Urgent: post-amputation care, advice needed/I thought I would spend my Saturday doing this...

[darlingdarla]

How is her stump looking?


She is now outside recuperating in her separate coop with two of my bantams. The rest of the flock can see her when she is in the second run but can't hurt her.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

You should collect those eggs!

 

[darlingdarla]

She is still hesitant to move but will hobble over to take a treat. For the most part she lays around all day, moving for bits of food and water here and there. She interacts with with flock very little, keeping to herself wherever she may be. I did let them all out together earlier but same thing, she chose a place to lay and stayed there, even as two of my other old ladies joined her to sunbathe.

 

[darlingdarla]

You should collect those eggs!

I have, this photo was taken at the end of the day and I have 13 laying hens so they pile up fast lol

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Hi @darlingdarla ive been internet-less the past week so just now checking on Rosie. Wow she covered ground Fast in that video you posted last friday! If ida blinked, ida missed it. And her constant vocals are a hoot. Shes got plenty of personality thats for sure.

I dont think anyone answered your question "How does her stump look? It looks good to me, but i will defer to those with more experience/knowledge on this forum.

Has her bandage stayed on since you posted last? No doubt her stump still hurts, especially if she touches the ground with it while she is hobbling around. I understand your reluctance to bandage her too tightly since a too tight bandage is what led to the loss of her foot in the first place, but she definitely needs padding over her stump. Also, like Rosie, Matilda became more mobile immediately after her 2nd foot detached. When i commented on matilda standing upright more, a couple of people posted that it wasn't good for her to walk around much while stump healed. So according to feedback i got, its maybe best that Rosie only hobbles a little before mostly resting. You could give her aspirin for pain, but re animals experiencing pain, as long as its not excessive, pain is helpful since it keeps animals from using affected parts while healing takes place.

 

[darlingdarla]

Hi @darlingdarla ive been internet-less the past week so just now checking on Rosie. Wow she covered ground Fast in that video you posted last friday! If ida blinked, ida missed it. And her constant vocals are a hoot. Shes got plenty of personality thats for sure.

I dont think anyone answered your question "How does her stump look? It looks good to me, but i will defer to those with more experience/knowledge on this forum.

Has her bandage stayed on since you posted last? No doubt her stump still hurts, especially if she touches the ground with it while she is hobbling around. I understand your reluctance to bandage her too tightly since a too tight bandage is what led to the loss of her foot in the first place, but she definitely needs padding over her stump. Also, like Rosie, Matilda became more mobile immediately after her 2nd foot detached. When i commented on matilda standing upright more, a couple of people posted that it wasn't good for her to walk around much while stump healed. So according to feedback i got, its maybe best that Rosie only hobbles a little before mostly resting. You could give her aspirin for pain, but re animals experiencing pain, as long as its not excessive, pain is helpful since it keeps animals from using affected parts while healing takes place.

She hasn't kicked her bandage off since the first time, I just need to wrap her leg all the way up otherwise it starts sliding down.
It's worrying me how little she is moving. She doesn't leave her little coop for nothing, she has food and water inside, and she will hop around to change positions from time to time but she never goes into the run or anything. She moves more when she's out with the flock, but I have two birds that pick on her relentlessly, so she's in the separate area until she is able to hold her place in the pecking order. The flock is able to see her.
I just thought she'd be more healed now, I mean obviously it's a serious wound but we're coming up on two weeks.
This is her with my bantams, they are terrified of her but luckily she's leaving them alone, in the past she could be a bit of a bully.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Re her not moving around much, my best guess is after she tried to run/walk/move around same as she always had pre-amputation, she discovered that doing so Hurt. So now she's mostly resting. Are you still changing her bandage daily? That should be done until stump fully heals, then once weekly forevermore. Also, gauze, a cotton ball or other soft padding under the vetwrap will provide additional padding and help ease discomfort.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I saw this thread and am curious. How did you stop the bleeding so she didn't bleed to death? How did you keep her calm while you did it?

Back a few year ago I had a cockerel that I figured needed to have a leg removed, but was too scared to do it, and of course, didn't know what to do. I've always figured if I was able to do that surgery, it probably would of saved his life.

 

[darlingdarla]

Re her not moving around much, my best guess is after she tried to run/walk/move around same as she always had pre-amputation, she discovered that doing so Hurt. So now she's mostly resting. Are you still changing her bandage daily? That should be done until stump fully heals, then once weekly forevermore. Also, gauze, a cotton ball or other soft padding under the vetwrap will provide additional padding and help ease discomfort.

I've started changing the bandage every other day because it stresses her out so much, and just applying extra ointment I'm hopes it will help. I felt like it was healed enough to do this, but if you think it will be best to continue changing it daily, then I will start that again. There is some gauze padding at the end of her stump,but you're probably right that it's going to take more time.

I saw this thread and am curious. How did you stop the bleeding so she didn't bleed to death? How did you keep her calm while you did it?

Back a few year ago I had a cockerel that I figured needed to have a leg removed, but was too scared to do it, and of course, didn't know what to do. I've always figured if I was able to do that surgery, it probably would of saved his life.

Sorry about your roo, I just lost a bird a few months ago, it's awful. One of my two year old birds developed a severe infection in both feet that turned her toes black overnight and the skin on her legs green. I wonder now if I could have saved her as well.

I performed the amputation within an hour of seeing her necrotic toes. I wish I'd gotten a picture before.
I got a friend to help me, I don't think I could have done it myself, not because I'm squeamish but because I don't have enough hands lol.
I sterilized a pair of tree limb trimmers over the flame of my stove, and then poured alcohol over them. I also poured alcohol over the birds leg and had wrappings and triple antibiotic ointment ready to use immediately.
I held the bird and her leg out and showed my friend where to cut. I held her tight so she didn't move or flap to mess up the cut.
I also had a red hot knife on hand to cauterize the wound but I didn't need to use it.
My friend cut through her leg in one snip, he said it was like cutting a thin branch off a tree.
My birds leg didn't bleed horribly because it was already dying, but it bled for a long time. I must have sat and held pressure for an hour before it slowed enough for me to bandage. It was a steady ooze, I have seen legs both spurt blood and not bleed at all in videos so I think it depends on the reason for amputation.
I know some people tie off the limb to prevent bleeding but I didn't want to jeopardize circulation to the stump because of how the bandage damaged her circulation to begin with.
She spent three weeks in the bandage with it too tight while I was out of town, and my sitters noticed the damage but didn't tell me until I got home. I also asked one of them to change the bandage every week, but she simply told me it was too gross to mess with

I would amputate again if I needed to, my hen still has a strong quality of life and I believe she will be almost ordinary once she is healed and pain free, although that may be a while.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Every other day bandage change is likely fine, since the stump looks to be healing ok and bandage changes stress her out. I think your instincts have been good all along, as far as the best way to help Rosie.