Dog Attack

[TJAnonymous]

A dog attacked my flock today as they were free ranging in our pasture close to our house. Lots of chickens with scratches, missing feathers, and several who are limping. Two birds with the worst injuries, I brought indoors for treatment.

I washed both with soap and water. Put some iodine on the wound and neosporin. I know this isn't ideal but it's what I had in the moment. Tomorrow I will be a little better situated to treat better.

What suggestions do you have @azygous or @Eggcessive? I am out of Amoxicillin but I do have Metronidazole. Would that work? I'm also picking up some Vetricyn.

What else should I get? I gave them some NutriDrench. Should I switch to electrolytes?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do you have Neosporin Original ointment, with no pain medication? After cleansing the wounds as you have, daub some Neosporin on them to keep them moist. Protect the birds from flies. Spraying with Veterycin will help protect the wounds and keep them moist. Do not wrap the wounds. Keep the birds away from the other hens so they don't get pecked, maybe in a dog crate.

When one of our hens was injured like this, also by a dog, we made a batch of sterile saline solution and put it in a spray bottle. Every morning and evening we washed the wound by spraying it thoroughly with the saline. That way we did not traumatize the wound by scrubbing with a washcloth or otherwise handling it. Then we put the ointment on and sprayed with Veterycin. In about three weeks she was all healed, and it was a deep, nasty wound.

Good luck with your hens!

 

[azygous]

Here's what you do in the event of a predator attack to treat the survivor.

1. Treat for shock as the number one step. Give warm Gatoraid or mix a half teaspoon of sugar into a fourth of a cup of warm water with a pinch of salt and baking soda. Have the patient drink it all or syringe it into the beak.

2. Flush the wound well with saline. This is better than soap and water as it maintains the PH of the tissues. But warm soap and water will do. You need to wash away the bacteria from the wound.

3. Inspect the wound carefully. If it has a skin flap dangling, keep that. Do not cut it off. Look for bite, tear or puncture marks indicating a puncture wound. If you see this, the patient will need an oral antibiotic such as amoxicillin. Bacteria from the predator’s mouth can be injected deep into tissue and can kill in as little as 24 to 48 hours. You can order this https://www.kvsupply.com/item/aqua-mox-250mg-capsules-100-count/P06184/250mg once a day for ten days. Or you may be able to find this or something similar at TSC or a pet store.

4. Spray with Vetericyn wound treament and let dry. Use a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin or a generic without pain killer in it to coat the wound. If there's a skin flap, lay it across the wound that has just been coated with the ointment. Then smooth on a generous amount over the top of the skin flap to hold it in place.

5. It's useless to try to stitch a wound on a chicken. Don't even try. It's also useless to try to bandage a wound other than on the feet. The chicken will not tolerate it. It will be pulled off faster than you can blink an eye.

6. Clean the wound every day following the above steps. Keep the wound covered with the ointment. Never allow the wound to get dried out or it will not heal.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Do you have Neosporin Original ointment, with no pain medication? After cleansing the wounds as you have, daub some Neosporin on them to keep them moist. Protect the birds from flies. Spraying with Veterycin will help protect the wounds and keep them moist. Do not wrap the wounds. Keep the birds away from the other hens so they don't get pecked, maybe in a dog crate.

When one of our hens was injured like this, also by a dog, we made a batch of sterile saline solution and put it in a spray bottle. Every morning and evening we washed the wound by spraying it thoroughly with the saline. That way we did not traumatize the wound by scrubbing with a washcloth or otherwise handling it. Then we put the ointment on and sprayed with Veterycin. In about three weeks she was all healed, and it was a deep, nasty wound.

Good luck with your hens!

Thanks... I need to do more debridement on the gray hen. I couldn't get it all last night because she was freaking out so badly in her trauma.

I did put Neosporin (original) on both birds last night.

I have some distilled water I can use to make a Saline wash. What ratio of water to salt did you use? And which is better to use - saline wash or Vetricyn?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@azygous's advice is superior to mine. She has far more experience than I.

For saline, boil a quart of water and let it cool. Add 2 teaspoons table salt and a pinch of baking soda. Cover and shake well, till dissolved, or stir with a clean spoon.

The baking soda balances the pH so it doesn't sting. I used the saline as a daily cleanser because I could use it in large quantities, and used the Veterycin as a coating as it formed a gel over the wound. But again I would say, trust @azygous.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I have a busy day at work today but I'm trying to check on them as much as possible. I washed the white hen (puncture wounds on her back) a couple of times with warm water and antibacterial soap because she started to have a funky smell. I did NOT give her antibiotics yet simply because I haven't had time.

I'm not sure what antibiotics I have on hand. I KNOW I have Metronidazole and Tricide-Neo powder (fish antibiotics). Will either of those work? One better than the other?

 

[Anime2lover]

A dog attacked my flock today as they were free ranging in our pasture close to our house. Lots of chickens with scratches, missing feathers, and several who are limping. Two birds with the worst injuries, I brought indoors for treatment.

I washed both with soap and water. Put some iodine on the wound and neosporin. I know this isn't ideal but it's what I had in the moment. Tomorrow I will be a little better situated to treat better.

What suggestions do you have @azygous or @Eggcessive? I am out of Amoxicillin but I do have Metronidazole. Would that work? I'm also picking up some Vetricyn.

What else should I get? I gave them some NutriDrench. Should I switch to electrolytes?

View attachment 3446493View attachment 3446494

Peroxide for the white one if you have no vetrycin. That's what we always use for a first treatment on major injuries that aren't near the eye.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Limit use of peroxide, it destroys healthy cells as well as germs.

 

[Anime2lover]

Limit use of peroxide, it destroys healthy cells as well as germs.

Yea. That's why it is an emergency treatment.

I have a busy day at work today but I'm trying to check on them as much as possible. I washed the white hen (puncture wounds on her back) a couple of times with warm water and antibacterial soap because she started to have a funky smell. I did NOT give her antibiotics yet simply because I haven't had time.

I'm not sure what antibiotics I have on hand. I KNOW I have Metronidazole and Tricide-Neo powder (fish antibiotics). Will either of those work? One better than the other?

Using sugar water can help promote new cell growth though.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I finally got time to debride the wound of my grey hen. I know @azygous said to leave the flap alone. My concern is that it is creating a pocket where dirt and bacteria will collect.

About to go figure out what antibiotics I have and start them both on SOMETHING.