Dog attack- how do I treat chix?

[Crashcoop]

Hi- we have a new dog in the neighborhood who found our coop and a way in. He terrorized all 8 and 3 are wounded pretty bad. I have 2 who appear to have broken legs and wounds on their back- they are pretty limp and will hop a bit when I help them out- clean wounds and feed them but also just lay kind of on their side. The third I did not even spot right way but found her feathers everywhere and upon further examination- much of her back is cut open.

I have them all inside in bins- with food and water and clean their wounds 2-3 x a day. I think my 3rd gal is about to die- she is pretty limp and lifeless. For those of you who have been through this- any tips? When do you decide they are beyond help? I had a parakeet with a broken leg and she just limped around on 1 leg until one day she was on both- I was amazed that she lived through the first night. Because of that I don't feel like giving up- but also don't want them to suffer.

Any thoughts and suggestion would help!

 

[MrsBachbach]

Hi- we have a new dog in the neighborhood who found our coop and a way in. He terrorized all 8 and 3 are wounded pretty bad. I have 2  who appear to have broken legs and wounds on their back- they are pretty limp and will hop a bit when I help them out- clean wounds and feed them but also just lay kind of on their side. The third I did not even spot right way but found her feathers everywhere and upon further examination- much of her back is cut open. 

I have them all inside in bins- with food and water and clean their wounds 2-3 x a day. I think my 3rd gal is about to die- she is pretty limp and lifeless. For those of you who have been through this- any tips? When do you decide they are beyond help? I had a parakeet with a broken leg and she just limped around on 1 leg until one day she was on both- I was amazed that she lived through the first night. Because of that I don't feel like giving up- but also don't want them to suffer. 

Any thoughts and suggestion would help!

I don't have any experience with broken bones so I won't be much help. I imagine splints might help. Have any popsicle sticks around?
As far as the wounds go, yes, clean them out. I use a product called WonderDust on any ugly wounds I encounter on my animals. It dries the wound up quick. Look for it at a feed store in the horse section. Also, with bite wounds like that I would give the birds injections of PenicillinG which you can also find at feed store or Tractor Supply where they keep the refrigerated stuff. One tenth of a cc per bird is what I was told, assuming it is full grown, for at least three days. Usually inject in the breast or thigh. I would use a needle no smaller than 20 gauge because the medicine in thick.
Most important, keep them isolated, warm and quiet. Keep their water and food close to them. I know you can buy asprin water for chickens in the feed stores, so, if they aren't bleeding anymore, maybe a little baby asprin dissolved in some water for their pain. I'm not sure how much water per baby asprin though. I gave my rooster a quarter of one once a day for a few days when he was injured.

 

[Crashcoop]

Thanks for that information- we don't live near a feed store as we are 2 hours out of town in Alaska- but will see what I can do to get in to get some meds ASAP.

 

[gander007]

Alright first good job on cleaning out the wounded area
this is vital and keep up the good work ...

Now with the broken lime's you will need to check very
easley so as not to hurt the wounded chicken more then
need be, but move the legs around just a little to see if
they are truly broken or just hurt .... now if they are hurt
then you will need to make a splint for the chicken and
pop-sickle sticks will work for this and wrap with tape or
cloth and now make sure it is not really tight .....


If you haven't already get a hold of the ASPCA .....


Keep up the good work and if shock doesn't get your
birds then they just might make it ....


Now see if you lad's can eat some hard boiled egg's
and if so give each chicken a couple a day as all the
natural med's they need are in the egg 's .......

If you haven't Probiotic in the water .....

 

[Crashcoop]

I hadn't thought of that- just like breast milk- full of all they need- thanks for the hard boiled egg tip- I will work on the legs tomorrow. Thanks

 

[gander007]

I hadn't thought of that- just like breast milk- full of all they need- thanks for the hard boiled egg tip- I will work on the legs tomorrow. Thanks

Breast milk good Analogy had never thought of the but yes exactly ......

Keep up the good work and care of your flock ......

 

[Crashcoop]

Another questions- the smell is so awful in our tiny house- don't know if it is the regular chicken smell (sitting in their poop due to injured legs)- or their injuries- Was thinking of bathing them in a warm bath to clean their stinky bodies- and to make sure I found all the wounds- meanwhile- clean out their bins. Would that be too much shock on their system? I keep reading about chickens loving the bath- but I have never done it. What are your thoughts?

 

[ten chicks]

. Have you determined if legs have fractures or sprains? Feel up and down legs,can you feel any swelling/fractures or do legs appear out of place(twisted/hanging,etc)? If yes,you can splint legs.

As for bathing,normally most chickens love baths and find the warm water soothing,my only concern would be if they have never been bathed before the stress might be too much for them to handle. All you can do is try one bird and see how she handles bathing,if she starts to pant or appears stressed,stop immediately.

Clean wounds daily,you can use a diluted peroxide solution(2 tsp in 1 cup of warm water)stronger if there are signs infection is setting in(foul smell,wounds becoming red/swelling,spreading redness/swelling. You can also apply an antibiotic ointment to wounds,nothing ending in "caine/cane"toxic to birds. Keep them warm(when ill/injured birds cannot regulate their body temp).

For pain you can give a low dose aspirin(81mg)or a reg aspirin(325mg)dose is 25mg per lb of body weight. Give orally(wrap in a pce of meat or cheese)or dissolve one 325mg aspirin in one gallon of water.

Make sure they are eating/drinking,especially drinking as birds do become dehydrated very fast. Once pain is managed,they may start eating,in the meantime encourage eating by giving some favorite foods.

If they do not start to eat/drink,you might want to consider tube feeding. Often when birds are ill/injured they will not eat,no energy left and then their body starts to shut down,tube feeding often will snap them out of this lethargic state and provides their body with the required nutrients to heal.

 

[gander007]

Another questions- the smell is so awful in our tiny house- don't know if it is the regular chicken smell (sitting in their poop due to injured legs)- or their injuries- Was thinking of bathing them in a warm bath to clean their stinky bodies- and to make sure I found all the wounds- meanwhile- clean out their bins. Would that be too much shock on their system? I keep reading about chickens loving the bath- but I have never done it. What are your thoughts?

If the order is as bad as you describing the by all means clean it out and clean up the chickens before an infection set's in .....

 

[Crashcoop]

Thanks-for the reply- I did give the bath a try but just did their undersides so that the water with dirt- did not get in their wounds. I took advantage of the time and checked their legs. I did not find any breaks- or even swelling for that matter- but their claws are all curled up and hanging limp. When I set them on their legs- they stand on one and with a curled up claw, use the other- Maybe broken in the hip?? or maybe a nerve or ligament? The one who was walking and even roosting yesterday when I discovered she had wounds on her back- also has curled up claws today. Wondering if it is from sitting still too long- or the body shutting down? They all perked up with the bath and drank and ate a bit- except one. Will try more egg yoke with her in a bit.