BAD dog bite wounds

[aurajean515]

Hey guys, need a lot of help here!
This is actually about one of my turkeys but no one ever replies in the turkey section so hopefully someone here can help me. One of my turkeys was out past dark and got chased into the woulda by my dog. He does not like the turkeys and ended up attacking her. When I found her I was sure she was dead but surprisingly she wasnt, and she wasnt bleeding much. I thought her legs and wings might be broken because she wouldnt move, a couple minutes later she stood up and she flaps fine.
I wish I had pictures but I'm work right now, this happened very late last night so I just cleaned her up and gave her a comfortable and safe place to rest, hoping she'd make it until tonight when I can help her more. She is missing the outer layer of skin on her neck, I can see all her muscle. Its extremely disturbing and I feel so bad for her. I know chickens are exteemely resilient and can heal under good conditions, but are turkeys the same? I will get pictures tonight hopefully but it's real bad. Some of the skin is unattached to the muscle and just dangling. Should i remove it? Thanks for any help anyone can give me

 

[azygous]

First of all, getting your turkey on an oral antibiotic is probably a good idea since a dog bite has tons of bacteria in it. It won't take long for a turkey to be overwhelmed by a bacterial infection.

Cleaning the wound daily with saline or soap and water is crucial. Keeping the wound moist with antibacterial ointment is also crucial.

The wound will heal much more quickly if you leave any dangling tissue attached and lay it across the raw wound, "gluing" it in place with the ointment. It will act as a skin graft and cause new tissue to grow in much faster.

Also Vetericyn sprayed onto the wound after each cleansing and before the ointment is applied will assist in new tissue growth.

 

[Eggcessive]

Pictures can be helpful to assist you. Sorry about your turkey’s situation. Getting a spray bottle and mixing up some Hibiclens (chlorhexidene) and water, and using it twice a day followed by applying plain Neosporin, Polysporin, or Triple Antibiotic Ointment would be helpful. Vatericyn Wound Spray from a feed store would be a good sustitute for the Hibiclens. I do not know much about turkeys, but chickens can recover from some bad wounds. It mostly depends if there are internal injuries.

 

[annaBsChick]

YOu need to take them to see a vet ASAP. Dogs carry bacteria in their mouth which is deadly to chickens. No matter how bad the wound is, the bacteria will cause her to get sepsis and die without appropriate antibiotics. Here is a case story about a hen who had a dog bite wound - http://www.poultrydvm.com/cases/goldie

 

[aurajean515]

First of all, getting your turkey on an oral antibiotic is probably a good idea since a dog bite has tons of bacteria in it. It won't take long for a turkey to be overwhelmed by a bacterial infection.

Cleaning the wound daily with saline or soap and water is crucial. Keeping the wound moist with antibacterial ointment is also crucial.

The wound will heal much more quickly if you leave any dangling tissue attached and lay it across the raw wound, "gluing" it in place with the ointment. It will act as a skin graft and cause new tissue to grow in much faster.

Also Vetericyn sprayed onto the wound after each cleansing and before the ointment is applied will assist in new tissue growth.

Can I get any of this stuff from a store or pharmacy or does it have to be prescribed by a vet? Thank you so much for all your help

 

[aurajean515]

Pictures can be helpful to assist you. Sorry about your turkey’s situation. Getting a spray bottle and mixing up some Hibiclens (chlorhexidene) and water, and using it twice a day followed by applying plain Neosporin, Polysporin, or Triple Antibiotic Ointment would be helpful. Vatericyn Wound Spray from a feed store would be a good sustitute for the Hibiclens. I do not know much about turkeys, but chickens can recover from some bad wounds. It mostly depends if there are internal injuries.

I'm pretty confident there are no internal injuries, thank you so much for the help!

 

[Eggcessive]

If you have a Walmart or pharmacy nearby they sell Hibiclens in the first aid aisle. Betadine (Equate First Aid Antiseptic) is also available as well as Triple Antibiotic Ointment. Most feed stores sell Vetericyn, Theracyn, or similar wound sprays, but they cost much more. Most hospitals use chlorhexidene or Hibiclens.

 

[azygous]

You can order oral antibiotics here. https://pet-healthcare.revivalanimal.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=fish antibiotics unless you live in Canada or California, then you are at the mercy of a vet for antibiotics.

 

[glassdragonfly]

 

[blackandtan]

Sorry for your hen! Is the skin separated all the way around her neck? I know it’s been said but Pics please! Turks are tough and can overcome a lot, my favourite hen got a breeding injury in her breast once, her skin tear was about 4” long and over an inch wide, and you could put your whole thumb in the tear in her muscle. I washed it, put polysporin on the edges and sprayed it with bluekote (repeatedly), after a few weeks it was like it never happened.