Escaped Chick Cat Attack

[Wingleader]

Hi all. I've got an unfortunate problem.

I have a three/four week old white leghorn pullet that apparently managed a daring escape from her brooder early this morning. My 6 month old cat, Waffle, apparently found her before my husband did. The chick's rear end is torn to bits all around the tail and there's a small bleeding injury on her right wing. From what I can see her vent is in one piece, her legs work just fine, she can move around and peep (loudly). She's far too chewed up for any kind of bandage, but I did try to get feathers out of the way.... I'll try and get pictures this evening.

I very much doubt she will make it despite her looking strong, if only for the fact that cat attacks are incredibly infectious (and I know this first hand) but I wanted to run it by folks more knowledgable in the healing arts of poultry than I. I'm going to slather on some plain Neosporin (the no caine kind!) and hope to head off anything immediate... we'll see.... I'll probably also start dosing her water heavily with nutri-drench and duramycin (antibiotic). I don't want to stress the poor thing too much so I'm giving her time to settle in between me messing with her.

I feel so stupid for allowing this to happen. I had no problems with three batches of chicks this year, the cat left them well enough alone... suffice to say there's now dog kennel sides on top of the brooder so this can't happen again... and if the cat goes near the brooder he's going to get a hefty swat until he figures it out. Cats will be cats, but my adult ones know better. Even the outside ones leave the chickens, especially the chicks with their mamas, alone.

 

[sourland]

I think that you have done all of the right things. Keep the flies away from the chick and wait. Time will tell the tale as to her survival. If there are no internal injuries, chickens can survive horrific skin and muscle injuries. Good luck.

 

[Wingleader]

Thanks sourland, good to know I'm picking up some knowledge from this site, at least.

The chick is doing well thus far. She was running about in the fish tank I have her separated from the others in, She had been eating and kicking bedding around and (I am assuming) drinking the nutri-drench and duramycin medicated water. As long as she doesn't get an infection I have hope that she'll pull through, and have some awesome battle scars to show off when she's older.

 

[Wingleader]

I've got another serious problem.

About a week into treating the chick that was attacked with Duramycin-10, all of the chicks developed a sudden Cocci issue! I stopped treatment on the wounded chick so that she could be placed back with the others (she got the cocci too) and began treating with Corid. Now, the three unhurt chicks are acting fine and the hurt one is puffed up and lethargic! Can Corid and Duramycin be mixed? Some I've heard say yes and some no, but this is a unique situation and I'm concerned it may be a secondary infection related to the injury and that prematurely stopping the antibiotics caused it.

Help!

Edit: Okay, I forced the puffy chick to take some water from a syringe. She was NOT HAPPY. I then went to work and when I returned home she was no longer acting funny. It has been over a day now and she seems back to normal. She must not have been drinking the meds. Whew.