Chicken got attacked by raccoon, has a hole under her wing

[azygous]

That is a very weak antibiotic, more for respiratory illness.

 

[Backyardchicken1]

That’s all I can get. Does anyone know how much I give to her ? What’s the best way to give to her ? Mix in a little bit water ?

 

[Backyardchicken1]

@Eggcessive @azygous @SmiYa0126 Hello everyone, Could you please give some advice on how to give human doxycycline powder to my hen? It came with 100 mg in a blue capsule. I have to cut the capsule to be able to give less than 100mg. It’s yellow powder inside the capsule. Also does doxycycline come with different strength? I read that it can irritate the throat. I’m not sure how to give to her and how much. My hen doesn’t drink that much. But she is still eating a little. She was having a hard time when I try to use a syringe-like thing to squirt liquid. I thought she was chocking and gonna die. She was having a hard time to make a sound and breathing weird. But she recovered. I’m not sure if I did it too fast or it irritated her throat or both. She was doing very bad last 2-3 days, but today she seems a little bit better. She made normal chicken sound this morning. She talked a little more and also was able to use her left foot a little bit to stand up for a few seconds and she hopped a little as well. That is the side she was not injured but she had curled toes and wasn’t able to use for a while. It seems like there is still a hope she could survive. The medicine may help while waiting her to be seen by a vet on Thursday. But I need to know how to give to her properly and how much dosage. Thank you so much for your help !

 

[azygous]

When giving fluids, it's important to insert the delivery device, whether a tube or oral syringe, into the right side of the beak, then into the esophagus that is located on the right side of the throat, avoiding the airway in the center of the throat behind the tongue.

You can administer the doxycycline in water or directly by giving approximately 100mg for an average size chicken directly into the beak.

 

[Backyardchicken1]

@azygous Thanks for the photo and instructions. That looks tricky because she moves. So I tried to do it quickly but it seems like it was wrong. How much water do I mix that with? What if some liquid accidentally got into the airway? I watched some more videos. The other video I watched before I gave her liquid didn’t mention this… So I wasn’t aware of that. One video said give it slowly at the edge of the beck, they will swallow. I’m not sure if do it that way could limit the risk of it getting into the airway. One said could be soaking the liquid medicine then let the chicken swallow the food. They also mentioned your way which is putting further inside but it seems like need more experience to do that so that it won’t damage the esophagus. It mentioned liquid medicine is most tricky to give. What would you recommend to do as a beginner? Does vet administer medicine during the visit? A side question is where to get the skinny long syringe like yours ? I looked for that kind but didn’t find it. I don’t think what I have now could do the method you mentioned. It’s too thick. I am trying to do everything I can to help her within my ability. I only have 3 pills and there is no way I can get any more antibiotics. So I want to make sure I could do properly to let the medicine work for her. Thank you so much!

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

@azygous Thanks for the photo and instructions. That looks tricky because she moves. So I tried to do it quickly but it seems like it was wrong. How much water do I mix that with? What if some liquid accidentally got into the airway? I watched some more videos. The other video I watched before I gave her liquid didn’t mention this… So I wasn’t aware of that. One video said give it slowly at the edge of the beck, they will swallow. I’m not sure if do it that way could limit the risk of it getting into the airway. One said could be soaking the liquid medicine then let the chicken swallow the food. They also mentioned your way which is putting further inside but it seems like need more experience to do that so that it won’t damage the esophagus. It mentioned liquid medicine is most tricky to give. What would you recommend to do as a beginner? Does vet administer medicine during the visit? A side question is where to get the skinny long syringe like yours ? I looked for that kind but didn’t find it. I don’t think what I have now could do the method you mentioned. It’s too thick. I am trying to do everything I can to help her within my ability. I only have 3 pills and there is no way I can get any more antibiotics. So I want to make sure I could do properly to let the medicine work for her. Thank you so much!

Can the powder be mixed with coconut oil, balled up then frozen to make it easier? (@azygous or other experts should verify this to make sure this is ok)

 

[SmiYa0126]

Yes, you can do that! I have also soaked a piece of bread and shoved it into her beak.

 

[azygous]

But why go to all that trouble when all you need to do is pry open her beak and shove the doxy capsule in? One and done.

 

[azygous]

When a chicken receives fluids, the airway shuts so the liquid or food flows down the esophagus. By dribbling fluid on the right side of the beak, the chicken sucks it in (yes chickens can slurp like we do) and the airway closes automatically so they don't inhale the fluid.

Chickens have a much safer throat design than we humans have as ours shares the airway and esophagus and sometimes we choke or inhale a piece of meat and we can die unless someone performs the Heimlich on us. Chickens have the esophagus and airway in separate locations.

But dribbling fluids on the beak of any other than tiny chicks is an inefficient way of getting fluids into a chicken. Tubing is much easier and quicker. Once you have the tubing (nine inches is all that's necessary) and a syringe with adequate capacity, it's even easier than trying to do it with only a small syringe. Just insert the tube where you see the syringe inserted in that photo. Wrapping a chicken tightly in a towel to confine wings and feet, the chicken is under control and it's very easy to pry open the beak and go from there.

If all you have are three capsules, it probably would be better not to give any of it. To begin an antibiotic and not follow through with the entire dosage duration is to key the bacteria to put up resistance from the tiny bit it's exposed to, and then it presents a danger to have that bacteria develop resistance to future exposures to it. This is one of the legitimate arguments vets and doctors have against us lay people doing our own medicating. Our ignorance can cause long term antibiotic resistance that can eventually extend to the entire population of humans and animals that bacteria targets.

I get my narrow oral syringes from my Walmart pharmacy just by asking for a free one. I had one associate actually recoil from handing them out free and charge me 50 cents, though. Independent pharmacies are usually much more generous at handing out free oral syringes of all sizes. Dealing with independent businesses has always been a much more friendly experience than corporate ones.

 

[Backyardchicken1]

@azygous @Eggcessive @SmiYa0126 Hi friends, my hen’s scab fell off today. This is how it looks like now. I used saline solution to clean it and put a layer of neosporin. Does this wound look improved to you? Do you think she has a chance to fully heal? I just keep using saline solution and Neosporin? Thank you so much for your help!