Matilda is going to lose her feet. :(

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I'm actually thinking that right foot has a (tiny, slim) chance of recovering somewhat. It looks more pink then the earlier photos which indicates blood flow. It looks like she'll lose all the outer toes, but that center and up the leg look somewhat promising? Very odd!

I feel like the oddity happened due to the frostbite ocurring while she was suspended upside down. All toes are necrotic, but bottom foot pad is pink and healthy. But yes the frostbite pattern is uneven and odd. Didnt know what that meant for the future of top of foot. Stub is already rewrapped, but i can take more pics of right foot if it would be helpful.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I would soak her stump and foot in warm water with some Epsom salt, Hibiclens/chlorhexidene, or betadine to keep them clean once a day. Then keep it clean. The Vetericyn or triple antibiotic are fine. I have seen another case online where parts of the foot were pink and healthy and others black. She will still lose a lot of that foot more than likely. You have done a wonderful job of handling this and taking care of her. Keep her on clean towels for bedding.

Tu for your advice; i mostly feel like im floundering around mostly clueless in the dark. I have seen your replies to other frostbite threads, but am going to do EXACTly what u recommend here on Matildas thread. Of the 3 soak ingredients u mentioned, do u mean choose 1? If so, is any one the best? I have epsom salts and Hibicens. No betadine, but i will go purchase tomorrow if that is best. Is soaking once daily adequate? Ive kept her on clean bedding after treating, then wrapping stub with vetwrap and putting her back on shavings. Are u saying keep stub uncovered, & keep her on a towel, etc? (The issue with that would be that she picks/pecks at the proturberance while stub is drying unless i keep close eye on her.

 

[Weeg]

Tu for your advice; i mostly feel like im floundering around mostly clueless in the dark. I have seen your replies to other frostbite threads, but am going to do EXACTly what u recommend here on Matildas thread. Of the 3 soak ingredients u mentioned, do u mean choose 1? If so, is any one the best? I have epsom salts and Hibicens. No betadine, but i will go purchase tomorrow if that is best. Is soaking once daily adequate? Ive kept her on clean bedding after treating, then wrapping stub with vetwrap and putting her back on shavings. Are u saying keep stub uncovered, & keep her on a towel, etc? (The issue with that would be that she picks/pecks at the proturberance while stub is drying unless i keep close eye on her.

Wrapping can actually trap bacteria on the wound, and cause more damage. I wouldn't wrap until its healed, just keep a thick layer of Neosporin on it, and keep her in that sling so the messy stump isn't sitting on the ground.
I personally like to use Epsom salts, I know it helps remove infection and draw out any bacteria, but haven't done any research on the other soaking products mentioned.

By the way, you are not floundering in the dark, you are educating yourself, and doing way more for her then a lot of people would have done. You are willing to do basically anything for her, and obviously care about her so much. You are doing a truly extraordinary job, and don't you dare think your doing anything less then that. You got this! Keep being an amazing chicken mom!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

@Eggcessive , i realized u probably meant keep her on clean bedding as in dont allow her to step in chicken poop. Realized that since in all other frostbite threads ive read, the stumps were always kept wrapped. I can say thats one thing i know ive done right. Just like cleaning a cat litter box, & i check often to see if her bed needs cleaning. So far so good, Matilda has never gotten poop on either foot.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Wrapping can actually trap bacteria on the wound, and cause more damage. I wouldn't wrap until its healed, just keep a thick layer of Neosporin on it, and keep her in that sling so the messy stump isn't sitting on the ground.
I personally like to use Epsom salts, I know it helps remove infection and draw out any bacteria, but haven't done any research on the other soaking products mentioned.

By the way, you are not floundering in the dark, you are educating yourself, and doing way more for her then a lot of people would have done. You are willing to do basically anything for her, and obviously care about her so much. You are doing a truly extraordinary job, and don't you dare think your doing anything less then that. You got this! Keep being an amazing chicken mom!

Couldnt decide which reaction to give u, so here ya go, a and a green "i". Well shoot, u r saying i did interpret excessives info correctly the first time. Aaack im confused. Your info makes perfect sense, but other frostbite threads ive read always mention wrapping the feet. I was gonna ask the following question anyway. Wrapping the foot keeps it moist, while leaving it unwrapped will dry it out. Which is best for her specific injury?

 

[Weeg]

Couldnt decide which reaction to give u, so here ya go, a and a green "i". Well shoot, u r saying i did interpret excessives info correctly the first time. Aaack im confused. Your info makes perfect sense, but other frostbite threads ive read always mention wrapping the feet. I was gonna ask the following question anyway. Wrapping the foot keeps it moist, while leaving it unwrapped will dry it out. Which is best for her specific injury?

Your are exactly right, you really don't want the foot to dry out. The key to this, a VERY important step, is to apply a THICK layer of Neosporin over the wound/stump to keep it moist. The Neosporin keeps it moist, while protecting it from bacteria with the antibacterial features. Then, the key to keeping Neosporin on without wrapping, is keeping her in that sling so the Neosporin doesn't get rubbed off. Since the sling keeps her stump off the ground.
You are doing an amazing job! Remember, never hesitate to ask questions, and don't feel idk you have to search elsewhere first, you can ask any question here that you want. I got false info somewhere else that wasn't from an expert, and my hen payed the price. Keep up the amazing work! You got this!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Not trying to step on anyone’s toes but research has shown for some time moist wounds heal at a rate three to five times faster than dry wounds. Especially when a foot is involved and the risk of contamination is high, personally I would want to keep the wound covered. However, she is already well on her way to healing and I think either dry or wet, she will still heal.

As for the other foot, it could be possible that she will have partial skin and tissue regrowth on the top of her foot. This happened to my rooster who’s comb tips were all frost bitten. The damaged tissue did fall off, and in time the skin regrew, but this was because the damage was largely surface. We can only hope for the best :/

 

[Weeg]

Not trying to step on anyone’s toes but research has shown for some time moist wounds heal at a rate three to five times faster than dry wounds. Especially when a foot is involved and the risk of contamination is high, personally I wound want to keep the wound covered. However, she is already well on her way to healing and I think either dry or wet, she will still heal.

Though I would be worried about bacteria being trapped in the wrapping, and air flow to the wound being kept away, this is also great advice.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

More info, and questions about her current mobility. I have read other frostbite threads where the bird walked around as normal, & the person didnt notice the bird had frostbite until the toes turned black, sometimes not even until toes fell off. Matilda has NOT been mobile since the day of her accident. I still feel like that may been due to fact her leg tendons/ligaments were injured from being suspended. She didnt walk at all for the first few weeks, then could stand and walk a few steps. Since the foot fell off, she has seemed better able to raise herself off the ground enough to preen. (Altho today she acted like her right foot felt awkward same as the left foot did before it fell off). But she cant preen at all while in her sling. Plus, even tho she seems comfy in sling for a couple of hours, she eventually strugggles to get out. I then remove her from sling and put her back in her bed on shavings. Do people keep their birds in a sling all the time? It seems like if she was in sling 24/7, she would lose what little muscle tone she has left?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

From the experiences of Barth the rooster, his owner has to help him preen and give very occasional baths. She rubs his face with a soft toothbrush to help him scratch where he can’t scratch. She keeps a chicken diaper on him so he can stay on a soft pillow because he has experienced tissue breakdown on his nubs. I cannot recall how long it took him to learn to walk, but he can walk. He was in much poorer condition than your Matilda when she took him in.

Edited to add: no don’t keep her in the sling all the time. I’d think of it like a person who is bedridden, they need to be rotated to prevent bedsores. She’d probably get areas that felt uncomfortable from the pressure of being in the same position, but I’m only theorizing.