Yikes - Advice needed about hurt chicken....

[aliris]

A possum got at my flock of four. My husband rescued one from underneath a possum and thought the chicken was ok but... when I returned home 3.5 days later I am discovering she's walking about with literal holes in her sides.

¿Should I do anything? ¿Is there anything to be done? If she's survived this far, presumably there's no infection? Wouldn't infection likely set in straight away if it were going to? The bird is eating, not a ton, and she's lost some weight (well, she's lost chunks of flesh too) and some primary wing feathers. But she's wandering around making her usual constant complaints. She's a little under the weather perhaps. But seems approximately OK-ish? What should I be doing please? Help? TYVM!!!

I know there is "stress medicine" to add to water -- but is it too late to bother with that? Today is Tuesday pm and this all happened early Saturday am (dh thought it would be OK to open their house before dawn). I know there is also antibiotic medicine to add to water, but same question - is it too late for that to be needed? Her having survived this long, does that obviate the need?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of her wounds?

Since she's losing condition, then it would be a good idea to clean her wounds, make sure there are no maggots in the wounds, then apply triple antibiotic ointment.

A bird will continue to act as normal as they can even when sick or injured until they just can't.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Yes please post photos. Are the wounds jagged tears, or punctures? Also examine her entire body very carefully to be sure she doesnt have additional wounds covered by feathers. Feathers are great at hiding puncture wounds.

 

[picklestheduck]

Yeah pictures could help. If she starts to get an infection, you will want to act fast, whether that's with antibiotics, or seeing a vet, because infections can spread quickly. Otherwise, just keep the wounds clean and make sure she isn't re-tearing them open or her fellow flock mates aren't either! Good luck with your bird!!!! Seeing the flock suffer is always so hard!

 

[aliris]

Here's a slew of pictures. I apologize that the quality isn't very good. TBH I can't make out what's happening myself, IRL even. Much less in these photos. Perhaps you-all know what you're looking at...? In one picture you can see what I did think IRL seemed like healthy, pink flesh. Y'all have me very, very scared with talk about hidden maggots!! I don't smell anything untoward...?

 

[aliris]

Please tell me signs of infection to look for? tia.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Trim the feathers away from the wounds so you can treat them, flush all of them with chlorhexidine, then apply triple antibiotic ointment to the wounds.

See that she's eating/drinking well.

With infection there's a bad odor, redness, pus, etc.

 

[aliris]

Trim the feathers away from the wounds so you can treat them, flush all of them with chlorhexidine, then apply triple antibiotic ointment to the wounds.

See that she's eating/drinking well.

With infection there's a bad odor, redness, pus, etc.

Thank you! I studied fairly intently this morning. She's eating as well as the others, just more subdued. She is/was Ms A-chicken and she still displaces one at the treadle feeder, but she's clearly less bossy. She has a poopy butt which I gather is an issue. She's just more tentative. She eats, just is skittish about having her head down. She was formerly very brassy. They all walk about mewing faintly now, which is either new or she used to be so loud you couldn't hear it, lol. I can see why the fam didn't realize there were gashes; her feathers do cover things up well.

Inspection will have to wait til the afternoon. But her crest is firm and well colored, fwiw. I'll have to buy chlorhexidine unless it's the same as iodine, which I'll check.... TYVM!!!

 

[aliris]

I'll have to buy chlorhexidine unless it's the same as iodine, which I'll check.... TYVM!!!

"...he effect of chlorhexidine is both more profound and longer lasting"... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21362729/ - Yeah, seems pretty clear things have changed since my youth and that was then; I'll buy some chlorhexidine. tia.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

"...he effect of chlorhexidine is both more profound and longer lasting"... https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21362729/ - Yeah, seems pretty clear things have changed since my youth and that was then; I'll buy some chlorhexidine. tia.

It's good stuff if you can get it, it does have a longer lasting effect on wounds. I had a hen that had a large gash under her wing due to a rooster spur. It healed up really well, with using Chlorhexidine.

That said...IF you can't find that - not sure how store stock/inventory is in your area, supplies are a bit hard to source here at the moment, then use what you have which is Iodine. I have also use Iodine on wounds with good results too. The main thing is to tend the wound and check it daily for infection.
It looks like it's scabbing over ok and she's probably pretty tender/sore, but if she's able to move about/eat/drink, then that's a good thing.