Yikes! Large wound on hen.

[mobius]

Well, you are a trooper too for all that TLC for your girl! How is she doing? Just checking in with you...

 

[mobius]

Also another set of questions for you...if you would be so kind...what do you use for bandages? Do they "stick" around the wound or are they non-sticky gauze pads? I of course realize the stockinette keeps the bandages in place...so they don't slip or slide or anything with the stockinette? And I see that you are changing the bandage and cleaning the wound twice a day... Are you using anything under the bandage besides sugar (or VCO)? Saline flushes? lol my apologies for all the questions but I am very interested...

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

@mobius I buy rolled gauze and fold it in three. It does stick a little. What it pulls off is dead dried tissue. I didn't use the non stick kind because I didn't want sugar oil running down her leg.

If the wound were on her back I think non stick would be fine. My rolled gauze did backfire on me yesterday. I do try for 2 bandage changes a day. But sometimes catching her in the morning is too much. So I left her with the same bandage from the night....it was stuck and good. I sprayed it with vetericyn to loosen it. I don't think she was too happy with me. The texture of the rolled gauze, I think, helps keep it in place.
I use VCO in solid form. I have a small bowl of it in the "treatment center". I let it melt from my body heat and hers. Rub it around on the wound and the surrounding skin and feathers. It keeps her skin moist and supple and helps the feathers not turn into one stuck mess. (learned that about the feathers the hard way) I do use the vetericyn on her wound sometimes. I go by how it looks. I don't want it to be too moist and gooey. I found last time that VCO too many days in a row made her wound too soft if that makes sense.
Whatever I put on the wound is followed by sugar. Again a small bowl of it kept with the supplies. I sprinkle it carefully on the wound. I try to get it only on the wound. It doesn't hurt if it's anywhere else but it's sugar...it gets sticky.

With her stockinette pulled over her leg.

I slip her leg out and move the stockinette out of the way. You can see where oil and sugar soaked through the bandage. The largest spot you see is actually not on the wound. It's where the oil ran down from melting. It is sugary so sticking to the bandage instead of her feathers is preferable.

Ask away! If I can help someone with my fly by the seat of my pants trial and error I'm glad to answer all the questions I can.

 

[mobius]

Many many thanks for your very clear answer and the great pictures! The vetericyn or saline flush would help with loosening a stuck gauze bandage...that is what I am getting, plus cleaning and disinfecting! And just slip the one leg out of the stockinette to access the bandage...love it.

and then the saddle to hold it all together. Do you ever give her some alone time without anything on the wound (like inside or in a crate) to let the wound air out and let her "poof" like you mentioned earlier? Or is it not necessary....

I honestly think you are pioneering here...I just posted a link to your thread in another thread with a very similar wound and not the first time I linked your thread....seems these wounds may not be that unusual where the skin gets torn.

Hope she is doing very well indeed.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Band aid brand rolled gauze. I bought a box of 5 rolls. 2" wide.

Stuck again today.

Pulled less then last time but you can see in the middle where it was really stuck down.

I sprayed the gauze with vetericyn this time. See if that helps.

All oiled. You can see little bits of oil in her feathers. I give her a little blob to eat too. Maybe a chickpea size.

Sugared. It's starts to turn clear as it absorbs.

I will do a second bandage change today. Try to stick with 2 a day till it stops sticking. Once it gets dryer I just use oil or vetericyn with the bandage. I'll also fold the gauze only in half instead of three. It's more to keep the dirt off at that point.

I don't take everything off unless the stockinette gets dirty or frayed. At that point I let her floof out and shake off. She seems to hate the process of putting the stockinette on and off so I try not to force her to go through it. She doesn't like to be away from the flock either. The loud squawking she makes when I'm done with the bandage change but haven't gotten her back outside yet lets me know she's ready.

Thank You for the kind words. I was making it up as I went the first time around. I wasn't ready to give up on her so I had to try something. Really seems to work.

 

[mobius]

Yes, thanks again! It does seem to work and your routine is quite straightforward! Giving her VCO to eat, lol I would be doing that too!

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

@mobius I don't figure it could hurt. It has so many great properties. I don't give her too much just in case but an impacted crop gets oil. Why not keep it flowing smooth?

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

I wanted to share this in case it happens to someone else. That is her entire scab in one piece laying next to her wound. It looks scary but it came off all on its own. I had been keeping the area oiled and watching the edges. I kept it covered with bandage and stockinette to hold it all in place. Today when I removed the bandage the whole scab was lose. I gently lifted one edge and it came right off. No pain for her. It's part of the healing process. Her wound is smaller and will now form a new scab. I oiled and sugared her up and put new bandage on. I'm sure it will do this again to keep healing. It just looks really bad.

 

[mobius]

I know it might kind of look bad, but it seems like it is at least half the size it was and it's healing up really well. Good tip, too! Who knew?

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

The first time it did that I was so freaked out. It peeled off with the bandage and I thought I must have torn it off. But as it shrinks it has to come off. I even trimmed a few thick spots of the scab to keep it from getting stuck and ripping off before it was ready.

That's why I thought I should share. It's kinda gross but all part of healing. Don't freak out if it happens to you.