We have been so grateful for the support shown to us and our little hen, Guinevere, though we are realizing that many of you do not know exactly what is going on, and you may be interested.
This is her story so far:
Guinevere was happily eating, walking around, and cuddling on Sunday, September 21st. The plan was that she would soon leave quarantine to become a companion for Nutmeg at the Triangle Chance for All microsanctuary. Her caregivers, Linda and Alan, left the house to go shopping, planning to pick up raspberries for Guin, since they are her favorite treat in all the world.
When they returned, Guinevere’s right leg was four times the size of her left. She was still acting well, but this felt like an emergency. Of course, this happened on a Sunday, so the long wait for the vet’s office to open began.
Justin and Linda took Guinevere in on Monday afternoon, and Dr. Burkett diagnosed Guin as having an abscess due to what he believed to be a snake bite that probably occurred several weeks prior. Guin stayed at the vet’s overnight, with the plan that her leg would be opened and the abscess drained on Tuesday. Dr. B also planned to clean a buildup of fecal material from her vent while she was sedated.
On Tuesday, we waited to hear from the vet. He called with news very close to closing time. Again, Justin and Linda headed for the vet’s, where Dr. B told them that he had found no abscess, but instead, a great deal of inflammation. He had sent some tissue to the lab to perform a culture and find out more.
He was equally concerned about her vent. He had anticipated an easy removal of built-up fecal material, but the more he worked, the more appeared. Bits of tissue began to peel off with the fecal material, so he stopped working. He believes Guin has a neurological deficit in the area, most likely caused by the same snake bite that caused so much inflammation in her leg. This means she will likely have issues with incontinence for the rest of her life.
Dr. Burkett sent Guin home with a bandaged leg and instruction on her care, after Linda received a crash course in chicken medicating. This proved very easy, despite Guinevere’s loss of appetite and energy.
On Friday, we were instructed to remove Guin’s bandage. If her leg was blacker than before (which would mean there was more necrotic tissue), we were told bring her back in. It was, so Justin and Linda headed back to the office on Friday evening.
They were told that her leg will get worse before it gets better. At some point, the necrotic tissue will slough off, and it will take months for her to recover. They were shown how to bandage her leg and what to look for. Her weight loss was a concern, so Dr. Burkett and vet tech Rebecca demonstrated tube feeding. Guinevere came back home with bags full of medications and materials for her care.
A change in medication proved very helpful, and Guin is eating quite robustly though there are still periods of concern about her appetite. Linda and Rosemary managed their first tube feeding, which went well. Linda and Alan changed Guinevere’s bandage for the first time yesterday, and were pleasantly surprised by how well Guin took it.
All of us at Triangle Chance for All are committed to Guinny’s recovery process for the long haul. She will remain with Linda and Alan, as she knows them best, and we are doing all we can to reduce her stress.
We know this is a lot to take in, but we want all of our supporters to know that we will care for Guinevere the way we would take care of any loved one, making her quality of life our absolute top priority. She will get the best care we can possibly provide until she is healed and healthy again.
We know you will keep her and us in your thoughts, and that means so much to all of us.
If you would like to help us in caring for Guinevere during her recovery, you can contribute, or you can donate some of her medical supplies through Guinevere’s Amazon wish list.
Triangle Chicken Advocates 