dog attack- please help

[Kerrie Ann]

My friend was watching my kids brought her dog over. The dog managed to get in the young hens coop. He pushed his way through the fence. He killed 3 and 1 is hurt. It is about 3 months old. Has a punchers wound under her her. I put antibiotics ointment on it. What else can I do? ??

 

[CMV]

Keep her warm, dry, comfortable and in a quiet place for the next day. Encourage her to drink. Keep the wounds clean and dressed in antibiotic ointment. Monitor signs of infection- angry redness, swelling, purulent discharge or a sudden increase in the amount of discharge, lethargy.

Punctures are the nastiest of all wounds because they can become infected quite quickly. I like to clean them out with a turkey baster to make sure I got all the debris out of them (and hopefully any germs that may have been lodged in them). Warm soaks in epsom salts can help to prevent an infection from taking hold, but I am not sure exactly where your bird's wounds are located.

 

[Wol1]

I'm so sorry. Had a dog attack Friday night. Our own dog. It's very traumatic. The chicken was injured pretty bad. She survived the night and saw the vet the next morning. Had surgery to clean and suture wounds, including the punctures. The punctures were actually what worried her most as in introduces bacteria deeper into the chicken. It can also damage organs inside the chicken.

Keep her warm and isolated (we used a cat carrier with towels inside and a dark blanket over the top to keep out drafts and to help her feel safe). Wash wounds with warm water (a hard squirt with a dropper?). Start hunting up an avian vet in case wounds are severe or becoming infected.

Good luck with your little survivor.