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

[darlingdarla]

Some updates, if someone could chime in.
She is for the most part doing well, the limb looks good to me, again the infection hasn't spread past the knee and the blackened necrotic bits haven't expanded or moved.
Her feathers are growing in good as well, the veterycin has really helped them.

My one concern right now are these "blisters" on the edges of the break. Underneath is a sticky cloudy liquid, I say it's clear in the video but I meant cloudy with a very subtle yellow tint.
There is also some swelling in places along that black line, it looks very much like pictures I've seen of auto amputation where the healthy flesh swells at the line of necrosis. I don't know if what I'm saying makes any sense so I hope the video helps to clarify.

Otherwise she is well. I've been doing my best to apply the veterycin three times daily, but admittedly there are days I am not home in the middle of the day so two times is the best I can do consistently. This week I work fewer days so I will be able to keep a better eye on her.
Here is the video:

And pictures,

Here I circled the "blister" and that line is where the slight pink swelling is along the clearly dead part. Thoughts?

 

[darlingdarla]

Thoughts? I don't mean to prompt but I'm anxious to get some input on the "blisters."

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I think I would continue treating as you have.

Have you been placing her in a sling during the day?

 

[darlingdarla]

I think I would continue treating as you have.

Have you been placing her in a sling during the day?

Yes but she kicks herself out of it doing my best but then she gets herself into a mess and usually topples her water. She is very eager to start moving again.
I'm trying to just check on her frequently, but she is not a big fan of the sling.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That's a challenge then. Her kicking herself out of the sling, I would fear she will cause more damage or injury to herself.

 

[darlingdarla]

Just wanted to let everybody know there is more sticky liquid today following the black line, this one is by the break.
Question, should I clip away the necrotic skin that is completely separated at the break, to keep debris from getting lodged underneath? I'm fairly certain I could clip bits away slowly without injuring her at all, that flesh is completely dead and the healthy skin beneath it is healed.

 

[aart]

Question, should I clip away the necrotic skin that is completely separated at the break, to keep debris from getting lodged underneath? I'm fairly certain I could clip bits away slowly without injuring her at all, that flesh is completely dead and the healthy skin beneath it is healed.

Yes.

 

[darlingdarla]

One question, anyone have any input on the yellowish liquid filled blisters I'm seeing? Is this a normal part of the process? Or is it infection? I'm specifically worried about the pressure sore.

All right, I clipped off the necrotic tissue this morning. It was like clipping a toenail, and it went pretty easy. While I was working on it the blisters popped and started bleeding a bit. First they oozed the sticky yellowish liquid and then they started bleeding. Because of this, I decided to wrap her leg for the night since her pin feathers are so much better and the blisters are open wounds. I'll unwrap in the morning and evaluate but I felt it would be best if they were protected overnight. I wrapped with veterycin since it had been working so well.
The video explains what I am seeing much better if anyone has any input on her progression. She also developed a "blister" by her pressure sore, which concerns me. She will not stay in the sling, I have tried wrapping her wings but she keeps wriggling out and getting tangled up, so right now she is not in the sling.
It's not great, but I am wondering if I should start letting her out so she can move a bit, mostly because of how she is acting but I don't know.
Anyway, veterycin is working well and her leg looks so much better than it did before.

I circled the blisters in these ones.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

There was no bad odor from liquid right?
With there being blood too, then likely part of the process. If there's a bad odor to the fluid then there's concern.

That "pressure sore" is that where she puts weight on it the most?

You may want to try a thick bunion pad over the sore or maybe fashion your own. Basically it's padding with a hole large enough so the wound is not "covered" and can still "breath" if that makes sense.

You're between a rock and hard place on this one - the wound(s) need air to heal but they also need some protection/wrapping as well.

Sorry about the foot photo but I couldn't find any photos of just bunion pads

 

[darlingdarla]

There was no bad odor from liquid right?
With there being blood too, then likely part of the process. If there's a bad odor to the fluid then there's concern.

That "pressure sore" is that where she puts weight on it the most?

You may want to try a thick bunion pad over the sore or maybe fashion your own. Basically it's padding with a hole large enough so the wound is not "covered" and can still "breath" if that makes sense.

You're between a rock and hard place on this one - the wound(s) need air to heal but they also need some protection/wrapping as well.

Sorry about the foot photo but I couldn't find any photos of just bunion pads

View attachment 2880604

The photo is perfect thank you, I will try to fashion something
I haven't smelled the liquid to be honest, I can check tomorrow but for the most part I am trying not to disturb them. They popped today because of my handling of her as I clipped off the necrotic flesh that had separated at the joint. There is swelling following the line of necrosis and the skin is a soft pink, very much like other pictures of auto amputation I've seen, but instead of establishing a clear line it follows the black necrosis around the tip and up the front of the leg. Under and around the line is some fluid, the one spot I point out in the video looks to be clear fluid.

I am planning to unwrap her tomorrow morning and apply the veterycin four or five times to protect it, I just thought it should be especially protected overnight since she will be going nine to ten hours without being checked on.

The odd thing is, I don't see her putting weight on the pressure sore, also she never just lays around in one spot she hobbles around as much as she can in her limited space. Someone else suggested it may be a pressure sore so that's what I've been calling it. I do wonder if that is where the leg will separate in the end, even though it almost seems to me like the blackened tip will break off first I really don't know what to make of it.
But on the bright side, she is looking much better than before and has gained some weight back.