EMERGENCY HELP (Warning graphic photos) My 6mo old Copper Maran was attached by squirrels

[BusyBrunette]

The feathers, skin and fat are completely gone but her muscles, veins and tendons seem to be intact. Bleeding is limited to oozing from skin and a bit of blood dripping from her beak.

I rinsed her wounds with water and Vetrycin then covered the entire area with Hydrogel and wrapped her neck in gauze.
I also gave her an dose of water and B-12 via an oral syringe/dropper. That same day, I changed her gauze 1x as it was oozy and pink. She also had a bit of blood on the dishtowel below her beak that I provided to help support her head.

She survived the 1st day and night. Gauze change this morning had very minimal oozing and no more blood had dripped from her beak. The photos below are from this morning (i.e. the day after the attack). She will drink just a few sips and will look eager to eat the yogurt/mealworm/feed mixture I made... but after about 4 bites she is done. I imagine her muscles were damaged and it is painful to swallow and/or move her head too much. Her wound seems less 'bright red" and seems to have improved slightly.

That good news aside, she now is dripping clear mucus from her beak.. which of course makes drinking/eating difficult.

Is the mucous from stress? Her wounds don't look infected but they are close to her ears/sinuses... is it possible the oozing is dripping into her sinus cavity and out her mouth and that is the discharge I see... not a sign of infection?

Any suggestions on how best approach this are greatly appreciated.

Michelle (BusyBrunette), Valley Center, CA

 

[Tzul Tzul Chicken]

Antibiotics are usually needed to treat and stop an infected wound from spreading1234. Some commonly prescribed antibiotics include:

• Amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin, Augmentin-Duo)
• Cephalexin (Keflex)
• Doxycycline (Doryx)
• Dicloxacillin
• Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)
• Clindamycin (Cleocin)1

Antibiotic creams such as fusidic acid can be used on minor wound infections3. Oral antibiotics may be needed if the wound or cut is large and deep, such as post-surgical wounds4. Other antibiotics that can be used for wound healing include honey, imipenem, cefazolin, vancomycin, ertapenem, clindamycin, bactrim, and augmentin5.

 

[Tzul Tzul Chicken]

Just keep applying triple Antibiotic ointment to it 2-3 times a day

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she have any wounds near her trachea/airway, or her esophagus and crop? The wound looks pretty severe. Keep it moist with the Vetericyn hydrogel or saline, and the antibiotic ointment can be good as well. Does the hydrogel alone seem to keep it moist enough? You might want to learn to tube feed her if she won’t take enough food and water. KayTee baby bird feed is sold at most Walmarts. Feeding tube sets are available from Amazon for baby goats and lambs. A size 14-16 French is large enough. Aim for 15 ml of fluid per kg (every 2.2 pounds) 2-3 times a day. Raw egg, wet feed with a lot of water or the baby bird feed, and fluids can be given.
https://www.amazon.com/Abustle-pig-...ix=baby+lamb+feeding+tube+sets,aps,340&sr=8-8

 

[BusyBrunette]

Thank you for the reply. If you zoom in on the 3rd photo I posted you will see what looks like the quill of a feather laying against her flesh just below the jaw. It is not a quill, as I discovered when I gently tried to remove it. It is a part of the fine bones of the lower jaw (see anatomy photos I found online below... possibly called the Epibranchaial). I have also attached a photo of today, day 3, when I changed her gauze and you can see that bone more clearly.

The flesh seems to be healing well and the Hydrogel is keeping everything moist and clean. She eager to eat, but struggles to swallow and hold her head for too long. Based on the anatomy photos I found, I think the tongue/jaw is related to that exposed bone.

I will take your advise of tube feeding... it may be more effective than the syringe I use via her beak.

Thank you also for the specifics regarding mls per lb, raw egg and KayTee suggestion. That is VERY helpful in understanding what her water/food intake should be.

I truly appreciate your details... this girl wants to fight to live... Im gonna do all I can to help her

 

[pennyJo1960]

She can possibly be able to heal eggcessive knows what she is talking about. Good luck!

 

[BusyBrunette]

Thank you for the reply. If you zoom in on the 3rd photo I posted you will see what looks like the quill of a feather laying against her flesh just below the jaw. It is not a quill, as I discovered when I gently tried to remove it. It is a part of the fine bones of the lower jaw (see anatomy photos I found online below... possibly called the Epibranchaial). I have also attached a photo of today, day 3, when I changed her gauze and you can see that bone more clearly.

The flesh seems to be healing well and the Hydrogel is keeping everything moist and clean. She eager to eat, but struggles to swallow and hold her head for too long. Based on the anatomy photos I found, I think the tongue/jaw is related to that exposed bone.

I will take your advise of tube feeding... it may be more effective than the syringe I use via her beak.

Thank you also for the specifics regarding mls per lb, raw egg and KayTee suggestion. That is VERY helpful in understanding what her water/food intake should be.

I truly appreciate your details... this girl wants to fight to live... Im gonna do all I can to help her

Thank you for the reply. If you zoom in on the 3rd photo I posted you will see what looks like the quill of a feather laying against her flesh just below the jaw. It is not a quill, as I discovered when I gently tried to remove it. It is a part of the fine bones of the lower jaw (see anatomy photos I found online below... possibly called the Epibranchaial). I have also attached a photo of today, day 3, when I changed her gauze and you can see that bone more clearly.

The flesh seems to be healing well and the Hydrogel is keeping everything moist and clean. She eager to eat, but struggles to swallow and hold her head for too long. Based on the anatomy photos I found, I think the tongue/jaw is related to that exposed bone.

I will take your advise of tube feeding... it may be more effective than the syringe I use via her beak.

Thank you also for the specifics regarding mls per lb, raw egg and KayTee suggestion. That is VERY helpful in understanding what her water/food intake should be.

I truly appreciate your details... this girl wants to fight to live... Im gonna do all I can to help her

Just a quick note to thank you again for the tube feeding suggestion. Learning how to do that taught me that the esophagus is in the middle of her tough and it must be closed to drink/eat.

I have tube fed her now which is great, but I now realize that the fine exposed bone I mentioned previously is attached to her tongue and she can no longer move it properly to eat or swallow.

She does not have much chance to survive this injury long term sadly.
Again, I very much appreciation for the advise... it will be valuable in the future should one of my other hens need some R&R.
Sincerely
BusyBrunette

 

[BusyBrunette]

Just a quick note to thank you again for the tube feeding suggestion. Learning how to do that taught me that the esophagus is in the middle of her tongue and it must be closed to drink/eat.

I have tube fed her now which is great, but I now realize that the fine exposed bone I mentioned previously is attached to her tongue and she can no longer move it properly to eat or swallow.

She does not have much chance to survive this injury long term sadly.
Again, I very much appreciation for the advise... it will be valuable in the future should one of my other hens need some R&R.
Sincerely
BusyBrunette

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. I’m not a vet, and I’m not sure an avian vet could help much. The diagram is of a turkey skeleton, and the ones online of a chicken look a little different. I do hope that she can survive this, but it may not be possible. Let us know how she gets along.

 

[Themellowyellows]

How is your hen? Did she make it? Hope she did, prayers for you and her.