Will my hens wound granulate? Pics added post #12

[BarkerChickens]

One of my 6 month old roos sliced open his favorite hen on Monday (yea...already at his age!

). She has a 1.5" or 2" long gash under her wing that is open approximately 1/2" wide. We caught it the day it happened, she wasn't bleeding much at all and it is open to the muscle, but the muscle itself is not torn or even scraped for that matter. I cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, flushed it with diluted iodine (using an irrigation syringe) and covered it with neosporin. I read online to not cover it to encourage it to granulate and not to stitch it, so that it can drain if necessary and that it will granulate over anyway. Well, it has been a couple days, and I am not impressed with the progress. I clean it regularly using the diluted iodine in the irrigation syringe and no infection is setting in. But, the wound isn't scabbing. There wasn't enough blood to scab over to begin with. I keep putting neosporin on once a day hoping that it will help. She occasionally will have the edge starting to adhere to the muscle, but then she flaps and gets irritated about being the cage and her movements separate it again.

What can I do to encourage it to heal? She is HATING being in the house and I can't imagine that she's gonna settle down anytime soon. I'm keeping the cage covered in the morning to encourage her body to rest and not lay. My poor hen! Stupid roo!

 

[WalkingWolf]

I had a hen opened up larger than that, about 3X3 and she could hardly walk when I discovered her. I isolated her cleaned her wound with a weakened betadine mixture, and then sprayed it with blue coat. I did also give duramycin to hopefully offset infection. She recovered very well and skin has regrown though no feathers as of yet. Before letting her back into the flock I bought a saddle to protect her from the roosters opening it back up again. This has been over a month ago and she still layed a egg a day even when I discovered the injury.

 

[ranchhand]

I have a BR hen who was attacked by some kind of predator 2 weeks ago. She had a hole in the skin on her back about 2-1/2" x 1". I thought no way that is ever going to close, but I was wrong. It sounds like it's a similar wound.

I injected her with a 1/4 cc of Penicillin G daily and applied Neosporin, for 1 week. No peroxide, because it can cause more damage than help, and only the initial cleaning with very diluted Betadine.

The wound is almost grown back together, and she is steadily improving. I really didn't have much hope for her, but she is really coming back!

I think, since there is no infection, leave her be for a few days, then inspect it again. If you aren't putting Neosporin on it, it might not cause her to flap. If it does start to show signs of infection, try the Pen-G injectable.

Good luck!

 

[BarkerChickens]

You give me hope!

I am not sure where to get Pen-G injections, but I do have Aureomycin. If I stop the neosporin and daily flushings with dilute iodine, should I give her the Aureomycin to prevent infection? I'd hate to just leave it with nothing, but I agree that leaving her along to prevent flapping would be greatly beneficial!

 

[Nif]

Please read my thread that I just sent back to page one "hen has some kind of maggots, need advice quick"
But please beware there are graphic photos of her wound.
My advice to you is to let your hen's wound dry out, you don't need to keep flushing it. Neosporin and then let it be for a few days. If you read through my whole thread, threehorses explains what to do in great detail. I did everything she said to do, except I chose to not administer any antibiotics. My hen is doing great.

 

[ranchhand]

Nif has a good point, the injections may not be needed. For future reference though, most feed stores and Tractor Supply carry Pen-G, in the refrigerated section.

Threehorses is far more knowledgeable than I in these matters.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Thanks Nif! YOur thread was very helpful. That part that concerns me the letting it dry out part. She didn't bleed enough to scab over. I could clearly see the meat as if it were a chicken breast being prepared for dinner. What is considered a dry wound? I am more than happy to leave it alone, but the lack of any scabbing worries me.

 

[Nif]

That nasty photo of my hen was a dried out wound.

 

[edselpdx]

Granulation tissue needs clean moisture. Flush with dilute iodine solution for 1st aid/initial cleaning only unless the wound starts to look infected or gets seriously soiled. Keep the wound moist by putting oil-based ointment like neosporin (without caine) on it often--probably more than once a day.

Scab isn't necessarily a good thing on a large wound. Scabbing is NOT the same as granulation tissue, which is ground-beefy red "raw"-looking tissue at the base of the wound. Granulation tissue is a healthy wound base that allows new skin cells to be established and "migrate" into place. Granulation tissue will start at the edges and close in, followed by skin. Iodine and hydrogen peroxide are both toxic to granulation tissue, so only use if the wound is looking infected after initial treatment. If you feel the need to rinse a clean looking wound, use saline solution (dilute salt water 1:100). Then get the neosporin back on to keep the surface clean and moist.

If the wound looks infected, THEN do antibiotics as well as a fresh wound irrigation with dilute iodine.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
I understand that. But see how your hen had the dark brownish-red from scabbing, etc? Mine doesn't have that at all. It is really weird.

Here is a better description to help everyone understand what I am seeing. (I will upload a pic for y'all, but I am not home right now)
It is her yellowish/pinkish-white skin with a big oblong hole/rip in the skin and pink breast pink inside. You can actually see between the skin the meat as if you were skinning a bird that has been bled out. That's it. Almost like she bled very little.

There is slight scabbing (VERY small...like 1/8 of inch in diameter) at the two ends of the hole. It started after I cleaned it, so I think that is from her pecking at it or something. That is why I don't understand how she will heal properly.

When I say her wound is dry...I mean it was never bloody and wet to begin with. Moist from the plasma, but that's it. If it can't scab over, can it be left open and dry?

I've dealt with bleeding wounds and punctures from attacks, but this is just weird. How could she have bled when it ripped all the way down to the muscle?

ETA: Please don't think I am sounding snooty.

I greatly appreciate all your help!!! Y'all are so helpful on here and I wouldn't be able to do all that I have with the chickens if it weren't for everyone's kindness and assistance on BYC!