Dog Attack -- Need Medical Advice!

[cobrien]

this thread warmed my heart and I learned some things. good luck sweet chickens and sweet caroline.

 

[JestersEye]

I had to stitch a skin tear in one of our peachicks once, and I used Betadine to wash and disinfect the area thoroughly, both before and after suturing. I just wanted to suggest that you keep this on hand in cases of emergency such as this. I also used the Betadine to disinfect the area for a few days after closing the wound, which healed up very nicely. You should check regularly for signs of infection and clean the area with a topical antibiotic, as well as adding the oral antibiotics you are using. Good job patching her up, btw. I hope she makes a quick and full recovery!

 

[Preservation Acres]

You guys are wonderful. I left BYC for a few hours to take care of my hen and when I came back there were all these posts. THANKS!!!!

I moved her inside, and she seems to be doing fine. No more bleeding. I brought in her best buddy, Jenny the Buff Orpington, to stay in the cage with her. Jenny's also the leader of the pecking order, so her presence is good for my wounded hen. When I last checked on them, they were sleeping side by side, cuddling together.

I wish I had washed out the inside of the wound with hydrogen peroxide before stitching it instead of just warm water, but that's hindsight. I'll keep an eye on the wound and make sure it doesn't get infected. If it does, I may have to open the stitches and clean it out.

I'm going to go on the hunt for an internal antibiotic tomorrow. TSC had nothing.

THANKS AGAIN!!!!!!!!

Jerry

 

[JestersEye]

I've learned that Hydrogen Peroxide can actually damage tissue. It's better to use an iodine wash like Betadine for cases such as this. That's what hospitals use for most injuries... unless someone has an iodine allergy.

 

[Preservation Acres]

Great. Betadine's on my shopping list for tomorrow now.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Jerry,

Over a year ago one of my EEs wandered into the back yard with my dogs and they peeled back an area of skin about the size of my palm. I rinsed her side out and gooped it up with neosporin. The next day she went to the vet to be sewn up. She lived in the house for a couple of weeks until the area healed up. Today she is doing fine and is one of my best layers.

Story #2- the summer the big chickens got one of the half grown babies cornered and pecked his head down to the skull. It was horrible. The pecked area was about the size of a quarter and was all the way down to the bone. There was no skin to pull together or sew together. It was just gone down to his skull. I moved him into the indoor brooder and played doctor. All I did was wash his head off with warm water to get the grit and nasty off and goop it up with neosporin. Every day I washed his head off and neosporined him. It took a while, but he ultimately was fine. His feathers grew back in a little wonky, but he's back outside running with the others, big and healthy.

Both of these experiences taught me that chickens are amazingly hardy. I thought they both were as good as dead. Instead both lived and thrived despite horrible wounds. Keep your girl warm and draft free. I fed mine lots of treats like scrambled eggs and such, mainly because I felt bad for them. The electrolytes help with a shocked system and an antibiotic can't hurt (the co-op has something called Pen-G in teh refridgerator section. It's a form of penicillin.). Just keep the area clean and neosporined and maybe she'll be okay.

good luck!

 

[Preservation Acres]

Quote:
Hey! It's great to hear from you. Can you send me the name of your vet?

Thanks!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

The only one I could find that would do chickens is the vet by the Walgreens between Murfreesboro and Rockvale on Hwy 99. I can't remember the name of the clinic, but it's the only one on Hwy 99. I will tell you that they were embarassingly expensive. Pooh the Chicken ought to be laying golden eggs now.

If you have already sewed her up, you might do just as well on your own. I just couldn't figure out how to hold her and sew her up all by myself.

I don't know if TSC has the Pen-G stuff or not. The co-op won't be open until Monday. I'm not sure who else would have it.

Good luck!

 

[luvmychks51]

you need to get some clavamox ASAP. call your vet. its not expensive if you can just go pick it up. if you have a horse vet or neighbor with a horse vet they will usually give you the meds. Tractor supply sells PCN but usually just the injectable kind - which can be given orally but the dosing it tricky and its not as effective as the oral kind.

you're going to want to get those un-sterile stitches out of her as soon as you can. i know it was an emergency but.....

 

[ReiMiraa]

I got some chickens for free in april. the day before i got them one was attacked by a dog.
i caught the bird and looked at it.... ewww.

it was missing half its breast. i had dad hold it and i put some neosporin on it.
for a month it just stood there in pain while its chest turned green and hard.

2 months later it started laying these giant dinosaur eggs (green).
the chicken was named Dog-Bite. it lived and feathers regrew.

it did well.
found it dead a few weeks ago, beneath the roost, due to homicidal-pushy chickens on the roost.

sometimes just letting it do its thing is best
it lives, it lives and proves its immune system is good.
it dies, well one less chicken and no more suffering.