6 week-old Silkie (and me) attacked by a hawk yesterday

[Debbie292d]

Which antibiotic would you recommend for oral use in this situation? Thank you!

Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that should work well.

Dosage is 57 mg per pound of weight every 12 hours for 7-10 days.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that should work well.

Dosage is 57 mg per pound of weight every 12 hours for 7-10 days.

Thank you.
She's off to the vet right now.
I'll update as is warranted...

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you.
She's off to the vet right now.
I'll update as is warranted...

Oh good! Please let us know!

 

[Swbertrand1]

Update: We're at just under 48 hours since the attack.

Lil Bit was seen today by a local veterinarian outfit that regularly sees "exotics"; they treat parrots, lizards, chickens, dogs/cats, etc. Their assessment was that the neurological impairments that we're seeing may or may not change, which we knew already.

They initially recommended putting her down, but also offered antibiotics, pain meds, and a special food to give her as a wait-and-see alternative because there is the chance she could recover. Heck, my husband suffered a traumatic head injury that left him in a similar state 20 years ago, and he made a full recovery. So, that's where we are.

That she survived the attack and the trauma of being tackled by a bird of prey that outweighed her 25:1 (or more) is extraordinary on its own. We also love her immensely, so we'll give her that chance and do everything we can to keep her comfortable while we wait for her return.

For those interested, the following are the products sent home from the vet. In order are her therapeutic food, her antibiotic, and her anti-inflammatory/pain medication:

 

[Swbertrand1]

72-hr update:

Lil Bit has begun to show more and better signs of improvement.

She's able to balance and right herself if she rolls over - she was not able to do that yesterday morning (at the 40-hr mark since her attack). She's able to sit and balance on her own (sitting) but still cannot stand. She cheeps and chirrs at us, clearly aware that we're here. My husband was able to get her to open her eyes for extended periods of time today, and we just caught her doing a little preening under her wings a few minutes ago.

She's taking her medication and food under duress, but they seem to be helping. We've thought from the outset that the swelling under her L eye was the cause of much of her disorientation, but only time will tell. She's got a L-O-N-G way to go, and we take any gain as a good sign but have no illusions that her chances of a full recovery are pretty slim.

We'll try to post some videos to YouTube of her in the coming 24 to 36 hours to show her progress.

 

[alinas2010]

Stopping by to offer thoughts and prayers for Lil Bit. She sounds like a special little bird. What a traumatic ordeal you all have been through. I hope she continues to improve.

When I watched your video, to me it looks like the attack has given her wry neck. Did the vet say anything about that by chance?

 

[Swbertrand1]

Stopping by to offer thoughts and prayers for Lil Bit. She sounds like a special little bird. What a traumatic ordeal you all have been through. I hope she continues to improve.

When I watched your video, to me it looks like the attack has given her wry neck. Did the vet say anything about that by chance?

Thank you!
There's no wry neck. With all the Silkies we've had, we're pretty well-versed in that condition.

 

[TillyPeeps]

Make sure to give her some probiotics with the antibiotics. I had a Marans attacked by a fox with serious injuries and survived. I think your little girl will make it.

 

[alinas2010]

Thank you!
There's no wry neck. With all the Silkies we've had, we're pretty well-versed in that condition.

Oh good! Whew, one less thing to worry about. I hope she pulls through okay.