Chicken dragging leg behind her after coyote attack Help

[Knelvin]

One of my buff Orpingtons got grabbed by a coyote today. Shot it with a BB gun and the coyote dropped her. Only had her for a few seconds. Only injury is her right leg. She can’t stand on it and drags it behind her. A human doctor looked at her and said he didn’t find any breaks or dislocation, he said her ligaments are very loose on that side so probably a muscle and ligament injury of some kind. I have her in a contained area with bedding, food, and water in the garage where it’s warm. I don’t think she has ate or drank yet. Anything else I can do for her? Thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

She's probably in shock, it could be a sprain. Time will tell.

 

[Aapomp831]

You can give her half of a baby aspirin for pain and inflammation. She should peck it right out of the palm of your hand. In the meantime, keep her somewhere that she can’t move around much so it has a chance to start healing. Make sure that’s she’s eating and drinking; I would make a mash out of her food by mixing it with water to ensure she’s getting hydration. Also offer a little scrambled egg for extra protein to aid in the healing process.

 

[coach723]

You can use a chicken sling for periods of time to help her stay upright and eat and drink easier, and rest the leg. Always supervise, some birds tolerate the sling well, but some will freak out and hurt themselves struggling to get out of it. Examples below. Some times injuries to muscles and ligaments can take a fair amount of time to heal, so be patient. Once the shock has worn off, if she's eating and drinking and pooping normally, then she has a very good chance to eventually recover. I would check her over thoroughly to make sure there are no wounds hiding under feathers. You may see bruising show up, which may look greenish.

 

[Knelvin]

Thank you! I will try the sling for her and see how she does.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try the sling with her feet not touching the ground at first. If she can touch the ground, she may get out of it. This link has more examples of homemade slings:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Knelvin]

Seems to like it. She feel asleep