Injured with Beak problem

[AlaskGirl]

I'm not sure what to do with my 1 yo Jersey Giant/Amer. layer. She has a 1-inch wound to her back from a dog attack yesterday. I've decided not to touch it or do anything so that it might scab. But it doesn't look like she can close her mouth all the way. She drinks a lot of water but I haven't seen her eat. Should I try to hand feed her? She walks well and one eye is swollen closed but she pulled through overnight and I think she may come out of this, granted she can eat. I'll buy elec/vitamins for the water today. HELP!

 

[LeBlackbird]

Wait, Is the wound on her back or face??

 

[AlaskGirl]

The wound is on her back.

 

[CheepSunglasses]

She may be holding her mouth open to breathe more easily. You'll know pretty quickly whether this is the case, or if she is indeed struggling to eat and can't close her mouth. Poor girl. Sorry this happened to both of you.

 

[AlaskGirl]

Thank you, I had a very difficult day yesterday and could only imagine what they went through. I'll get the vitamins this morning and maybe see if I can get close enough to offer some soft food.

 

[MotherJean]

She'll definitely need antibiotics for the wound. Animal bites of any kind are highly infectious. If that is a puncture wound on her back, you don't want it to scab over. It needs to heal from inside/out. If it scabs over, it can create a serious abscess. I'd clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide and apply Triple Antibiotic Ointment to fight any possible infection and to keep the wound from scabbing over.

Did I see on another thread that you lost a number of your birds to an attack? I'm so very sorry

 

[AlaskGirl]

Ugh, thanks for the tip, it's confirmed that she cannot close her beak. That means she's not getting any solids. Is it over for her? I cooked cracked wheat/oatmeal mixed in and encouraged her to eat by offering some at close range but she couldn't. She is obviously hungry. I am practical and I can face it if she is a goner but just need to know now rather than prolong her agony.

 

[kelar]

I'm so sorry to hear about your hen. In the past, I've used povidone iodine to clean bite wounds with good success. You can put some in a syringe and flush the wound daily. It is important to keep the hen from getting dirt and contamination into the wound. Have you been able to determine what is wrong with her mouth? You could try making up a slurry of egg yolk mixed with the vitamin water - this may be liquid enough for her to get down and will provide a lot of vitamins. I've used this when hand-feeding birds. It's a good sign that she seems hungry & makes me think that she could recover if you can get nutrients down her. Good luck with your girl. Karen

 

[AlaskGirl]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice, here's the latest: I syringed enough Hydrogen Peroxide onto the wound to see it whiten and will do that once/twice a day. I removed her from the pen and made a clinic tote indoors. I mixed antibiotic in with vitamin/electrolytes and just enough feed to make the water a slurry. Surprisingly I was able to pick her up easily and I've put at least five syringes of the mix into her so far. She may be trying to breathe through her mouth and maybe it's a nostril break, I can't tell and honestly don't want to know right now. She's alert, interested in the water, and seems to have finished the two cups I put into the tote (it's a big tote). When she gets into the water, she submerges her entire beak. I will give her syringes as long as she faces me and I stop when she starts to turn away. Thanks again for the support, I hate that this happened and that I can't do more than I already am.

 

[kelar]

It sounds like she is doing as well as can be expected. Often, birds die from the shock & stress of injuries rather than the actual injury itself, so the fact that she is alert & wanting to help herself is a really good sign. I've had birds recover from truly horrible injuries with some TLC & it sounds like that is what you're giving her. I'd try to get some nutrients into her as soon as possible - you could even soften her regular feed with the vitamin water and make it into a slurry, but right now, she is staying hydrated which is the most important thing. I'd advise you not to continue using the peroxide on her wound - peroxide is great for flushing out a dirty wound at the start, but it actually destroys new tissue over the long haul, so you want to use something more gentle like the povidone (betadine). It's what all the vets use for flushing out wounds and eventually, the new tissue will start to fill in. Hopefully, you will be able to examine her and determine exactly what is wrong with her mouth. I'll be hoping for the best for your girl - I know how upsetting and frustrating it is. Karen