Chicken limping after dog incident

[HamletAndEggs]

Hi there,
Yesterday was traumatic. Though I have a very, very secure coop and run one of my dogs pushed through the closed-but-not-latched coop door, killed one of my chickens and injured two others. Totally my mistake (newbie), and now I've learned the hard way.
Here's my question #1: My Welsummer is eating/drinking/snaking on treats from my hand and even roosting (I was so shaken up last night that I didn't think to crate her to prevent that) but she's had a limp since the incident and walking appears somewhat painful. She has kept herself pretty inactive in the run today. I lifted her down off the roost early this morning to prevent further injury. I did a basic exam of her affected leg and there's not an obvious displaced break (I'm new to chickens, but I am and RN and I watched several vet videos about examining for a leg break). She doesn't seem to mind me palpating it, it doesn't appear painful with gentle range of motion, and her foot is not swollen. She was very calm when I held and assessed her. It's weight-bearing that bothers her (maybe a hip injury?). I didn't witness what happened to her (dog went out the coop's chicken door so I missed about 15 seconds). Other than keeping her confined for a bit (let me know how long?) and crating her with food and water to keep her off the roost... should I be doing anything else? I'm sure I could learn how to splint her leg, but I wouldn't know whether to splint lower leg, upper leg, or immobilize the hip joint some other way.
Here's my question #2: None of the others appear to have any serious/obvious injury, but my Marans did have the majority of her long tail feathers pulled out in the frenzy. She seems OK (active, no change in behavior), but I can't easily catch her during the day to take a peek at the site. Of my 10 girls she's the most shy and is the only one that won't eat out of my hand. I didn't see any tissue on the feathers (that I tearfully raked up... it was an awful experience) but should I catch her tonight to check it out? Might the site require some sort of antiseptic solution?
As always,I am grateful to this community and to all of the folks who have read and answered my questions. This is a rough one (couldn't find a "feeling guilty" emoji). Thanks.

 

[azygous]

Your account has reawakened the nightmare memory of a dog attack on my flock last winter. I ran outside barefoot when I heard the ruckus, saw one rooster with the two dogs and the other rooster running to join the fracas. By the time I got some shoes on and ran back out, the dogs were gone, but so were both roosters. I feared they had been killed and carried off.

Almost the entire flock had been out free ranging, but miraculously, no hens were killed. One tiny hen, though, had a bad limp. I did what you have done, checked her over thoroughly for injuries to her legs, but she seemed fine. Then I inspected her feet more closely and found a bruise on the webbing between two toes.

Bruises on chicken legs and feet are a very subtle green. My little hen had a very painful stubbed toe from flying against the run window trying to get away from the dogs. She refused to stand on that foot for a week, holding it up against her belly. I started her on baby aspirin twice a day for her pain and also to treat the inflamed tissue of her foot. This helped her pain a lot, and she began walking again, and it was pretty much healed in a week.

The roosters, I had feared were dead came back the next morning, both with horrible frostbite on their combs from being out all night. It had gotten down to 13F. They are both heroes, having decoyed the dogs away from the hens and leading them away from the run. They're keepers.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

For the leg injury, if she's self limiting activity, I would be inclined to leave her be during the day. If she's roosting, then that's up to you if you want to continue to let her, but I would be sure to take her down each morning. If it's easier for you to crate her at night, then a large dog kennel works well.

For the Marans, check her out after she goes to roost, she won't be able to see. Take her off the roost and inspect her. If the skin is not torn, then I would leave it. If it is, then Vetericyn can be sprayed on or if you have it a dab of Blu Kote.

Just in case, you inspect the Welsummer again and find a break - vet care is best, but a lot of people treat from home. Here's a splinting manual that you might find helpful.

https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

 

[Willowspirit]

I send my sympathies. On Monday my useless Doberman got out while the chickens were out free ranging. They all ran for their pen and so did she. I realized my little runty girl (Delores) would be nearly helpless in the pen unless she could run into a coop. I was screaming and running as fast as I could to try to keep the dog from the pen. You haven’t seen much until you’ve seen a zaftig old woman in fuzzy slippers hauling it screaming at the top of her lungs.

Lucky for us my husband caught her before she caught any chickens. It helped that she spent some time running around a separate coop. After my husband put her up, we started counting chickens. Amazingly Delores had flown up on top of a run that was pretty well protected and was hunched there. We counted over and over and came up missing an Orpington.

We searched for her everywhere. We checked the bushes, the barn, the pen over and over. Finally I let the chickens back out because what says safe better to chickens than chickens? I put some crack out. They came out but stayed pretty close to the pen. I was watching them all when I see Ms Orpington sashaying from the direction of the tack room.

What a relief! Dog is now wearing e- collar and getting training sessions. More treats than punishment and she’s done okay yesterday and today. A couple of corrections have caught her attention.

Hubby and I are still shaky, though. It was awful. But it was our fault for not training when we should have.

 

[HamletAndEggs]

Your account has reawakened the nightmare memory of a dog attack on my flock last winter. I ran outside barefoot when I heard the ruckus, saw one rooster with the two dogs and the other rooster running to join the fracas. By the time I got some shoes on and ran back out, the dogs were gone, but so were both roosters. I feared they had been killed and carried off.

Almost the entire flock had been out free ranging, but miraculously, no hens were killed. One tiny hen, though, had a bad limp. I did what you have done, checked her over thoroughly for injuries to her legs, but she seemed fine. Then I inspected her feet more closely and found a bruise on the webbing between two toes.

Bruises on chicken legs and feet are a very subtle green. My little hen had a very painful stubbed toe from flying against the run window trying to get away from the dogs. She refused to stand on that foot for a week, holding it up against her belly. I started her on baby aspirin twice a day for her pain and also to treat the inflamed tissue of her foot. This helped her pain a lot, and she began walking again, and it was pretty much healed in a week.

The roosters, I had feared were dead came back the next morning, both with horrible frostbite on their combs from being out all night. It had gotten down to 13F. They are both heroes, having decoyed the dogs away from the hens and leading them away from the run. They're keepers.

Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful reply. I will check her feet out more closely
tomorrow. She got up on her roost early tonight (must have overheard me talking about the crate! Ha!) so i’ll have to get out there at daybreak to get her down. And, what a great story about your fierce warrior Roos saving the day! I gave my 20 week old lavender Orpington rooster to a friend just last week... she’s hatching chicks and I’m not. I did wonder if things would have been different if he’d still been here. Like I said, the coop and run are super secure... but the pushed his way into the coop then ran out the chicken door into the enclosed run. They were actually trapped IN Thanks again for your encouragement and advice.
(P.S... azygous? I’m a vascular nurse and that’s the name of a pretty random vein in the chest! Does it have another meaning? Just curious!)

 

[azygous]

It generally means "not of a pair" or a single entity. Such a lovely word.

 

[HamletAndEggs]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

For the leg injury, if she's self limiting activity, I would be inclined to leave her be during the day. If she's roosting, then that's up to you if you want to continue to let her, but I would be sure to take her down each morning. If it's easier for you to crate her at night, then a large dog kennel works well.

For the Marans, check her out after she goes to roost, she won't be able to see. Take her off the roost and inspect her. If the skin is not torn, then I would leave it. If it is, then Vetericyn can be sprayed on or if you have it a dab of Blu Kote.

Just in case, you inspect the Welsummer again and find a break - vet care is best, but a lot of people treat from home. Here's a splinting manual that you might find helpful.

https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

Thanks so much for your kind and thoughtful reply. It sounds like I muddled through it without any more mistakes. I actually just ordered some Vetericyn from Amazon. I’ll be ready if she needs it and

I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

For the leg injury, if she's self limiting activity, I would be inclined to leave her be during the day. If she's roosting, then that's up to you if you want to continue to let her, but I would be sure to take her down each morning. If it's easier for you to crate her at night, then a large dog kennel works well.

For the Marans, check her out after she goes to roost, she won't be able to see. Take her off the roost and inspect her. If the skin is not torn, then I would leave it. If it is, then Vetericyn can be sprayed on or if you have it a dab of Blu Kote.

Just in case, you inspect the Welsummer again and find a break - vet care is best, but a lot of people treat from home. Here's a splinting manual that you might find helpful.

https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

It generally means "not of a pair" or a single entity. Such a lovely word.

That makes sense! There is only ONE azygous vein (back of the chest) and most veins have a lateral mate (L vs.R)! Love learning new things!

 

[HamletAndEggs]

I send my sympathies. On Monday my useless Doberman got out while the chickens were out free ranging. They all ran for their pen and so did she. I realized my little runty girl (Delores) would be nearly helpless in the pen unless she could run into a coop. I was screaming and running as fast as I could to try to keep the dog from the pen. You haven’t seen much until you’ve seen a zaftig old woman in fuzzy slippers hauling it screaming at the top of her lungs.

Lucky for us my husband caught her before she caught any chickens. It helped that she spent some time running around a separate coop. After my husband put her up, we started counting chickens. Amazingly Delores had flown up on top of a run that was pretty well protected and was hunched there. We counted over and over and came up missing an Orpington.

We searched for her everywhere. We checked the bushes, the barn, the pen over and over. Finally I let the chickens back out because what says safe better to chickens than chickens? I put some crack out. They came out but stayed pretty close to the pen. I was watching them all when I see Ms Orpington sashaying from the direction of the tack room.

What a relief! Dog is now wearing e- collar and getting training sessions. More treats than punishment and she’s done okay yesterday and today. A couple of corrections have caught her attention.

Hubby and I are still shaky, though. It was awful. But it was our fault for not training when we should have.

Thanks for your sweet and thoughtful reply. I’m much better today after two days of beating myself up about it. The chickens know now... same dog wandered out there today and even though the chickens were safe in their run they went berserk and started flying into the wire walls. No injuries but this boy isn’t allowed out off-leash anymore and seems like it’s time to get an invisible fence for all the dogs (we have 3). Thanks again and good luck with all your creatures, feathered and NOT!

 

[HamletAndEggs]

I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

For the leg injury, if she's self limiting activity, I would be inclined to leave her be during the day. If she's roosting, then that's up to you if you want to continue to let her, but I would be sure to take her down each morning. If it's easier for you to crate her at night, then a large dog kennel works well.

For the Marans, check her out after she goes to roost, she won't be able to see. Take her off the roost and inspect her. If the skin is not torn, then I would leave it. If it is, then Vetericyn can be sprayed on or if you have it a dab of Blu Kote.

Just in case, you inspect the Welsummer again and find a break - vet care is best, but a lot of people treat from home. Here's a splinting manual that you might find helpful.

https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

Thanks so much for your helpful reply. The Welsummer is still limping but slowly improving. She is self-limiting her activity, but I found her off the ground today standing on an overturned 5gal bucket... so she must be feeling less pain. She does want to roost so I’m letting her, then helping her off in the morning. Thanks again and best of luck with your gang!