Emergency Surgery - Did I do this right?

[LBFarms]

Came home for lunch today and found our 5 mo old Anatolian pup, who had previously been mostly trustworthy, playing sling the hen (1 year old Barred Rock) around by it's neck. I thought the hen was dead but when I touched it she jumped up and started walking around. I saw she had a gaping, approx. 2 1/2 long wound in the skin on her neck. The wound was through the skin completely, but there was really no bleeding. It was gaping open over 1/2". I wrapped her up with vet-wrap to immobilize her, as I was the only one home. I flushed it out with water with a little betadine in it (tea coloored solution). I didn't get every little piece of dirt out but most of it. I stitched up the wound with 4/0 nylon ,an improvised stitch, not exactly textbook but it closed it up. I then washed off the outside of the wound with the betadine solution, dried it and then superglued over the stitches, as I did not trust my stitch job. Then a coat of blue-kote and .5 ml of pennicillin and put her in the henhouse & had to rush back to work. I will follow up with the pennicillin daily for a week if she survives. Anything else I should have done or can do for her?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Keep her separate from the other chickens, feed her extra protein, minerals and vitamins, with electrolytes. You did good. How is she doing?

 

[LBFarms]

Still alive this morning. Not real perky for sure, but walking around. I will get going on the extra suppplements you suggested. Thanks.

 

[Working Dog Doc]

Don't ever close dog or cat wounds! They need to drain or you will get a nasty abscess. Even for bad dog fight wounds, we keep it open (but bandaged) to drain for a few days, then suture it closed. Flushing the wound three times a day with weak iodine solution is fine. I don't advocate using antibiotics without guidance from your vet, as this is how antibiotic resistance happens.

 

[klmclain1]

It was the hen that was injured...not the dog.

 

[Working Dog Doc]

No, that's what I mean: never suture up any wounds caused by a dog or cat (especially puncture wounds, just FYI). Whether dog on dog, dog on human, dog on chicken.

 

[lorijohnson823]

Giving your hen a B12 shot would be helpful to her.You can get the B12 injectable at a local farm supply store. It will definitley give her a little pep.

 

[lorijohnson823]

Depending on where you live at, its hard to find a vet that is willing to see and treat chickens. A lot of things, you have to manage on your own.

 

[Working Dog Doc]

You'd be surprised...for this sort of thing, a wound is a wound, regardless of species. At any rate, I'm a vet who will see chickens.

 

[six_eclectic_chickens]

I recommend electrolytes, as with the previous people. We had a sickly chicken that did die in the end because she was weak from her first days, and kept in poor conditions until we got her (no sunlight). The electrolytes perked her up a bit and kept her around for an extra day or two. So sad when she died as she was a lovely chicken and had a great personality. I also agree with not stitching it up. I'm no vet, but it does make sense. Best of luck with her, I hope she makes it!