Dog attack

[fintuckyfarms]

Had a dog attack today, two hens were killed, one has missing tail feathers and one has all of her feathers on her left side missing. I'm not sure if she is gonna make it as there some skin missing also. I don't see any deep punctures and she is alert. I gave her some aspirin, covered the raw area with bag balm and wrapped with some non sticking pads and gauze to hold some of the loose skin on place. I also added antibiotics to her water. She is in the house in a dog kennel covered to keep her quiet. I had to leave for work but if she is still alive in the morning what else can I do?

 

[Scott H]

I think she'll make it as she has no deep wounds ...you've done a good job with the wound treatment and antibiotics. They are pretty tough!

 

[Kyzmette]

The pictures are Caramel a year ago after a dog attack. Today she's second hen in command and I hatched her first chick this afternoon! After the attack she had exposed bone and was missing all the skin on her neck and shoulders.

I suggest keeping your chookie inside for a couple of weeks. Vetericyn works wonders on open wounds, and they sell a spray at Tractor Supply. Feed her plenty of mashed boiled egg and yogurt, because she's going to need the extra protein for regrowth. Additional vitamins wouldn't hurt. I use the poly-visol infant vitamins without iron. And of course the apple cider vinegar in her water.

How much you do for her will depend on how much time and energy you have to give. There are ways to mend a chicken's skin so it grows back normal. I don't want my chickies to suffer, but I'm a single woman commuting to work, and with the little time I could give her every day, keeping her clean and well nourished, she's only missing a small patch of feathers.

Oh, and smell your chicken regularly, to check for the odor of infection.

 

[fintuckyfarms]

Thank you for all the good ideas, we don't have a tractor supply but I might see if my vet has it. I also feed fodder and I will start with eggs and yogurt if she is still alive when I get home. She is in my dinning room and I'm trying to keep things quiet for her.

 

[fintuckyfarms]

Omelette is still alive! It's still dark here but I fixed her a scrambled egg with some aspirin. I will see if she ate anything when I get up. It does look like she drank some water after I left.

 

[ten chicks]

Omelette is still alive! It's still dark here but I fixed her a scrambled egg with some aspirin. I will see if she ate anything when I get up. It does look like she drank some water after I left.

You are doing all the correct things,i would just add to make sure you clean wound daily,use a saline solution. Watch for infection,signs of infection are: wound not healing,redness/swelling and or spreading,foul smell,bird becoming lethargic,not eating/drinking. If you feel wound may be infected,clean with diluted hydrogen peroxide or full strength depending on how wound looks.

Keep her warm and quiet. Make sure she is eating/drinking.

 

[Kyzmette]

Oh, one thing I learned with Caramel... put the food where she doesn't have to stretch those wounds to eat. I put dishes in her tub at first and she wasn't eating. Once it hit me that she was having to bend that skinless neck to eat, I attached feeders to the side of her tub at beak level and her food and water consumption went up drastically. Think of the exposed muscle in your chicken and how those muscles are going to have to move for her to eat and drink, and adjust accordingly.

If you can't find vetericyn you can look for a spray neosporin, but make sure you get the kind without any pain relievers in it. No lidocaine or anything with -caine in the name. My walmart didn't have spray neosporin so I took ointment and melted it into hot water, allowed it to cool, and sprayed that on her until I could get the vetericyn. It'll ruin your spray bottle, so get one of those little travel sized you can just trash.

 

[fintuckyfarms]

Omlette is doing well, alert eating and drinking and sitting on the perch. I found some Vetericyn and will treat her as soon as somebody wakes up to help me hold her (we work nights). The babies that got kicked out of the kennel are NOT happy out side with the other teenagers. I got them a second light since I can't find any brooders locally and the bigger girls keep driving the from the light and food. Gonna have to either let them figure it out or divide the teenager cage. Boy they are spoiled!

 

[Kyzmette]

I'm glad to hear it! Spoiled chickens come from good people.

 

[fintuckyfarms]

Of course I had to get hot pink vet wrap!