severe possum attack, with large and deep wounds

[Chickie McFuzz]

This chicken got attacked by a possum. Is there anything that can be done besides irrigating the areas and trying to prevent infection? does this look like a hopeless case that would be better to put the poor girl out of her misery? I've seen posts discussing applying antibiotic ointment and bandaging. I'm not sure how to bandage this since it is such a large area, the whole tail and under both wings. I tried flushing with vetericyn spray and then coating with silver honey wound spray. Should I continue with this? or is there any other suggestions? She did drink a little water with nutridrench in it, but hasn't eaten anything since last night. Thanks so much for any help.

 

[Weeg]

Flush with Vetrycin spray as you have been doing, and use Saline, or another sterile solution if possible. Clip any feathers away from the wound, and keep it clean. Apply Neosporin, and DO NOT WRAP! Wrapping keeps the wound from releasing bacteria, and provokes bacteria in the wound. Keep her separated, inside in a warm stress free environment away from flies. If flies get in the wound and lay eggs, you are making for maggots. Put, electrolytes, sugar, or AP vinegar in her water, to give her a boost. Nutridrench is good. Try to clip any feathers away from the wound, and clean any grossness, or debris away best as possible. Hope this helps! Avery

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Defiantly cover it with a triple antibiotic, if she's contained where no flies can get her then wrapping is not a must. Getting her through shock,staying hydrated and eating is important. Yours does have allot of skin missing and i would be concerned if it can heal.

I can't say to cull, that would have to be your call. I probably would if you want to know if I would. I had one that was pretty tore up by a dog and I thought would die but lived but I also did have to cull one that was also attacked by a dog because I felt it was to invasive and the chicken was in shock and had to be in pain.

 

[Weeg]

Defiantly cover it with a triple antibiotic, if she's contained where no flies can get her then wrapping is not a must. Getting her through shock,staying hydrated and eating is important. Yours does have allot of skin missing and i would be concerned if it can heal.

I can't say to cull, that would have to be your call.

I don't think you will have to cull, birds are very good at making a come back, and if you can put the time and energy into this, and giving her the care she needs, then she can probably make a comeback. Don't wrap, that is very important.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I don't think you will have to cull, birds are very good at making a come back, and if you can put the time and energy into this, and giving her the care she needs, then she can probably make a comeback. Don't wrap, that is very important.

True, like I said it was up to her to make that decision. like I said I've had both scenarios and one pulled through when I thought it would not and one I culled because I felt it was suffering.

 

[Isaac 0]

Trimming the feathers around the area, and a few more pictures would be good.

That is a fairly extensive injuries, and depending on how she proceeds the next few day/s it may be best to euthanize her, as with these types of injures, after the wound, you often have to deal with infection, dehydration, or often both. As of now, you can keep her in a warm, dimly lit area, with feed and water provided, and continue to apply either an antibacterial cream, or ointment overtop such as Neopsorin, Prep H, or silver sulfadiazine cream.

I am not there to say whether to bandage the wound or not, but if you decide to bandage it, it needs to be done correctly, and maintained correctly. When done incorrectly, you can restrict oxygen flow to the wound which may subsequently to damage of some of the good flora on the wound, it may also provide a "house" for maggots, restrict blood flow, or can cause edema or irritation. When done correctly, it provides numerous benefits including keeping the wound warm, which is essential to healing, keeps debris from entering the area, prevent swelling, protects the area from self-mutilation, retains moisture, compresses dead space, prevents hematomas, promotes an acid environment on the wound which discourages bacterial growth, and increase oxygen levels, etc.

That said, please read several sources on how to properly bandage, and maintain a wound before doing so.

https://www.cabi.org/isc/FullTextPDF/2009/20093018939.pdf

 

[Weeg]

True, like I said it was up to her to make that decision. like I said I've had both scenarios and one pulled through when I thought it would not and one I culled because I felt it was suffering.

Make senses, I think this baby can pull through!

 

[Chickie McFuzz]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. She was deceased this morning when I went to check on her at 7am.
Start to finish, here's the whole saga: The attack happened around 2am yesterday. At that time, I brought her inside and sprayed with Walgreens first aid antiseptic spray (it was what I had on hand at 2am, but since learned it would have been better just to use warm water, since that spray had lidocaine in it). And flushed with a hydrogen peroxide/water mix. She drank a few sips of water. Left her with food and water. In a box with a towel partially over it to keep her calm. Checked again around 8am, sprayed with the antiseptic again. Appears to have drank but not eat. At 6:00pm yesterday, I took her out of the box, she took a few floppy steps and drank water on her own. I flushed everything with

the vetericyn, and sprayed the silver honey. I didn't wrap, but just loosley draped a small dishtowel over her (I was trying to make sure she wasn't too cold). By 11pm, she was sleeping and I couldn't wake her to eat or drink. She was alive, but wouldn't open her eyes. I fed her some water with a dropper, which she took, but still with eyes closed. Tried to put some food in her mouth (cooked egg) but she didn't nibble or swallow. I didn't want her to choke on it, so I let it fall back out of her mouth. I let her be after that. This morning, when I went in, she was gone. She had moved enough to be out from the towel. But looks like she fell forwards and died there.

I don't know if I should have or could have done something more or something different. Shouldn't have used the lidocaine spray, I know that now. Maybe should have flushed more? Or done more to force her to eat? I hope nothing I did caused her to be worse. If so, please tell me. I want to learn, so I won't take it as being mean spirited. Unfortunately what happened happened, but at least I can learn as much as possible from the experience to do better next time. Maybe it was hopeless anyway. It looked really bad to me, so I am not surprised she died. It would have been a long road to healing, so maybe it was better this way.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. She was deceased this morning when I went to check on her at 7am.
Start to finish, here's the whole saga: The attack happened around 2am yesterday. At that time, I brought her inside and sprayed with Walgreens first aid antiseptic spray (it was what I had on hand at 2am, but since learned it would have been better just to use warm water, since that spray had lidocaine in it). And flushed with a hydrogen peroxide/water mix. She drank a few sips of water. Left her with food and water. In a box with a towel partially over it to keep her calm. Checked again around 8am, sprayed with the antiseptic again. Appears to have drank but not eat. At 6:00pm yesterday, I took her out of the box, she took a few floppy steps and drank water on her own. I flushed everything with

the vetericyn, and sprayed the silver honey. I didn't wrap, but just loosley draped a small dishtowel over her (I was trying to make sure she wasn't too cold). By 11pm, she was sleeping and I couldn't wake her to eat or drink. She was alive, but wouldn't open her eyes. I fed her some water with a dropper, which she took, but still with eyes closed. Tried to put some food in her mouth (cooked egg) but she didn't nibble or swallow. I didn't want her to choke on it, so I let it fall back out of her mouth. I let her be after that. This morning, when I went in, she was gone. She had moved enough to be out from the towel. But looks like she fell forwards and died there.

I don't know if I should have or could have done something more or something different. Shouldn't have used the lidocaine spray, I know that now. Maybe should have flushed more? Or done more to force her to eat? I hope nothing I did caused her to be worse. If so, please tell me. I want to learn, so I won't take it as being mean spirited. Unfortunately what happened happened, but at least I can learn as much as possible from the experience to do better next time. Maybe it was hopeless anyway. It looked really bad to me, so I am not surprised she died. It would have been a long road to healing, so maybe it was better this way.

(((HUGS))) You did the best you knew so don't be hard on yourself, she may not have made it anyways. At least she's not suffering and you did not have to make the final call, deciding to cull a loved chicken is not always the easiest thing to do. Thanks for the update I was routing for you.

 

[Chickie McFuzz]

Thanks, I appreciate the support.
You're right. I have never culled a chicken before. I didn't want her to be in pain, but I don't know if I could have brought myself to do it.