Swollen Wattles

[tori8780]

My roo has a pretty severe case of frostbite for about a month now. I brought him in yesterday when we found him bloodied by the flock. While I was cleaning him I noticed his wattles are extremely swollen on one side. There is very little frostbite on his wattles, but they are both warm and swollen. The left one is much larger and warmer than the other. Is this infection? What do I do for him? He's shaking his head a lot but seems to be eating and drinking. I've been putting neosporin on him, but not sure what else to do at this point. This poor guy has had a really rough winter and I just want him to get better and back to his flock.

 

[ten chicks]

Possibly it is from the frostbite,keep using the antibiotic ointment. Shaking head could be from discomfort from wattles as frostbite is very painful. Is there any discoloration of wattles? Frostbite can take months to heal. Watch for infection,if infected he may need a antibiotic.

Does he have any discharge from eyes/nostrils or raspy breathing? Is he eating/drinking/pooping normal?

 

[flo12345]

Keep it up with the neosporen. That's what I'm doing for my little roo. I put a layer of that on the bad spots and then i cover the rest with vaseline. Is it a bubble or are the wattles swolen like a sprained ankle? My roo had a buuble thingy on his comb and I was able to get rid of it by popping it.
Hope this helps <3 this seems to be a terrible year for frostbite

 

[Eggcessive]

It is not advised to open blisters from frostbite. Although his swelling is probably from frostbite, be aware that other illnesses such as coryza and fowl cholera can cause swelling in the wattles. Frostbite can occur easily if the rooster's wattles hang into the water bowl, so using a waterer with a narrow lip may help. Here are 2 good links to read:
http://voices.yahoo.com/how-treat-chickens-suffering-frostbite-5294027.html?cat=53
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/12/frostbit-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html

 

[tori8780]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It is swollen tissue, not like a blister. Its also very, very warm to the touch. He is not wheezing or having any discharge from his nose or eyes. He appears to be eating (had scrambled eggs this morning) and drinking. His comb is badly frostbitten, I think he will probably lose 30-40% of it. But his wattles only have a tiny bit of frostbite along the edges.

If the swelling is frostbite related, how soon should I expect to see some sort of improvement? I'd like him to go back outside as soon as possible. Thanks!

 

[tori8780]

Well I picked up some penicillen from the feed store today. Should I go ahead and give him some or wait and see if he heals on his own? He's eating OK, but I havent seen him drink anything.

 

[DawnB]

Definitely following. I have the exact same problem. I have really good ventilation...but we've had weeks and weeks of sub-zero temps. I'm trying to keep on top of it...but I feel bad for him. Let me know if anything else helps.

Thanks!
Dawn

 

[tori8780]

I had to bring him inside for 2 weeks until it all healed up. Then I put him back out and its been very cold but we havent had any more problems.

 

[alissasherman07]

Hello, my rooster has the same problem. He got frostbite and one of his wattles is extremely swollen. He is inside now but is having trouble eating and drinking because his wattle is just so big. He also keeps shaking his head back and forth. The wattle feels very warm to the touch. Is there an antibiotic you would recommend that isn't a topical antibiotic? I am already applying Veterycin to the swollen wattle. I bought some oxytetracycline powder but am not sure if this would help an infected wattle? Whenever I look online it says that oxytetracycline is mainly for respiratory infections. Would it work on other types of infections?