So how is Zane doing?

[speckledhen]

Hi, all. We are still pulling infection out of Zane's hock area. He still has no use of the foot on the bad leg. We just started him on another round of antibiotics today, but frankly, I'm at a loss as to what to do now. I can't let him live years in a dog kennel, alone, being taken out into the sun once a day. It's just wrong. But, when he snuggles against me and drapes his head over the crook of my elbow, I dont know how I could put him down. We just put down our head hen, Ruby, and it's too soon to lose another one.

What a cruddy year.

 

[Bawkadoodledoo]

ugh.. you cant put down zane... that would make everyone despondent for the rest of the year

 

[speckledhen]

Yeah, me, too, Bawk. Me, too.

 

[jjthink]

Sending lots of wishes for continued healing of your sweet Zane.
So sorry about the setbacks. :aww
JJ

 

[speckledhen]

Here's a pic of Zane with my DH yesterday.

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Cyn, I am so sorry about Zane and sorry to hear about Ruby... :aww

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Tes. Poor Zane has been through so much in the past four months and not once has he tried to bite me, no matter what we did to his leg. He wouldnt even think to do something like that. This is a special guy, but then, he's his daddy's son, through and through.
Ruby was an internal layer, just like the last two hens who died. She hung on so long, fighting like the feathered pitbull she was, but she couldn't even walk over a 1" lip between the two sides of the coop anymore. And she probably weighed no more than a pound. We had to help her along to the Great Roost in the Sky and not allow it to go on any longer. Seems like my original flock was implanted with some sort of "kill-switch" that kicks in sometime around two and a half years old. My poor girls. I dont want to do this again with another one, but I think I will have to. My RIR Rosemary isn't acting right and hasn't laid in months now.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Sorry to hear about Ruby!

No talk of putting Zane down as long as he is happy and has the will to fight this and live!

You know we have a cow with an abcess in her hoof and we treat that by opening it up and putting terimiacin (sp?) on it and then wrapping it for a couple of days then taking the wrap off and cleaning it. Then re-evaluate it to see what it needs. Could you do something like that with Zane?

 

[speckledhen]

Hmm, you did give me an idea, Kitty. We have an antibiotic in capsule form(Doxycycline). Would it be inadvisable to break open a capsule and put some of the powder in the wound? We have been putting silver sulfadiazene cream on it; the wildlife rehab people use it on wounds and a customer of mine who works there gave me some.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I'm not familiar with Doxycycline but many antibiotic powders are put in capsules for easier use of taking it-the capsule usually is just the holder.