As I was cleaning WaiWai this morning I broke through a ayer of fat and I found maggots growing under the last flap of skin from the deepest wound. This area just refuses to let go of that hard fatty dead scab. And the flies found a way in.
Lovely Saturday discussion isn’t it!
I have been working on and off all morning removing some of the dead stuff and all of the maggots. They are burrowing straight into the good skin and spreading. Maggots will eat rotton skin but when they run out they just keep on going into the good stuff. It must be very painful for him. No wonder he was grumpy.
He is fighting me like a frightened dog, growling and running away and jamming his side into the wall and snapping at my hands. He has not bit me yet but he wants to. So I am taking it slow. Picking every single wriggly out and pouring iodine into each hole. Then dried with a blow drier and on with his creams. He hates me today. 
It is a long process but I cannot give in this time – he has to be fully cleaned up now, all the dead fatty tissue has to be cleaned off. The flies are terrible.
Poor bastard.
Love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
64 responses to “A Set Back”
stalwart you are; will say assistance prayers
I had to deal with maggots on a ram many years ago, and I didn’t realize at first that they would migrate to healthy skin. It was awful. From the wound in his side they traveled up around his neck and invaded his brisket area. Yuck. It was a nightmare. I am sure you have them on the run! Good luck. Hopefully this is the last major setback you will have with Wai.
Wow. That’s disheartening, but yes, definitely need to keep at it!
I think I might bury my head in the hay too if I came across this affliction in one of my animals….take a deep breath, gird my loins as they say and get to work. Maggots are one of my “can’t stand and i might go screaming into the night” creatures as well. Good luck. Hugs for both you and Wai.
p.s. please NO maggot postcards!
My heart goes out to both of you. It hurts just to think of what you are both going through.
you and Wai are brave soldiers.
It’s truly wonderful how the mind can allow us to deal with the truly gross because care and love are stronger impulses.
You and Wai are inspirational. I’m sure the fellowship ‘hive’ mind is now firmly focused on Wai’s recovery again. Maybe we all started to relax too soon.
Is it at all possible to contain him in an fly and or insect proof area? Some sort of oversized cloche, or does the farm have an old carcass hanging safe area that could be modified until the cold comes? (Just me trying to think of ways to help….)
Poor Wai and poor you. I’ve seen a few stray dogs lately being tended by rescues with maggot infested wounds. They were usually cleaned up in surgery which also dealt with the original wound. I’ve heard of flowers of sulphur (powdered sulphur) being used but that would hurt as well, but not as much as iodine. A spray bottle with a 5% saline solution (you can make that at home there are instructions on the net), might help. I’ve got my spouse who just had a lens implant surgery and 3 kinds of eye drops 4 times a day with a clear plastic shield and nothing else near the eye (it looks very gross, my mother had the same surgery about 20 years ago and it wasn’t so nasty looking). Keep up the good work.
Found these on the net, maybe they’ll be of some help.
http://woundcaresociety.org/how-to-clean-maggots-from-a-wound
http://www.thepigsite.com/pighealth/article/433/flies/
I’m reading this late this aft. after work. It so hard to click “like” but do it to be counted. There are so many good ideas here in the fellowship for you to try & you are the most wonderful, caring, loving, efficient nurse to the animals ever. You look them in their eyes & you see each other. I agree with the comment that Wai hates the pain, not you. I know he loves you so dearly in his grumpy wee piggy way. My best thoughts to you & Wai this evening.
If there was a medal like the VC for animal lovers and rescuers like you you would have had it awarded with bars on… there must be so many blessings and loving thoughts flying your way XXXX
Fingers crossed. Hopefully vet care has progressed enough that maggots do not have to be considered good for wound care in any way. Reminds me of old stories of leeches being used. As much as it hurts, hooray for iodine. Poor Wai. You are are a saint, Celi.
I love the knowledge bank of Fellowship comments ♡
Oh geez, makes you want to bolt for the shower and a complete change of clothes! At least that’s the way I felt when I found a maggoty fly strike on one of my chicken’s butts. I trussed her up in the leg cut from a pair of panty hose, picked out as many of the little wiggly bastards as I could and flushed it with a dilution of povodone iodine and water (looks like weak tea) in a squirt bottle like you’d find ketchup in at a cafe, that made it easy to direct the stream. Also covered the area in Swat. The wiggly bastards DO NOT like iodine, it worked wonders. I did this twice daily for a few days, then once daily until nice new tissue had grown in. Also took a lot of showers and changed clothes a lot.
If at once you don’t succeed, try, try again! There is a reason for all these sayings ’cause what else can you do. Bestest wishes . . . .
Oh so heartbreaking!! The way you are helping him is amazing!!!! Hope the healing is going to continue!