Dog Bite, Could Use Prayers

[Falconfree]

I already know what I have to do, she's not moving much at all, but it's a first for me. Sick to my stomach. My poor girl.

And now I'm second guessing myself. She's up and walking a little, alert. Nothing appears broken when she walks, so I suppose it is just a question of internal damage. It looks bad, but I just don't know. Would you try to save her or give her a swift death?

 

[cowboyclayt]

That is very sad! My dog has killed a couple of our chickens. Some of the ones she attacks I am able to save, some not. The last that was attacked I put in the garage for one day and night and she recovered. I haven't done any medical stuff to them so I wouldn't know what to do. Maybe separate her from the others like I did? If you have a vet that specializes in poultry you could take it to him/her.

 

[Falconfree]

No poultry vets at all around here. Even our dog/cat vets aren't super. This is the 2nd chicken my dog has attacked, the other one was dead when I found her. Since then I put up an electronet, but sometimes the girls fly over the top. I always check before letting the dogs out, never thought they'd be birdbrained enough to fly over when the dogs were outside.

I think I'm going to give her a chance to recover. Flushed the wounds with hydrogen peroxide and colloidal silver, and I'm going to put colloidal silver in her water as an antibiotic. Maybe put some of my calendula salve on the wound too, after I've flushed it a few times. She's alone, in a shower stall in the house.

Ugh, the guilt.

 

[micstrachan]

I can't tell where the bite is nor how deep. How is she doing? I think the measures you are taking sound reasonable.

 

[Falconfree]

I know the pictures don't help much. They are on her back and side, close to one wing. At least one puncture looks quite deep (the top photo). The other one is more of a wide gash. It's like, well, like she was flayed open maybe 1/2 to possibly 1 inch deep, about 3-4 or so inches wide under her feathers. It is hard to get a good look with her feathers in the way, but some are falling out, so I might get a better view in the days to come, assuming she pulls through. She has eaten some scrambled eggs, and at least drank a little water I offered from a syringe (maybe from the bowl too, but I can't tell). She is a little more talkative now, but still pretty reluctant to move.

I was literally sharpening my knife and considering a good place in the yard to process her when she started walking around my kitchen. Really hoping she pulls through. I only have 4 hens, and she is one of my 2 sweet ones.

 

[ethieandco]

You would be absolutely amazed at how capable they are of healing themselves. I had a hen who was grabbed by a hawk and survived with four gashes from its claws. We stitched her up and kept her isolated, but a rooster jumped "her" fence and ripped out her stitches. My husband and I decided to just keep an eye on her as she healed and I am pleased to say she has been released back to the flock. Make sure there isn't any debris in her wounds and give her some time to heal. If she is eating, drinking, and laying tomorrow I would feel very confident in her recovery.

What breed of dog do you have? We have had success in breaking ours from killing chickens by either whooping their behinds with the dead birds, or with the temporary use of a shock collar. It only takes two shocks for your dogs to be running from chickens, and one but whooping for them to not want anything to do with those birds.

I'm so sorry for your struggles, but glad to hear she perked up!

 

[AshlyMommaWard]

I had two birds miraculously heal from some pretty gnarly dog attack wounds (and 8 killed by my own dog in the same spree). I was still new to chickens and in no way prepared to put them down if needed. (At that time, I have since processed extra cockerels and put down two injured beyond humanely trying to save pullets).
If she's eating, drinking and trying to move I'd let her try to recover. The cleaning and treating methods you mentioned sound excellent, much better than my two received. I simply cleaned and separated until healed.
As far as training the dog, hit or miss depending on many, many factors. If your birds have a fenced run, your best bet would be to enclose the top of it, will offer protection from them flying out to your dog, and many other predators that could happen upon them while your dog is in the house.
Best wishes.

 

[Falconfree]

He's a Border Collie (I have 2). I don't see him actually ever learning to where I can trust him at all. He actually isn't interested in the chickens hardly at all unless they are flapping wildly by his face. He has issues with self control and reactivity to movement. It sucks, and affects everything in his life. He is my problem child. :/

My girl seems to be doing well. She is still eating and drinking. Even laid an egg a couple days ago, though it was soft shelled (a first for me, freaky to touch when you aren't expecting it- wow!). As long as it doesn't get infected, I'm optimistic!

 

[Falconfree]

Oh, and we finally actually electrified the electronet the chickens live in, and nobody has flown over the top since. It hasn't been long enough to say the problem is solved, but I'm hoping they've gotten it through their heads that they need to stay away from the fence.