Dog attack, with picture

[hodor]

Hello,

Long story, on short father in law came over while I was at work with his dog which has attacked our barred rock.

The chicken is now safe in the coop/small run, mainly hiding in the corner. She did walk around a when I came in there and didn't seem obviously distressed/unwell.

Given the injury I'm wondering what the best and kindest thing to do is. The wound is clean with nil active bleeding.
- put her down
- see how she does and if distressed put her down
- other ideas?
An expensive trip to the vet isn't an option.

 

[Helen_Jayne]

If she doesn't die, here's a great idea. You would need to act fast to get the stuff. In the meantime sterilise the area regularly, keep it clean. I use organic tea tree oil and lavender for wounds but over the counter stuff would do.

Check this womans blog, the holistic hen, she goes into more detail and has loads of excellent treatment ideas.

 

[Helen_Jayne]

Also take the bird out and keep her separate, she is only acting fine because that's what they do to stop predators picking them out. Keep her quiet, clean the wound and follow the video if you can get hold of the stuff. If you can't do that it will probably be a case of putting her down because dog bites always need antibiotics, they always get infected.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello,

Long story, on short father in law came over while I was at work with his dog which has attacked our barred rock.

The chicken is now safe in the coop/small run, mainly hiding in the corner. She did walk around a when I came in there and didn't seem obviously distressed/unwell.

Given the injury I'm wondering what the best and kindest thing to do is. The wound is clean with nil active bleeding.
- put her down
- see how she does and if distressed put her down
- other ideas?
An expensive trip to the vet isn't an option.

View attachment 1945879

How is she doing?
How deep is that wound that I have circled below?
General wound care is to flush the wound well with saline, Hibiclens or Betadine. Trim feathers away from the wound. Apply triple antibiotic ointment.

Are they wounds all on her back or have you looked to see if she has any puncture wounds hidden?
Chickens are fairly resilient and can heal well, barring infection. Since it look like one place is deep (take more photos when you clean and trim up the feathers please). I would also administer antibiotics.
Depending on where you live you may be able to find Fish Mox (Amoxicillin) at your Tractor Supply. Procaine Penicillin G can usually also be found in the refrigerated section.

Keep her warm and encourage her to drink. Hydration first, then see if she will eat.

 

[Helen_Jayne]

Antibiotics are what you need. Here in the UK you can't get anything without a visit to the vet but as Wyorp says you should be able to get this stuff from a local supplies business. It's definitely worth buying a first aid kit because you're bound to need it in future.

 

[hodor]

Thanks for the replies.

Wyorp Rock the wound there was ~3cm deep, if I could take a photo of the whole wound it was about twice the size of the photo as it came across the other side of her rump/backside. I believe the kidney lies beneath that area? I couldn't see any tissue damage other than fatty tissue and muscle.

I cleaned the wound and kept her safe and calm. The wound is healing OK and it doesn't appear infected. Antibiotics require a VET in Australia too so I didn't use them.

She is eating, drinking and has been laying good eggs as normal. Eyes look bright and focused and comb a nice red

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for the replies.

Wyorp Rock the wound there was ~3cm deep, if I could take a photo of the whole wound it was about twice the size of the photo as it came across the other side of her rump/backside. I believe the kidney lies beneath that area? I couldn't see any tissue damage other than fatty tissue and muscle.

I cleaned the wound and kept her safe and calm. The wound is healing OK and it doesn't appear infected. Antibiotics require a VET in Australia too so I didn't use them.

She is eating, drinking and has been laying good eggs as normal. Eyes look bright and focused and comb a nice red

Sounds like she is doing well with your care!
Thank you for the update