Dog attack, getting chicken to eat?

[Eggcessive]

Do you have a picture of the wound? Does it appear to be infected? Denegard is specifically for MG treatment, but Tylan can treat some other bacterial diseases. Many feed stores sell Fish Mox amoxicillin or injectable procaine penicillin G with syringes and needles. If the wound appears infected those may help, but usually topical antibiotics and wound cleaning twice a day may be all that is necessary. Use the antibiotic if you feel like using them, including Denagard if that is all you have. It certainly won’t hurt. Dog attacks are always iffy, since the chicken may die from no ovvious wounds, while terrible looking wounds may heal fine. It is the internal damage that we don’t know about. Sorry that you might lose her.

 

[Lnzsmith]

My husband got her to stand up. We'll try taking her outside again, she seems so depressed in the crate.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you have another hen who is meek that might be safe to be near her? Through a cage even?

 

[Lnzsmith]

She's the leader so I don't think the other two will bother her. She's out in the yard now, just kind of standing. She has walked around quite a bit. No puddle drinking today (she did a lot yesterday). The others came over and chatted with her but she didn't say much so they left for other business. We fed them treats by her thinking that might stimulate her but no.

I found some Tylan, we will try that. Should we irrigate the wound and clear out the Neosporin? It is, as my husband describes it, 'an oily trench'. Not sure how aggressive to be with the wound. We only used the hydrogen twice, and have switched to saline. Do I spray the Vetyricin after treating with neosporin?

She has had a couple small poops. I just wish she would eat. In my experience it is the very very sick animals who just won't eat, and that's so worrying. I understand that perhaps there was internal damage we just don't know about. Don't want her to suffer.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would the Vetericyn or the saline to gently clean the wound. Then reapply the antibiotic ointment. Don’t agressively clean it unless it looks or smells infected. There may be green bruising around the wound which is normal. Pictures are helpful. She can go a long time without eating, but she needs to have water.

 

[Lnzsmith]

I'll try to get some pictures. She's been outside, monitored, all day now. Some preening, will drink when offered (so we got probably 1/4 C. homemade electrolytes down her), but no eating or scratching.

What are your thoughts about aspirin? We have some we could try offering in water?

 

[Lnzsmith]

Hi there! one week later, our Australorp is still alive, and the wound seems much better, on the road to healing. She isn't nearly as active as she was before the attack. She also has not vocalized once, which is odd for her. She is eating, scratching, pecking. She does have these long periods where she lies down and seems to have labored breathing. Any thoughts on that? We did give her Tylan for 5 days, and the wound doesn't seem infected. Maybe there was something internal? She only breathes hard when lying down. She also has a slight limp, when she jogs (we have only seen her do it twice). Any thoughts on the labored breathing when lying down?