My chicken has a swollen infected toe

[Shari S]

We just got 6 chickens about 1 month ago. One of the hens had a deformed looking toe. A week ago we saw blood everywhere from her toe and and I separated her. I got the bleeding to stop and saw that it was really swollen and had 2 smalls cuts on it. I cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide, sprayed vetercyin on it, antibiotic cream and wrapped. Some of the swelling went down. I read for bumblefoot you should soak in Epson salt water so I did that a few times. Then I read that you shouldn't do that for open wounds. I stopped the soaking immediately and started amoxicillin once a day. It still looks infected with swelling, its not as bad though. I know it takes time to heal but I'm worried about me soaking the open wounds. Also should I be cleaning the cuts with hydrogen peroxide? I need to take a picture of it. I just hope I'm doing the right things now.

 

[azygous]

I think it's okay to soak small wounds. Large open wounds might not be a good idea to soak, although all wounds need daily cleansing to keep bacteria from forming. Epsom salts soaking encourages blood flow to the wound, thus encouraging new tissue growth. It's very good for foot wounds.

Peroxide is okay to clean a wound the first time, but it inhibits new tissue formation, so soap and water or saline is best after that.

Yes, we do need to see a photo. We need to know if this is a wound from a torn toenail or if the toe was lacerated by something, or if this is frost bite. It would help to know your location so we know if it's fall or spring where you are.

 

[Shari S]

I just took some pictures

 

[azygous]

The photos tell a story. The hen got her toe caught in something and while she was struggling to free herself, somehow the circulation was cut off to the outer half of the toe. By the time she had freed herself, she had mangled the toe pretty badly.

Okay, it may have not gone exactly like that, but probably in that ballpark. She will probably lose the blackened portion. It's called auto-amputation, and it's really a pretty nifty immune response chickens have. If that happened to us, we'd get gangrene and probably die from blood poisoning. Not so chickens. Their bodies wall off the destroyed extremity, tissue swells, then the dead part eventually falls off, leaving a neat nub. And yes, chickens have lost their entire feet in this manner, usually from them freezing.

Your hen is well on her way to resolving the wound. You can help by giving her a ten minute Epsom soak each day, and spraying the toe with Vetericyn wound treatment. Eventually the nub will lose the swelling, and she will have no trouble adapting to life with half a toe on that foot.

 

[Shari S]

I had an online avian vet to tell me to take her to a local vet for an amputation. He said the infection from the dead toe would not heal and I would lose that battle. Since I don't have access to an avian vet around my area ( being in the city). I thought we might have to put her down. I am more than willing to try to save her if there is a chance she will make it.

 

[Shari S]

The photos tell a story. The hen got her toe caught in something and while she was struggling to free herself, somehow the circulation was cut off to the outer half of the toe. By the time she had freed herself, she had mangled the toe pretty badly.

Okay, it may have not gone exactly like that, but probably in that ballpark. She will probably lose the blackened portion. It's called auto-amputation, and it's really a pretty nifty immune response chickens have. If that happened to us, we'd get gangrene and probably die from blood poisoning. Not so chickens. Their bodies wall off the destroyed extremity, tissue swells, then the dead part eventually falls off, leaving a neat nub. And yes, chickens have lost their entire feet in this manner, usually from them freezing.

Your hen is well on her way to resolving the wound. You can help by giving her a ten minute Epsom soak each day, and spraying the toe with Vetericyn wound treatment. Eventually the nub will lose the swelling, and she will have no trouble adapting to life with half a toe on that foot.

Sounds very encouraging!!

 

[azygous]

I've seen this sort of wound first hand. You don't need a vet to amputate the damaged extremity. It does it on its own. Here is a thread about a hen that auto-amputated both her feet. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/matilda-is-going-to-lose-her-feet.1454933/

You are doing just fine with the care you are giving this hen. She will survive this just fine. Those vets were probably not very informed about treating poultry.

 

[Shari S]

The photos tell a story. The hen got her toe caught in something and while she was struggling to free herself, somehow the circulation was cut off to the outer half of the toe. By the time she had freed herself, she had mangled the toe pretty badly.

Okay, it may have not gone exactly like that, but probably in that ballpark. She will probably lose the blackened portion. It's called auto-amputation, and it's really a pretty nifty immune response chickens have. If that happened to us, we'd get gangrene and probably die from blood poisoning. Not so chickens. Their bodies wall off the destroyed extremity, tissue swells, then the dead part eventually falls off, leaving a neat nub. And yes, chickens have lost their entire feet in this manner, usually from them freezing.

Your hen is well on her way to resolving the wound. You can help by giving her a ten minute Epsom soak each day, and spraying the toe with Vetericyn wound treatment. Eventually the nub will lose the swelling, and she will have no trouble adapting to life with half a toe on that foot.

I've seen this sort of wound first hand. You don't need a vet to amputate the damaged extremity. It does it on its own. Here is a thread about a hen that auto-amputated both her feet. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/matilda-is-going-to-lose-her-feet.1454933/

You are doing just fine with the care you are giving this hen. She will survive this just fine. Those vets were probably not very informed about treating poultry.

Thank you so much for this information. I feel so much better about what I am doing. I will continue her treatment and giving her the amoxicillin. I did see improvement when I took those pictures that I posted.

 

[Shari S]

I think it's okay to soak small wounds. Large open wounds might not be a good idea to soak, although all wounds need daily cleansing to keep bacteria from forming. Epsom salts soaking encourages blood flow to the wound, thus encouraging new tissue growth. It's very good for foot wounds.

Peroxide is okay to clean a wound the first time, but it inhibits new tissue formation, so soap and water or saline is best after that.

Yes, we do need to see a photo. We need to know if this is a wound from a torn toenail or if the toe was lacerated by something, or if this is frost bite. It would help to know your location so we know if it's fall or spring where you are.

We are from Arkansas so it was not from frostbite especially this time of the year.

 

[Shari S]

I've seen this sort of wound first hand. You don't need a vet to amputate the damaged extremity. It does it on its own. Here is a thread about a hen that auto-amputated both her feet. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/matilda-is-going-to-lose-her-feet.1454933/

You are doing just fine with the care you are giving this hen. She will survive this just fine. Those vets were probably not very informed about treating poultry.

Thank you so much!!!