HELP... Triage/Wound care suggestions needed for my Pekin duck

[member 569347]

Last night our ducks we not put in before dark as normal. One of our hens was attacked by something and has exposed flesh at her neck and has injury yet to be determined at the lower left side of her body under her wing by her leg. I have to find a neighbor to help me with her so I can completely examine her, get pictures and treat her.

My question is, what should I be doing/using to clean up wounds? I don't see a significant amount of blood, and it doesn't appear much bleeding took place so they may be superficial wounds, but I can see where feathers were broken/removed from her wing-tip and underneath it and that worries me most.

I want to avoid paying a Holiday rate emergency avian visit if I can avoid it. I just want to be sure her wounds are cleaned. Should I put her in a salt bath? Peroxide? She's favoring her left eye and leg slightly, but not significantly. She does not seem to be in destress and wants to go out to the pond as usual.

This appeared to be a land attack, so I'm thinking owl or coon. I knew something was wrong last night when they were silent instead of talking back to me when I called them. They were huddled among brush/tree debris at the pond's edge.

Sassy, the injured, let me get her quite easily, but it took me an hour in the rowboat to get the uninjured ones off the water and in their house.

There were the same number of eggs in the nest this morning, so she must still have laid eggs as usual.
@issac 0

 

[Ratchnick]

You can use the same wound care products you would on yourself. Peroxide, iodine, ect.

 

[Isaac 0]

The pictures would be helpful to see!

My initial treatment for moderate wounds first consists of establishing a complete circumferential featherless zone around the wound bed; that can be achieved via plucking, or trimming the feathers. The scissors can be dipped in mineral oil to attract the feathers to the instrument rather than the wound bed - in some cases a water-soluble-based gel can be packed into the wound to reduce contamination of the feathers into the wound bed. With any of the minor, superficial wounds, you could skip this step.

The reason for trimming is to allow better visualization of the wound and to decrease further contamination of the feathers onto the wound bed which may impede healing.

After trimming, is lavaging (flushing). Several liquids can be used, in my opinion, saline, or dilute chlorhexidine work best - new findings suggest hydrogen peroxide, soap, and damage important cells on the wound bed decreasing healing time. To lavage, one can use a 60ml syringe with an 18 gauge needle, or a dawn dish soap bottle to increase the PSI stream which will aid in bacterial debridement. The solution used is oftentimes less vital than the lavaging technique done - when lavaging always use copious amounts and flush the whole wound.

In the case, you have a suture-able piece of skin, and the wound hasn't been contaminated severely you may perform suturing at this point.

In the matter you can't suture the wound, the application of an antibacterial ointment or cream could be done; excluding ointments and creams, honey, or a sugar paste can work well. Regardless of which one used, it should be applied daily, or more to maintain a moist wound surface. With a deep wound, antibiotics would be indicated.

 

[member 569347]

The pictures would be helpful to see!

My initial treatment for moderate wounds first consists of establishing a complete circumferential featherless zone around the wound bed; that can be achieved via plucking, or trimming the feathers. The scissors can be dipped in mineral oil to attract the feathers to the instrument rather than the wound bed - in some cases a water-soluble-based gel can be packed into the wound to reduce contamination of the feathers into the wound bed. With any of the minor, superficial wounds, you could skip this step.

The reason for trimming is to allow better visualization of the wound and to decrease further contamination of the feathers onto the wound bed which may impede healing.

After trimming, is lavaging (flushing). Several liquids can be used, in my opinion, saline, or dilute chlorhexidine work best - new findings suggest hydrogen peroxide, soap, and damage important cells on the wound bed decreasing healing time. To lavage, one can use a 60ml syringe with an 18 gauge needle, or a dawn dish soap bottle to increase the PSI stream which will aid in bacterial debridement. The solution used is oftentimes less vital than the lavaging technique done - when lavaging always use copious amounts and flush the whole wound.

In the case, you have a suture-able piece of skin, and the wound hasn't been contaminated severely you may perform suturing at this point.

View attachment 2599605View attachment 2599595

In the matter you can't suture the wound, the application of an antibacterial ointment or cream could be done; excluding ointments and creams, honey, or a sugar paste can work well. Regardless of which one used, it should be applied daily, or more to maintain a moist wound surface. With a deep wound, antibiotics would be indicated.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your response, especially on a Holiday!
I couldn't get a good pic of her neck... she did not want me near it. She even got a little protective with me.

Prior to seeing your response, I brought her in and gave her an oatmeal bath as well as flushed the wound as best as I could with saline, then used peroxide (based on the first responder) but then flushed again with saline because she appeared uncomfortable. The saline I used was Medi-Rinse sinus wash. The wound still looks dirty to me. I wasn't able to get help today, but will have help tomorrow.

My question is this... what can I expect if we suture it ourselves? How with she react pain wise? Is plucking uncomfortable for them? Can 5% Lidocaine ointment be used topically for the purpose of suturing? Do you recommend iodine? I also have Cephalexin (human capsules 500mg). Can that be used? At what dose and how administered? Any special diet I should give?

 

[Isaac 0]

Looking at the wound in the picture, and also considering how long the wound has been open I would opt against suturing as that is best done immediately after injury. Once you have a wound open for an extended period of time suturing is risky as you may be suturing bacteria under the tissue as well which can lead to various problems.

It is hard to see the extent of the injures, but since you mention the majority of the injuries are superficial, leaving it open, and just keeping it clean and moist should suffice.

I have yet to use Lidocaine in birds, and while many have done so, it should be used cautiously, and in a minimal dilute form due to the potential toxicity, it poses.

Cephalexin works well for skin infections; if you wish to use it, mix one finely crushed tablet with 10ml of water. Use 0.3ml of the liquid per pound of bodyweight, and give four times a day. If she weighs nine pounds give her 2.8ml four times a day. Continue dosing for at least seven days, and discard her eggs for two weeks. My dosing is based on Plumbs veterinary drug handbook (cephalexin 35mg PO q.i.d )

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[member 569347]

Looking at the wound in the picture, and also considering how long the wound has been open I would opt against suturing as that is best done immediately after injury. Once you have a wound open for an extended period of time suturing is risky as you may be suturing bacteria under the tissue as well which can lead to various problems.

It is hard to see the extent of the injures, but since you mention the majority of the injuries are superficial, leaving it open, and just keeping it clean and moist should suffice.

I have yet to use Lidocaine in birds, and while many have done so, it should be used cautiously, and in a minimal dilute form due to the potential toxicity, it poses.

Cephalexin works well for skin infections; if you wish to use it, mix one finely crushed tablet with 10ml of water. Use 0.3ml of the liquid per pound of bodyweight, and give four times a day. If she weighs nine pounds give her 2.8ml four times a day. Continue dosing for at least seven days, and discard her eggs for two weeks. My dosing is based on Plumbs veterinary drug handbook (cephalexin 35mg PO q.i.d )

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

Thanks for all your help Issac! I truly appreciate it. All vets in a 60 mi radius of me are booked for the next few days and the emergency clinics don't have avian vets. :-(

 

[CoMtns]

Poor baby! I hope everything heals up well.