi]

Can I use rubbing alcohol? I can't buy Vodka on Sunday! Ugh, these things always happen when it's most inconvenient...I hope he will be OK til tomorrow. I may take him to the vet but I can't afford alot. I just had a Blue & Gold Macaw die from being eggbound. When I realized she was ill, I took her to the vet and he anesthetized her to palpate her and came back saying he tried to remove it but it was calcified and he would have to surgically remove it the next morning. He performed the surgery and placed her in the incubator but she never woke back up from the anethesia. She was too weak. She was about 14 yrs. old which I had her for the last 5 yrs. and she never even laid an egg? I have the most bizarre things to happen.

 

[Nostalchic]

I'm going to chime in here with my opinion (NP in ER for many years)... It looks to me like this splinter is toward the dorsal (backbone) side of the chicken rather than the underneath side of his neck - is that right? The concern with a penetrating foreign body is that removing it may also remove the compression on a large injured vessel, which may start to bleed in a place that cannot easily be manually compressed. Less of an issue on the back side, because the large vessels are deep and ventral (front side). With wood, if it is softened by exposure to the moist area/body fluids, it becomes mushy and more difficult to remove. Leaving it in place, unless you are intending to have a veterinarian remove it - and many of us would not go that route - may not be the best thing to do. I, myself, would gently removed it, be prepared for some bleeding (so apply pressure with something clean) and then irrigate it THOROUGHLY (that's your best protection against infection) with very clean water or sterile saline solution if you have it, and apply an antibiotic. The chicken may "work it loose" but that won't prevent the bleeding issue, and won't keep fragments from being left there if it has softened too much, and it doesn't look like an area that a chicken could reach herself. Good luck.