Black Australorp attacked by our dog....would love input

tree13ag

In the Brooder
11 Years
Dec 4, 2008
50
0
29
DAY 5

Big wasn't doing so hot yest, I really wouldn't have been suprised to have woken up to her having passed. She was lathargic, napping most of the day and her comb & waddle had started to pale. She's been drinking, but I don't think eating. She won't put ANY weight on the leg now & will let it splay behind her if I don't resituate it properly.
Got poultry nutri-drench at TSC (thought the electrolytes would help) and gave her the emergency dose and added it to water. I've gone from hourly wound flush to twice a day with the grapefruit seed extract mix & wound is almost closed.
MAJOR bruising around the leg and belly. I still don't feel any breaks in leg

This morning I awake to a perky hen (still hurt, but obviously in better spirits). When took her out of the cage for her "butt-bath" LOL, I found an egg!!!!
Could she have been stressing so bad yest because she needed to lay?

Removed the towels & gave her pine shavings to sit in...that should be a little more comfy.

I still wish I knew if her leg was ok or not....she CAN move her toes and perch on my arm momentarily w/help before she looses balance.

Any thoughts?

Day 1 pt 2
>
> We've been checking her on the hour & flushing wound with grapefruit seed extract/water mix. Since it's a deep puncture wound, I'm not going to suture at this time. I've also been giving the extract orally, since it's a natural antibiotic/fungiside.
>
> This happened around 7-730 this morning & she's doing pretty good. She even put a little weight on her leg when I put her back in the crate after I cleaned her wound the last two times. Since she was willing to put a little weight on it, I felt the leg for break...didn't feel anything...I think prob just very sore from the torn muscle tissue.
>
> Keep praying!
>
>
> > >
> > >
> > > DAY 1
> > > Date: Thursday, September 16, 2010, 8:49 AM
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Some of you may remember my black australorp, Big, from my posts last year
> > > after she was scalped by the cockerels......
> > > She got attacked by the dog this morning & is now confined to see if she
> > > makes it through the day.
> > >
> > > She's a fighter & turned out to be the BIDDY Big of our flock....very
> > > persistent little bugger...has even taught the younger ones to tap on window
> > > if we haven't come out by 8am to feed/water...she's a hoot
> > >
> > > Please pray that she makes it. I think her leg might be broken & she has a
> > > deep puncture wound on her thigh. This has been a traumatic year for our
> > > flock & dog...we're trying to be VERY careful at keeping them separated.
> > >
> > > A friend had helped son with morning duties yest & accidentally opened gate
> > > and while dog was out...she got hold of a pullet, luckily was caught before
> > > damage occured
> > > Chickens weren't allowed out of pen yest, so we think Big snuck out last
> > > night when daughter fed/watered....which means she was out this morning when
> > > dog was let out.....apparently they were at it for several minutes before
> > > anyone noticed....drama!
> > >
> > > Again,prayers are appreciated...we're just keeping her quiet for now to get
> > > out of the "shock" woods
 





The wound healing after Flush-water/grapefruit seed extract


This is how her leg lies unless I pull it under her...we got a little movement on day 2, nothing really since. She can curl her toes around my arm as I hold her


LOTS of bruising!?!
 
fl.gif


I hope she makes it, she sounds like she is doing well. I don't know what to add, but I just wanted to say you are a good chicken parent!

hugs.gif
 
thanks tamelroy!
i try, but this has been a tough couple years. i feel like, you name it, we've dealt with it....fowl pox, heat stroke, unknown cause of death, splay leg (twice), tumor, dog attacks, one close call with a hawk....

she really is a good chicken & i'm trying to do everything i can for her
 
Racing to work so I couldn't read all but sounds like pain meds may help her. One crushed baby aspirin (81 mg) per cup of her drinking water.
Pain relief can help greatly with the will and ability to get better.
JJ
 
JJthink-
thank you for checking my post & offering your suggestion

I did give her asprin the day she was looking so bad, but once i started the electrolytes, i wasn't sure about mixing the two...i'll start adding asprin mix again today

fyi....make sure you are aware of asprin dosage recommendations:
Dissolve 5 (5grain) asprin tablets=25grains in one gallon of water
Offer this solution for duration of fever/listlessness.

What that means...dosage rate 25mg/lb body weight per day...so I gave 1 quartered regular bayer....baby asprin has added flovoring, dyes, etc that may cause contradictions in poultry...should give plain asprin ONLY(no coatings)...in 1 gallon of water & filled her resevoir throughout the day with this solution

see also:
AVIAN DRUGS & DOSAGES

DRUG NAME:
Aspirin

SPECIES:
Most

FORM/ROUTE:
Tablets (5 grain) / Water (note this is not 5 tablets it is 5 grain)

DOSAGE/INTERVAL/DURATION:
1 tablet in 250 ml drinking water / Only water source / Or 1 baby aspirin (81 mg)/454 gm body wt up to tid

NOTES & REFERENCES:
Indicated for pain / Harrison and Harrison, 1986 / Both dosages also indicated for feather picking / Johnson-Delaney, 1992

Aspirin Treatment used for stress and fever

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_aspirin.html
 
I have used the baby aspirins for them without ill effect but you can certainly use the regular aspirins with the greater amount of water. Fresh batch at least once daily.

1 baby aspirin (81 mg) crushed per cup of water
is about the same ratio as
five 325 mg regular aspirins crushed per gallon of water (likewise, two and a half 325mg aspirins per half gallon...)

JJ (aka jjthink)
 
still hanging in there. her wound & bruising are healing well, but she still is not walking. she started scooting around a little, but that's all for now. i'm watching her weight right now, she seems to be dropping a lot. i know she's eating & drinking (still spiked with electrolytes & asprin), but i can't seem to get her weight back up
i'll post pics if i get a chance
 
Last edited:
We reintroduced Big to her flock FULL TIME yesterday.
She's doing really well, she started putting weight on her foot & then walking....we're on week 2.5 of that...she still limps, but gets around very well. At first, we let the other girls into the yard & then let Big out of "sickbay" into the run all day by herself. Then, we started letting her out in the yard supervised with the other girls. Finally, we left her unsupervised for day & put in "sickbay" at night. Last night was her first night back with the girls full time and everything is going well.

She's still gimpy, but I think she'll recover nicely. I'm also still supplimenting her diet with eggs and oatmeal, trying to get her weight back up.

Thank you for all the encouragement and advice!
Blessings,Andrea
 

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