Emergency - Accidentally Stepped on Head

[Sequel]

One of my young pullets just ran underneath me chasing food, and I caught her head/neck when I accidentally stepped on her. She's alive, but immediately started writhing and blood came out of one of her nostrils. She's holding her eyes closed, but opens them periodically, and can't seem to hold herself up. I worry she may have head trauma or a neck injury. I'm freaking out. What do you all recommend?

I'm so sorry! It happens! We hate it when it does, but it just happens! Take care!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One of my young pullets just ran underneath me chasing food, and I caught her head/neck when I accidentally stepped on her. She's alive, but immediately started writhing and blood came out of one of her nostrils. She's holding her eyes closed, but opens them periodically, and can't seem to hold herself up. I worry she may have head trauma or a neck injury. I'm freaking out. What do you all recommend?

Thank you. Is there a painkiller I could be giving her? We don't keep meds at the house, but I can run to the drugstore if there is something particular to help her. She's still just a baby.

The bleeding did stop almost immediately, but I know their little skulls are so fragile.

I'm so sorry about your pullet
I know you feel bad, but this was an accident, it can happen to any of us.
Personally I would not offer any pain killer, I would keep her warm and quiet, offering supportive care (fluids) as suggested. See how she is in the morning.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would not give a painkiller, such as aspirin, since it can cause bleeding. Please let us know how she is doing in the morning after resting.

 

[chickenpeeple]

I will be praying for your little pullet.

 

[nightowl223]

I'm so sorry this happened to you and your featherbaby. Don't beat yourself up over it, as accidents happen, and nothing can prevent them all the time. We all, when we raise chickens, eventually have to deal with an accident at some time. I know you feel awful about it, and you have the right to mourn, but chickens occasionally come out on the other side of terrible injury and survive to live a long and happy life.

You've gotten the best advice possible under the circumstances here. The only advice I can add is hydration. If she will take any fluids, and if you have any vitamin/electrolyte mix (Durvet sells it in a jar with a scoop for measuring, very handy), or even Pedialyte or Gatorade, I would offer the vitamin mix in water or a half water-half Pedialyte/Gatorade blend, preferably with a syringe (no needle) or dropper dripped at the edge of her beak, were it leaks into the beak, and she will hopefully instinctively swallow it. Keeping her hydrated at this point is the biggest hurdle.

It sounds like she has incurred a skull fracture, or possibly a closed head trauma - the main sympton being the blood from the nare (nostril) leads me to think that. What will happen now is that the brain will swell somewhat due to the injury; how much is unknown, as every brain injury is different, as is every reaction to one, even in humans. It's possible the brain will swell so much that there will be worse injury to it, and she will simply go to sleep and not wake up. There may be physiological symptoms like twitching or seizures during the swelling process, too.

At some point, if she survives the period of swelling, it will go back down. As long as she remains hydrated, once the swelling goes down and the brain returns to normal size, she could easily start getting up and acting completely normally, or she could end up with some sort of disability, but that's completely impossible to predict. As long as she remains able to swallow the liquids you dribble in the side of her beak, the outlook, while poor, is still not certain. I wish you all the luck in the world with her! I know the feelings you're dealing with right now. Just hang in there, and remember to not hold yourself responsible for what was a fluke, an accident you could not control.

 

[Kfults]

So sorry for your accident, hoping your baby pulls through

 

[nightowl223]

I would also add this suggestion... if you have or can get CBD oil, there are some studies that are showing positive signs of CBD oil helping treat brain injury in humans. As CBD is pretty safe, and there's no real danger of overdose in humans, and I have found NO information about any dosage in chickens, I would absolutely suggest giving her a few drops of the CBD oil, by beak, just like the vitamin water. I'd say up to 1/2 ml (about 1/3 of the glass dropper, if it's not marked) would be appropriate to try with her. At this point, as serious as the situation is, I would certainly give it a try, if she were my featherbaby.

 

[Glitterchicks]

I hope she pulls through! Please keep us updated.

 

[Shadrach]

If she had blood coming out of her mouth and you put anything like your full weight when you stepped on her it's likely it has internal injuries.
You may be able to keep her alive with 'supportive' care but my opinion is the kindest thing to do is to put an end to her.
I'm sorry. It is often the hardest thing to do but the kindest thing you can do with many such injuries.

 

[cleoandtheflock]

How is she doing this morning?