URGENT-- frozen feet!

[Farmgirl1878]

Great idea! And I’m so glad to hear that they’re moving around more! No one got pneumonia?

 

[Dona Worry]

Great idea! And I’m so glad to hear that they’re moving around more! No one got pneumonia?

Peri sounds raspy. Sometimes she pants. I'm holding off on antibiotics for now, but it might get to that.

 

[BY Bob]

She's trying to move around a little, but her feet are obviously VERY sore.
My biggest concern is she is REALLY stressed. Should I bring her sister in too? Would a buddy make her happier? The kennel is big enough to accommodate 2 of them for a few days at least, but if Peri needs to be in longer it might be difficult managing a healthy bird confined to such a small area...View attachment 1649698
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Fred is SO sad about her kennel.
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We have her in our prayers. You have gotten great advice here.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks for the tag. I looked carefully at the photos and what I don’t see are any blisters, which is encouraging. My chick, Scout, had big ugly blisters form on both feet later in the first day. Against advice and common sense I popped them, then I rigged a “hot tub” for him out of a glass candle lid. He got his Epsom salts spa treatment a couple of times a day and he absolutely loved it. Castor oil rubbed into his legs, stopping where the blisters had been, with raw honey on those areas and careful wrapping, kept him comfortable.

The scary thing about frostbite is that it can take weeks for the deep tissue damage to show. That was the case with Scout. He was doing great - walking correctly, taking care of his food, water and heat needs, and even getting into trouble from time to time. We took him out from time to time to with Mom out there and they picked up right where they left off. We thought he could safely be left with the flock, but we’re leaving town over Thanksgiving for a week so we opted to wait until we got home. Our granddaughter Katie was our chicken sitter at 8 years old, so we thought that if we put him out and something happened, she’d always think it was somehow her fault. She was used to his “in house” care so we knew maintaining that routine was best for both of them. While we were gone, the deep tissue damage reared it’s ugly head. It was bad. In just a few days he went from normal feet to twisted, swollen, and deformed feet. His ligaments and tendons were destroyed.

Scout went on to live outside at about 5 or 6 weeks old. He grew strong, he was exceedingly healthy, and his deformed feet didn’t even slow him down. He flew up onto the roosts at night and back down in the morning. He ran, scratched in the dirt, and bred the ladies with enthusiasm, if not skill. His toes remained useless appendages that were curled so much he looked like he was walking on stumps. I believe that without the castor oil to increase circulation to his legs, he’d have lost the use of more than just his toes.

The blisters I spoke of earlier can show up a few days after the frostbite. Open them or not, it’s up to you. Some say no. But I had little help available to me to figure out a treatment plan. Most frostbite threads here were for combs and wattles and only one addressed frostbitten legs. That poster never updated so there was no way to follow her plan, and I didn’t even know if her hen survived. @Beekissed held my hand and helped tremendously.

From Scout I learned a few things: Doing nothing is not an option. The effects of severe frostbite can come slowly, one after the other. Blisters, a greenish or even blue tinge to the underside of the foot, hock walking instead of walking on the feet, possibility of secondary infection. Each thing, although part of the whole, has to be tackled as it comes. I learned how to use a heating pad to provide soft, even, gentle heat under a fluffy tent. He was my first Mama Heating Pad baby. I learned that once most of the effects of the injury and subsequent treatment been dealt with, it was time to put him back with the flock to learn to use what function he had left to thrive. And thrive he did!

I wish you all the best. The only thing I’d add to what you are doing I’d the castor oil rubdown to the point of the injury, raw honey (or Betadine) on the injured parts, bandages to keep poop and bedding from sticking to his (her? I forgot) feet, and time. Keep everyone updated.

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He looks like my jabber.

 

[Dona Worry]

Victoria is lamer than a lame duck tonight. Can't walk and is SO miserable. Her feet have blown up, and her horrible blisters popped.
A very gentle bath, and an Epsom salt soak, and a bit of castor oil.

 

[WindingRoad]

Victoria is lamer than a lame duck tonight. Can't walk and is SO miserable. Her feet have blown up, and her horrible blisters popped.
A very gentle bath, and an Epsom salt soak, and a bit of castor oil.

You live in Vermont. Try bag balm. We used to use in on decubs in the Nursing Home. Docs were confounded.

Darn spell check. Finally got decubs. Wanted my to use dueces. EEEEEEE

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Frost bite is a long process. I personally don't mess with them. I personally think it hurts when you touch them, and it can cause more problems than good.

I personally have a faverolle called no toes for obvious reasons. She choose one brutal winter night to sleep in from of the one hole in the tin on the shed.

She healed up fine without me doing anything. It took a few months before all toes fell off.

I have had a rooster get his whole leg frost bitten, probably from stepping in water, he was culled when it was apparent how bad the damage was. Hopefully yours is limited to the feet. It will take a bit of time before you can tell.

The good thing is chickens are good at healing, and don't seem to suffer from infections too easily.

 

[Kris5902]

Victoria is lamer than a lame duck tonight. Can't walk and is SO miserable. Her feet have blown up, and her horrible blisters popped.
A very gentle bath, and an Epsom salt soak, and a bit of castor oil.

You might want to look into the chicken sling/seat idea mentioned earlier. It would take all the pressure off her feet for a little while. I used one for doing long foot soaks with a chicken I’m treating for scaly leg mites and once she realized it was a good thing she settled right down into it. Very helpful and easy to improvise with a tub, some clips, a towel and some scissors!

You can do it without the water and in a higher container so her feet can’t touch the bottom. I don’t know about leaving them in it for really long periods unsupervised, like overnight... my Tippie won’t poop in it and gets very insistent on “out now mommy, I gotta go!”

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Victoria is lamer than a lame duck tonight. Can't walk and is SO miserable. Her feet have blown up, and her horrible blisters popped.
A very gentle bath, and an Epsom salt soak, and a bit of castor oil.View attachment 1651271 View attachment 1651272 View attachment 1651273

The poor thing!
You're doing all you can for her.
The sling may be helpful, so look into that.

 

[Dona Worry]

Frost bite is a long process. I personally don't mess with them. I personally think it hurts when you touch them, and it can cause more problems than good.

I personally have a faverolle called no toes for obvious reasons. She choose one brutal winter night to sleep in from of the one hole in the tin on the shed.

She healed up fine without me doing anything. It took a few months before all toes fell off.

I have had a rooster get his whole leg frost bitten, probably from stepping in water, he was culled when it was apparent how bad the damage was. Hopefully yours is limited to the feet. It will take a bit of time before you can tell.

The good thing is chickens are good at healing, and don't seem to suffer from infections too easily.

I am trying to be minimally invasive. The bath is very very gentle-- I hold the bird up and slowly swirl feet through warm water to remove debris. The application of the oil is done with a cotton ball.
My efforts were rewarded with some proper walking, and even some cheerful preening!
Peri even got to her feet for a few seconds, the first steps she's taken in over 24 hours.
Zoe could have used a bath too, but I am utterly exhausted from farm chores and just ran out of steam. Tomorrow he'll get a bath and a soak. Maybe even a new name, Zoe no longer fits which is SUCH A SHAME, she is my FAVORITE Classic Who companion.