Chicken attacked and missing skin

[ChickenLady_27]

Hi there, my chicken was attacked yesterday by a stray dog and the back of her neck was very badly injured. Behind her neck on the middle and right side the skin is completely gone and on the right side I can see all the way through to where I believe it is the other side of her throat/breathing passage. When she inhales I can see it move and she is only breathing through her mouth. The back of her neck is missing all the skin and you can see the muscle and etc. I tried to support her neck with a makeshift neck brace made out of a 1/4 of a toilet paper roll lined with padding. I cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide and put triple antibiotic on it. I wrapped it with sterilized gauze that is secured underneath the neck brace and she is having trouble keeping her head up, but the brace does help. I gave her a tiny amount of amoxycillin mixed with feeding formula for baby birds that has DHA and omega-3. Im feeding her with a syringe that I carefully put in her mouth. I’m not sure if she’ll heal properly but there isn’t anything to suture up due to how much is missing. If anyone has any additional help on a mixture of immune boosting formula or help with making it heal quicker it would be greatly appreciated! I will take pictures once I change the bandages again, I don’t want to move her around too much. Also, her neck is not broken as far as I can tell because she can hold her head up but gets exhausted and lays it in front of her body. Thank you for your help!!!

 

[ChicNmom]

I'm trying to visualize the wound from your description. Does she have a hole in her neck that you can see into?

I'm sure she is very sore and tired. I would keep trying get her to eat and drink. You can give her a little baby aspirin for pain. unless she is bleeding a lot. Possibly mixed in water and droppered into her beak.

There are various dose options on the forum.

Do a search on aspirin dose and see if any seem right for the size of your hen.

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

Can you post pictures? It would help.

 

[that_crazy_lady]

Honestly I’d probably give her chicken bone broth. I’m sure that sounds bad to some people, but it’s what I’d do. It’s easy on the body, and full of good stuff.
I personally wouldn’t do any more internal anabiotic’s.

In the past I’ve used NuStock to heal a large head wound on a chicken... this sounds worse, but that is still probably what I would used. There is also a product called underwoods. I haven’t used it on birds, but I’ve seen the stuff it has been used to treat, it’s pretty impressive.

if you are into natural stuff - arnica for pain. I’d probably just do one 30c pellet into every table spoon of water. It’s for pain and inflammation. There is another homeopathic called merc sol, one of the things it is used for is infection with puss pockets. I have used these on livestock.

I hope she heals up well.

 

[benevolent_leonela]

I had a goose who was attacked by a dog. Her wounds were very similar to what you describe and she was missing big patches of skin in vital areas of her neck/throat, muscles and esophagus were visible... It was awful.

I hate to say it but your feathered friend may not recover well from this attack and the possibility of having to put her out of her pain may be the only solution. Wouldn't hurt to try and heal her, if it isn't TOO severe. But at some point we must decide quickly on their quality of life and end suffering. I felt so bad for my goose Lola. Her and my gander were very much enamored with each other and it sucked having to make that decision so swiftly): good luck and I truly wish you the best!! So terrible to see our animals in that state.

 

[ChickenLady_27]

This is what her wound looks like day 2, she seems like she is not doing better and I am worried we may have to put her down. I don’t want to do this but I don’t want her in pain and she seems like it.

 

[ChickenLady_27]

This is what her wound looks like day 2, she seems like she is not doing better and I am worried we may have to put her down. I don’t want to do this but I don’t want her in pain and she seems like it. She has enough energy to stand every now and then but it seems weak and she doesn't open her eyes. Her tongue sometimes sticks out of the side of her beak as well

 

[ChickenLady_27]

This is how she looks each time she takes a breath, and then she rests her head back down and keeps her eyes closed.

 

[ChickenLady_27]

Also every few hours she chirps/yells very loudly and it dosent sound like any chicken noise I have ever heard. She is in pain, I’m just not sure how to make it stop

 

[that_crazy_lady]

I’m so sorry, but I don’t think she can be saved. That is extensive. And she seems to be barely holding on.