day 17, horrific dog attack. should I bathe her?

[LeafBlade12345]

Believe me, I've used honey on my quail before. What happened? They all got serious infections and died within the next couple of days. No offense, but bees do not make honey to be used as a medicinal property. Honey can be helpful with humans, but many honeys out there these days are definitely not healthy. Raw honey is the best. With EM and hospital experience I can tell you that honey can be helpful. Yet in this case, I do not think that "natural" remedies are the right way to go. This is past tha point. The chicken is in critical condition. OP, make sure to keep the pullet's wounds clean and covered. You can keep her in a makeshift dog crate or box inside with some towels or blankets to keep her comfortable. Make sure she can easily access food and water.

Good luck!
Leaf

 

[GodofPecking]

The best thing about honey besides the fact that it works perfectly is that it is so very gentle. So many people who have no idea about honey use harsh antiseptic or antibacterial agents that hurt or stain. Honey is perfectly safe and doesn't stain, doesn't hurt much or often, you just dab it on the wound with your finger after dipping your finger in it, then wait for a few minutes, OR until it stings, then wash off with drinking water. Mostly it doesn't sting, but you can have really messed up nerves open in the wound and honey doesn't sting much if at all, it's just that on some wounds, after a minute or so, you can feel it. That signals it's time for comfort so pour drinking water over the wound and you're done.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

I see no problem with honey in human wounds, but I feel it is unsafe in birds. But that's just my experience. It is totally your choice with your birds. Key word, your.

 

[lalaland]

Believe me, I've used honey on my quail before. What happened? They all got serious infections and died within the next couple of days. No offense, but bees do not make honey to be used as a medicinal property. Honey can be helpful with humans, but many honeys out there these days are definitely not healthy. Raw honey is the best. With EM and hospital experience I can tell you that honey can be helpful. Yet in this case, I do not think that "natural" remedies are the right way to go. This is past tha point. The chicken is in critical condition. OP, make sure to keep the pullet's wounds clean and covered. You can keep her in a makeshift dog crate or box inside with some towels or blankets to keep her comfortable. Make sure she can easily access food and water.

Good luck!
Leaf

um, I think godofpecking was referring to my statement about my mom....

You know, I've heard that honey producers are allowed to add stuff to honey - cant remember whether it was sugar water or corn syrup- and that very little of the "honey" on the market, and certainly none of the major brands in the grocery store, is viable honey - have been diluted with additives to stretch the honey, and have been processed to the extent that there is not even any pollen residue in the stuff.

So...your local beekeeper honey is best for everything - eating, using on wounds, etc.

Godofpecking, I am totally unfamiliar with the idea of applying the honey, waiting til it stings and then rinsing it off. Have always used it as a salve almost But then that has been on cuts and abrasions, and not on an infection because I haven't had one develop.

So, right now I am leaving her wounds be. Got a delivery of live mealworms as that is the one thing she will reliably eat. Also eats kale and fruit.

so strange that a badly injured hen (this is normal from what I have been able to research here on byc about seriously injured hens) will reject egg, yogurt, cheese, cat food, feed, oatmeal, raw meat, etc and only eat a fruit, a green, and mealworms.

Leaf, I have bobwhites too!

 

[sbhkma]

Personally, I wouldn't put honey, but that's just me. It's a great way to invite infection, but it is totally your call. It may be helpful to spray some Blu-kote on the wounds, apply neosporin, and wrap them up. You may also choose to make your chicken a sling if she needs it. Also, give her electrolytes in her water to keep her strength up.

Good luck!

Blu-kote is not for deep puncture wounds. It says so right on the can. Later on as the wounds heal, it's great for keeping other chickens from pecking the wound, as it "hides" it with blue. Neosporin or other triple antibiotic is a good way to go, but in this case it sounds like it could cause more problems than it fixes unless the hen can be treated at night during 'comatose sleepytime'.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

um,  I think godofpecking was referring to my statement about my mom....

You know, I've heard that honey producers are allowed to add stuff to honey - cant remember whether it was sugar water or corn syrup-  and that very little of the "honey" on the market, and certainly none of the major brands in the grocery store, is  viable honey - have been diluted with additives to stretch the honey, and have been processed to the extent that there is not even any pollen residue in the stuff.

So...your local beekeeper honey is best for everything - eating, using on wounds, etc.  

Godofpecking, I am totally unfamiliar with the idea of applying the honey, waiting til it stings and then rinsing it off.  Have always used it as a salve almost  But then that has been on cuts and abrasions, and not on an infection because I haven't had one develop.

So, right now I am leaving her wounds be.  Got a delivery of live mealworms as that is the one thing she will reliably eat.  Also eats kale and fruit.  

so strange that a badly injured hen (this is normal from what I have been able to research here on byc about seriously injured hens) will reject egg, yogurt, cheese, cat food, feed, oatmeal, raw meat, etc and only eat a fruit, a green, and mealworms.  

Leaf, I have bobwhites too!  

I wanted to just comment on what your chicken will eat, after my surgeries I would crave greens, especially spinach, I'm assuming I was after the iron as I don't eat meat.

 

[GodofPecking]

You know, I've heard that honey producers are allowed to add stuff to honey - ..
So...your local beekeeper honey is best for everything - eating, using on wounds, etc.

Godofpecking, I am totally unfamiliar with the idea of applying the honey, waiting til it stings and then rinsing it off.

so strange that a badly injured hen (this is normal from what I have been able to research here on byc about seriously injured hens) will reject egg, yogurt, cheese, cat food, feed, oatmeal, raw meat, etc and only eat a fruit, a green, and mealworms.

My reference to honey reflects the research I've done and my own personal successes with healing. I also have access to plenty of fresh honey from the hive. Yes, store bought honey is like everything store bought, quite often fake and substandard. Not always though. You can do a search for mislabeled honey and find out what is in it. Beekeepers and honey sellers aren't allowed to put things into the honey as far as I have ever heard. Honeycomb, in wax, is often sold and sold for a premium because it proves that the honey came from a beekeeper (and therefor bees). Making your own honey is far far too easy and I recommend it. A beehive is an awesome thing to have.

The waiting until it stings is from personal experience, occasionally it can sting a tiny tiny bit, so rather than saying leave it on for 5 minutes and then someone makes their squirming kid sit still while it stings, I say leave it on for 5 mins or until it stings. The wound ends up BRILLIANTLY CLEAN like you have been taking a shower for an hour, but the skin around it doesn't look like a prune. It's awesome this way, get the equal of an hour in a bathtub in just 5 mins and disinfect at the same time. Plus, never deal with the faulty products on the market which cannot cope with antibiotic resistant strains or burn a hole in your arm or give you cancer themselves. Honey is a good food, so it's not going to hurt you.The fact that it is a better medicine than any commercial disinfectant is a bonus.

There is also that movie, where the girl who is feeling quite poorly is invited to have something to eat by her elderly neighbor, who is a Chinese cook, and she says "you could revive the appetite of a corpse". There is not feeling like eating, and then there is food which changes your mind. I imagine chooks are the same.

 

[Sutremaine]

You can make your own Nu-Stock style ointment from powdered sulphur, fat, and pine tar.

Getting back on topic, how feasible would it be to give the chicken a dust bath to use as she desires? You can sterilise the material in the oven or whatever, if you're concerned about what might be lurking in there.

 

[momchick4]

I am curious about the dust bath too. I have a pullet that survived a fox attacked several nights ago. She seems to be doing well but I in the isolation cage, but should I allow her in the dirt with open wounds?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have always allowed a chicken to make up it's own mind on such things, if they feel well enough they will try to dust bathe, I have been known to follow my wounded chicken around outside for a bit for some exercise and sunshine, if they want to dust bath I let them.