Mighty Sparrow

***caution***Don't read this if you just ate a grilled cheese on sourdough with fries....or if you ate anything else good for that matter..
So the next day we checked on Wynonna. We let her walk around the room to see if she was still limping... I've never seen so much poop come out of something so small! And it STUNK SO DAMN BAD!!! She was waddling around the room and shooting like she had a rocket launcher attached to her ass! By the time I caught her, there were 3 green piles in our room. Patty was swearing to the Gods, "WHY THE HELL IS IT ALWAYS IN OUR ROOM?!" I cleaned up the mess, and P removed the little cast from Wynonna's toe. We soaked her feet in Epsom salts again, and Patty tried to slightly squeeze. More pus came out of the toe. She tried again and Wynonna sqwaked. We put on more hydrogen peroxide and neosporin and re-wrapped her toe.
After another day or two of this, it was obvious we were only healing the top of the wound, and that the infection was still thriving inside her toe. I told Patty we needed to cut it open to get the infection out. After consulting with a couple other chicken lovers, we agreed we should attempt it.
This time I held Wynonna and P tried to open her wound. I was cooing to Wynonna that she would be ok, and P yelled, "Stop saying that! She's not ok!!!" I explained to her that I was trying to soothe Wynonna, not tell her lies. The surgery was unsuccessful...all we managed to do was make her toe bleed. So we wrapped her back up.
The next day I called the local vet and made her an appointment. We agreed on the way in on a monetary amount we were willing to spend for Wynonna. We took her in and explained everything to the Dr. He said he would see if he could clean it out, but amputation of the toe would cost between $600 and a thousand! I blurted out if that was the case, I would just amputate it myself. He looked at me like I was crazy, and P assured him I was kidding... (But we all know better.)
After waiting over an hour, the Dr. came out and said, "We have a problem". The first thing that crossed my mind was, "If you killed my chicken you mother $&@!*#, you'll be next!" Good thing for private thoughts.
He took us into a back room and told us Wynonna's infection went down between the knuckles. His guess was it originally was a small scratch or thorn, and the other chickens may have pecked at it if it bled, and the dirt got into it and it got infected. He told us they were able to clean it out, but since she was a "Commercial chicken", meaning we sell her eggs, he was limited to the medication and topical ointment he could give her. As an egg consumer that was nice to hear. She could not receive any internal medication, and only a topical to clean and heal her toe. I felt better for taking her to the vet. P and I would have never been able to clean her toe out down to the knuckle!!!
The total damage came to $150. I took it all from the egg money jar.
I know most people would have made Wynonna soup several days prior, but we couldn't. I wouldn't kill one of my kids because they had a toe infection, and I can't help but feel the same way about our chickens. :( Not a true farmer...I know.
Anyway, Wynonna was under distress when we left. I bought her some meal worms and she ate them right up when we got home. I sang to her, and she seemed to calm down a bit.
Wynonna is suppose to be separated from the flock until her toe heals. Could be up to a month!
At least she doesn't snore....