Update 11/25 a.m.: if my count is right, it's been a week since her injury. I'll share what I'm doing and what I've learned.
Per the poultry vet who was kind enough to talk to me, blue kote is NOT recommended for an injury like this. It actually stings, which is ok on small injuries but would add to her suffering here. It also dries out the wounds which would be awful in this situation.
She's getting .5 ml of penicillin injection daily for 5 days. 4 aspirin dissolved in 1/2 gal of water to drink, along with Nutri-drench. She's eating high protein crumbles, some fermented, but she didn't like that much.
Her skin gets a warm compress, followed by a thick coat of Hen Healer to soften and protect. I spray with Vetricyn after in case there are spots I have missed. She also gets Vetricyn spray once the Hen Healer has absorbed. Evening is manuka honey and more Vetricyn.
She's eating, drinking, and pooping completely normally.
--
I was just given a hen that as of now, was mauled 6 days ago. It had been on it's own, severely injured, for 4 days before I got it.
She doesn't seem to know that she should be dead. I don't understand how she's alive.
She's missing a huge amount of skin. Around the back of her neck is, I believe, exposed bone. All the skin on her entire neck, down her front, as far back as where her wing starts, and down as far as her leg.
And yet she survived outside for four days like this and even now it's still eating, drinking, pooping, and standing on her own two feet. I'm doing everything I can for her. She has a faint bad smell, so I've been trying to clean the thick layer of dried blood off her, as well as treating for infection with penicillin and Vetricyn spray. Also using Hen Healer to keep her wounds as soft as I can. Pain relief is aspirin in water.
I don't know what to make of this. I think I'm worried she'll die, but of something I didn't prevent or didn't fix properly. I mean she's survived this long, now it's my turn. She's such a survivor I worry that I won't know when or if it's time to let her go.
Per the poultry vet who was kind enough to talk to me, blue kote is NOT recommended for an injury like this. It actually stings, which is ok on small injuries but would add to her suffering here. It also dries out the wounds which would be awful in this situation.
She's getting .5 ml of penicillin injection daily for 5 days. 4 aspirin dissolved in 1/2 gal of water to drink, along with Nutri-drench. She's eating high protein crumbles, some fermented, but she didn't like that much.
Her skin gets a warm compress, followed by a thick coat of Hen Healer to soften and protect. I spray with Vetricyn after in case there are spots I have missed. She also gets Vetricyn spray once the Hen Healer has absorbed. Evening is manuka honey and more Vetricyn.
She's eating, drinking, and pooping completely normally.
--
I was just given a hen that as of now, was mauled 6 days ago. It had been on it's own, severely injured, for 4 days before I got it.
She doesn't seem to know that she should be dead. I don't understand how she's alive.
She's missing a huge amount of skin. Around the back of her neck is, I believe, exposed bone. All the skin on her entire neck, down her front, as far back as where her wing starts, and down as far as her leg.
And yet she survived outside for four days like this and even now it's still eating, drinking, pooping, and standing on her own two feet. I'm doing everything I can for her. She has a faint bad smell, so I've been trying to clean the thick layer of dried blood off her, as well as treating for infection with penicillin and Vetricyn spray. Also using Hen Healer to keep her wounds as soft as I can. Pain relief is aspirin in water.
I don't know what to make of this. I think I'm worried she'll die, but of something I didn't prevent or didn't fix properly. I mean she's survived this long, now it's my turn. She's such a survivor I worry that I won't know when or if it's time to let her go.
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