4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[TheCoop]

Hello fellow Omleteers!

 

I need some serious advice about our Barbara.

 

Quite some months ago, she managed somehow to cut her foot (on the 'ankle' area). There wasn't much blood - to be honest it looked like more of a graze. Anyway, she didn't seem to care about it and just carried on, therefore I thought nothing more of it.

 

Over the intervening months, she aquired some kind of growth (like a big wart almost) where (I think) the cut/graze was. Again, this wasn't impeding her in any way, so I left it.

 

However, this growth has obviously been slowly growing and now it is affecting how she walks. When she walks, she limps. When she is standing, she invariably stands on the other leg whilst 'resting' the poorly leg. She is sprightly in every other way, is feeding well and still laying.

 

She is now in some discomfort (not sure to what level) so I went to see the local vet who said they could operate in a roughly 10 minute operation where she would go under general anesthetic. Of course, her waking from the anesthetic is not guaranteed.

 

I am now stuck as to what to do. Do I leave it and hope she isn't in too much pain/discomfort and let her carry on or do I operate and risk losing her altogether???

 

Any advice gratefully received.

 

Thanks

[Egluntyne]

I'd be inclined to let the vet remove it.

 

From your description of her behaviour it must causing her some distress and I'm not sure that I could allow an animal to continue with that if there is an alternative.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm inclined to agree. It seems fair to give her a chance .

[Space Chick]

I agree, you are giving her the best chance by her having the op

[Chucky Mama]

I'd go for it. 10mins means that it isn't a big job and if sucessful it will make her more comfortable. Good luck with whatever action you decide to take. I don't think that there is necessarily a right or wrong choice.

[Patricia W]

I agree - you can't really leave her in discomfort. Hope it goes well.

 

Tricia

[TheCoop]

OK - Barbara went to the vet this morning. The vet decided she wanted a proper look at the growth, so started of by washing it with warm, soapy water with a nail brush. A lot of the 'growth' came away as it was dirt and faeces, so it is now smaller, but still there. She thought it started as an open wound which had become infected (by the dirt and faeces that they get on themselves).

 

She decided not to operate in the end and will put her on a course of antibiotics which will hopefully make her more comfortable as there is an infection in her foot (hence the limping etc). We just need to take over the washing the growth part and hope that we can get it smaller.

 

Fingers crossed we can get her back to full health!

[Chucky Mama]

Sounds promising! Well done you for going for futher investigations

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's good news . It's great that she's not had to go through an op after all . Good luck with it all .

[TheCoop]

OK - we just got Babs back home.

 

The vets have scrubbed away at the bottom of her foot and she seems a lot better already, but we have to bathe her foot twice daily in warm water with 'Hibiscrub' mixed in and gently scrub, and we have to orally feed her 'Baytrill' antibiotic twice daily also.

 

We need to take her back on Friday and I think they will then see whether an op is necessary.

 

Let the re-coop-eration start here!!

[cluckingmad]

Hibiscrub is wonderful stuff - we use it to scrub up in operating theatres (both human AND animal!)

 

Sounds like Barbara is having the best care going, you'll probably see her looking happier pretty quickly, once the antibiotics kick in

[TheCoop]

We picked Barbara up from the vets again yesterday evening. The vet did the op and removed the growth completely and she looks much better and happier. Apparently there was no problem with the anesthetic - she dropped off then woke up again! They sprayed some "aluminium seal'" on her foot to help it help (looks like she's wearing a silver boot!)

 

We still need to administer the antibiotics twice daily, but other than that, it's business as usual - apart from the fact that we are on an egg ban because of the antibiotics, but that's not the end of the world.

 

[cluckingmad]

Great news Glad to hear shes much happier, egg bans suck but hey, its all worth it

[sparkysmum]

Fantastic news, must have been a hard decision but you must be delighted you went ahead. Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery. Ax

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's great news .

[sandyhas3chucks]

brilliant news, should have asked him to spray both feet though, a lady with only one boot?