Dog mauled chicken - help!

[goats-n-oats]

Hi, I believe my dog mauled this barred rock hen. He bit her neck and the spine can be seen if you lift the skin. She is still walking normally and drinking water. She is covered in mud (I assume from struggling with my dog.) There is only an emergency vet right now about 100 miles away, and I don't have the funds. Should I put iodine on the open skin? Wrap her in gauze? Any other supportive care? Is there a chance it will heal by itself, or must it be stitched or covered?

 

[Liveove]

Hi, I believe my dog mauled this barred rock hen. He bit her neck and the spine can be seen if you lift the skin. She is still walking normally and drinking water. She is covered in mud (I assume from struggling with my dog.) There is only an emergency vet right now about 100 miles away, and I don't have the funds. Should I put iodine on the open skin? Wrap her in gauze? Any other supportive care? Is there a chance it will heal by itself, or must it be stitched or covered?

I like to use veterycin or original neosporin for chicken wounds. Blue-cote is not my favorite, since it stain like crazy, since that's what its made for. The others may peck at her wound, so you might want to separate her. Poor baby!

And no, I have never had a chicken have to get stitched (fingers-crossed!) They are pretty tough birds.

 

[My Bagurks]

I had a chicken attacked by a dog during the winter. Looked very similar to those wounds. I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it. But I slathered Neosporin into the wounds and the feathers covered it well enough that the other chickens left it alone. I applied it for a few days and they closed up pretty quickly. All wounds healed well. I can feel some scar tissue under her feathers and you can see some feathers are a little out of place. But chickens are amazingly resilient. Good luck and I hope she is ok.

 

[Chicks in VA]

i would personally use neosporin or silver honey on the wound
does it look like the spine is injured

 

[Lor]

Oh no! Poor girl!

 

[goats-n-oats]

I had a chicken attacked by a dog during the winter. Looked very similar to those wounds. I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it. But I slathered Neosporin into the wounds and the feathers covered it well enough that the other chickens left it alone. I applied it for a few days and they closed up pretty quickly. All wounds healed well. I can feel some scar tissue under her feathers and you can see some feathers are a little out of place. But chickens are amazingly resilient. Good luck and I hope she is ok.

Won't the neosporin prevent the skin from stitching together? I will try it tho.

 

[Liveove]

Won't the neosporin prevent the skin from stitching together? I will try it tho.

No it won't

 

[Liveove]

i would personally use neosporin or silver honey on the wound
does it look like the spine is injured

Honey was recommended to me before as well. Turned out to be a bad idea as its sticky and attracts flies.

 

[ChickenAddiction09]

Make sure you bring it inside so maggots don’t lay eggs in there try to find liquid bandaid! I’m sure she’ll be fine just keep her inside until it starts healing

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

If the flap of skin is dead cut it off. And then lather the wound in neosporin.