Roo attacked by dog; has rather large hole in back

[BrattishTaz]

I would skip the bandages. Just re-apply the Neosporin a couple times a day until you have a solid scab, then once a day will be fine. Wash the wound with Betadine solution or an antibacterial dish soap if that is all you have, every couple of days for a weeks or so. I'm guessing that is going to take about three weeks to close up nicely if it does not get infected. A little extra protein will help too.

Edited to add: I couple of spoons of sugar water or Gatoraid (I use this) should help with the shock and stimulate appetite. Have a scrambled egg ready.

 

[Nuzzy]

Well, he's still alive, though he seems pretty subdued... Got him to eat scrambled eggs one day but hardly touched them the next. He is making through his Gatorade water, so at least he's getting something I suppose. Wounds look like they're healing, but who knows what's going on under the skin. Just wish he'd get some level of activity back.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
I'm glad he is hanging in there. Have you tried adding little surprises to the eggs? You can throw in bits of leftover veggies from dinner. The brighter the color, the more tempting it is for him.

I had one that I had to spoon feed for a while. I just blended veggies, fruits, eggs, meat, etc into enough yogurt and Gatoraid to make it runny. I used whatever I could find that he would eat.

You will know if the wound starts to get infected. You will see yellow or green discharge oozing from it and the smell will be horrible.

If you have a good general antibiotic, it probably wouldn't hurt to give it to him. They usually perk up a bit quicker after an injury.

 

[chkn]

Any tasty sweet bits of fruit and lettuce should be made available. Plenty of hydration (you can use a dropper and drop on top of his beak if he won't drink on his own). Maybe just a bit of plain aspirin for a day or two (crush up about 1/8 and dropper it in him along with some antibiotic). Give him a lot of attention. Even a little canned cat food.

 

[psimons2004]

We had a fox attack and a very similar wound. Neosporin (Not the pain reliever type - that can be toxic), and bag balm. No bandages even. This roo healed up so perfectly! It looked like I sewed it but It is a natural healed scar. Here are the before and after photos... The only extra thing I did was give him scrambled eggs once a day for about a week to provide extra protien to promote faster healing! Good luck! (By teh way - it is a frizzle - so its feathers looked like that anyway, LOL).

 

[Nuzzy]

The good news is the wounds appear to be healing without much nastiness. Unfortunately, he seems to be doing worse overall. He won't stand at all, or really put any weight on anything other than his stomach. He isn't moving around either; I picked him up last night and realized he was sitting in a puddle of urine soaked shavings; he obviously hadn't moved in over a day. Also when I was holding him, I could hear him wheezing w/ labored breathing.

 

[jjthink]

If I had a dog and didn't do what it took to keep my birds safe from that dog, and my bird got injured by that dog, I would pull out ALL the stops to save him or her because he/she did not deserve this. I would owe my bird that much, and more. If at all possible, get this bird vet attention. Something is wrong that he is this subdued. Not that it doesn't take time to heal - it does, but 'urine' soaked shavings - not good. Means he is really really hurting to not move essentially at all. I am concerned that there may be internal injuries. The wheezing/labored breathing is very alarming in this regard. Poor boy

If there are puncture wounds, oral or injectible antibiotic (and not just topical neosporin) may be crucial. Avoid peroxide on wounds. Betadine/water mix for cleansing (1 part betadine to 9 parts water). He needs pain reliever too. If he has internal bleeding aspirin is not the pain reliever to use. If he doesn't, you can crush 1 baby aspirin into one cup drinking water, fresh batch twice daily. If not readily eating/drinking on his own, dunk bits of favorite fruits in the aspirin water and hand feed them to get him started getting the pain reliever in his system.

But the main thing that has me very worried is his breathing. I fear he urgently needs expert medical attention.

JJ

 

[Nuzzy]

Sad update to report. The internal injuries proved too much to overcome; Stormy died sometime yesterday while I was at work. Such is the duality of free ranging birds; they get freedom and wide open spaces, but with that comes inherent risks.

 

[mallory2013]

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that! You did all you could and gave him a chance, he couldn't have asked for more! Rest in peace Stormy

 

[BrattishTaz]

I'm sorry to hear he didn't make it.