Bad head wound with graphic pics

This is the email I have just sent to my vet (who has chickens). I rang the clinic to confirm receipt, but he is away for the week

Please help in any way you can.

Dear Dr Roberts,

Last night, around 8pm, I found one of my 10 week old Araucanas crumpled in the bottom of a bucket. It looks like her head was badly attacked. I have attached photos.

I took her home, cleaned her up as best as I could using just warm water (I know how much savlon stings!)The wounds seem limited to her head. There are some minor wounds around the comb and one puncture wond on the back of her neck (perhaps from pulling a new feather out?). The main worries are the 20p-sized bit of skin missing from her head, where you can see the skull and her eyes. I wiped her eyes and opened the lids to check them. The eyeballs seem intact and she was blinking with her nictitating membrane. However, this morning, one of them seemed to have seeped some blood and fluids. I have also attached a photo of this. Her eyes respond to light, as she flinched when I used the flash of my phone.

I trimmed as many feathers as I could, as they were so caked in blood. I couldn't do any more, as the feathers are 'new shoots'.

I sprayed the wound with Gentian Violet.

She is in a lot of pain, but I haven't tried to give her aspirin as I'd like the wounds to clot properly. Is there anything else I can do? Is there anything you can do? I can bring her in on short notice, however I'm on foot, so about 30 minutes away.

I don't know how I'll get her to eat and drink if she won't open her eyes. Her nostrils are also full of blood. I tried my best to clean them out, but I didn't want to drown her. She can just breathe through them.

Last night, she couldn't hold her head up, this morning she can.

The four pics attached are one of before I started cleaning her up, two of after and one of this morning with the weeping eye.

I've mentioned everything I can think of. I'm just hoping it wasn't my young cockerel who did this. I'll be going later to see if there are any blood trails that might give a clue as to what happened.

Kind regards,
Dani

The four photos I attached:









ANY help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Update: Just tried getting some fluids in her with a small syringe. I put a glass of water on the radiator for a bit and added some baby vitamins (no iron). I don't know if she got much, but the kitchen towel sure was wet. Just that little effort seemed to exhaust her as her head was drooping again.

Considering how dried the blood was when I found her, I guess she hasn't had any fluids in a while and lost quite a bit of blood.

Another detail: she stinks. Both her and the poo she did (which was white and powdery, like a lump of moist chalk).

Thanks for all the help, guys.

I'm not too worried about the wound on the back of her head. It has already shrunk to a third of its original size. At this rate, it'll be gone by morning! I'm more worried about her eyes and the bloody weeping. (bloody as in contains blood, rather than swearing).

I got her to take a couple more gulps of vitamin water with the syringe.

Thanks for the links, Laree, they're great. I did do a search on the forum last night, but couldn't find any as bad as this. Does it look like she got caught on something or was chicken dinner, do you think? I did see a rat running out of the stable as we approached it... I'm waiting for my ride there, so I can inspect the premises.

I've just rigged a 'nest' up for her using a heated blanket and a towel.



She's squatting in it and not twitching her head anymore, which I take is a good sign.

I'll try to get hold of some Neosporin (if it's sold over here). We used to use Betadine, in France, on everything. It was like a miracle liquid.

Sonew, how did you feed your girl?

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.