[mdueal]

I have a silkie hen who I have treated for scaly leg this last week. One leg was fairly badly affected with thick plaques of scales. I doused with scabies treatment as I have done in the past when a rescue chicken had scaly leg.

Today went to see how she was getting on and leg looked goo as most of the scales had come away.

BUT...

Her fourth toe and the tiny fifth toe are raw with no skin at all - the fourth toe is literally down to the bone and oozing blood. The toe beyond the first section has skin and nail but is cold and obviously dead. She doesnt appear to be in much pain from it.

Now, I am in the medical field and know what a gangrenous foot smells like and she has it. What do I do? She is perky in herself eating and drinking normally, looking around and preening her wet undercarriage from where i dunked her legs in disinfectant solution.

I have disinfected it and put her in a disinfected plasic large brooder cage indoors with no litter to get stuck in foot.

As far as I see it I have several options:

1) Tie the toe off as near to the top as possible with the hope that it will dessicate and fall off with no ill effects? Advantages - will not bleed to death, disadvantages possible source of infection
2) Amputate the toe (I have sterile dissection kit, gloves etc and iodine dressings) and cauterise it if it bleeds? Advantages - removes possible source of infection quickly, disadvantages - possible bleeding risk
3) Put her down. Advantages - better than a slow horrible death. Disadvantages - she may well live if use other options as does not look like she is systemically septic and is not currently in pain etc that I would feel need to 'put her out of her misery'

What should I do?? I feel absolutely awful. The poor little creature. Is there anything else that I havent thought of??

[mrs.ploppy]

I don't think personally I would do any of the methods you have stated as you have no pain relief while carring out treatment and it would hurt like hell.  Also you would need back up of antibiotics for infection and aid recovery.  Suggest you take to vets ASAP so infection does not travel further up the leg.  They can live without a toe or two but infection sounds like its already there.  Depends how much you want to pay at vets really.

[Aunt Sally]

I would say remove the toe !  but I'd not do it without an anasthetic. 

Give your vet a ring for advice and price !