First aid help after dog attack

TwistedTayy

Songster
Apr 30, 2021
484
858
171
Douglasville, GA
Ugh I’ve had a long couple hours. I got home from work with my dog (GSD) and we went out back to check on the ducks and found our gander in the coop that houses our flock of welsh harlequins which is the second time I have found that… the first time he was bullying them and not letting them out. So I tried to coax him out to no avail. Then I wondered where the female goose was… and found her standing under a copse of trees with another couple ducks and still she wouldn’t come to me either. Then I realized one of those ducks was dead. And then Rhea (my gsd) started chasing something… a dog! Suddenly it all made sense. She herded the dog into the goose coop (which was empty and impressive) so I locked the dog in there and gave it some water and set out to evaluate my ducks.

All welsh harlequins were alive and being guarded by my gander, good, close door to run.

Now for pebbles, my female pilgrim. She appeared to be guarding my female white layer and the other 3 jumbo pekins had passed away. Ok… move both into coop.

Called the dogs owner and sorted that out. They came to pick him up and I set about evaluating my ducks. CLOSELY.

One Welsh harlequin drake passed away while the dog was being picked up sadly (I think from shock because he was not in the worst shape). Unfortunately he was the one drake I was planning on keeping.

Three more drakes were not able to walk so I was worried I would have to cull them. I was trying not to stress anyone out so I examined the WH drake that passed and his injuries seemed superficial but there were wounds.. feathers pulled out from between wings and tail. Okie dokie. I went and grabbed the blue kote and set about examining the other WHs. They mostly all had similar wounds in the same area which I sprayed with the blue kote. Seemed only muscle deep and I decided that the 3 other drakes were just muscle deep. I sprayed them and separated them into the goose coop which I cleaned out and latex with fresh straw, water and food.

The other welshies were still able to walk and I sprayed the ones that looked rough and left them to be quiet. My white layer was then next…

7B785F81-C382-4E6E-AB5F-0B2CBA1A4348.jpeg


She had a droopy wing which appears to be dislocated (question about that at the end). But no blood or anything so the dog probably just grabbed her wing tip but she got away. She did seem faster and smarter than the others in her flock.

Geese don’t seem to have been touched at all and words cannot describe how incredibly proud I am for standing their ground and actually protecting birds that they normally bully (I was beginning to worry).

I put electrolytes and nutri-drench in everyone’s waters.

QUESTIONS
is there anything else I could do? It’s very warm outside and they are safe from predators but in terms of specialized care…

also for the white layers wing… I feel like I should wrap similar to angel wing but I’d like confirmation or experiences with that.

I don’t feel like we need to go to a vet. So I’d like to make them as comfortable as possible and give them the best chances.
 
So very sorry for your losses. You examined closely under feathers etc? Using blue kote is fine if you cleaned the wounds first rinsing in warm salt water? Feathers can hide wounds real well. And another. Problem will be flies and open wounds. There is a product TSC carries it it’s a salve that you can use to keep flies away it’s in my coop or I’d get you the name. Flies means maggots and that is something you don’t want. As for the White layer wrapping similar to Angel wing would be a good idea since it will keep her wing at the normal position to heal unless it’s completely out of its socket? Thank goodness for your geese. I’m afraid my two would be hiding and terrified if something like that happened here.
 
So very sorry for your losses. You examined closely under feathers etc? Using blue kote is fine if you cleaned the wounds first rinsing in warm salt water? Feathers can hide wounds real well. And another. Problem will be flies and open wounds. There is a product TSC carries it it’s a salve that you can use to keep flies away it’s in my coop or I’d get you the name. Flies means maggots and that is something you don’t want. As for the White layer wrapping similar to Angel wing would be a good idea since it will keep her wing at the normal position to heal unless it’s completely out of its socket? Thank goodness for your geese. I’m afraid my two would be hiding and terrified if something like that happened here.
the welshies are still very skittish with me. The pekins were like that until a few weeks ago when they realized I changed their pools and fed them so I have been taking it VERY slow with them also. I was very worried about shock as they are still very young (not 8 weeks) so I was more so just doing triage and then wanted to leave them to be quiet. I can give them a salt bath tomorrow but do you think that I should close them in somewhere and do like an epsom bath in their pool and just let them play in that? Treat the whole flock?

Also have a new question.. the white layer (pinkie) is all that’s left of her flock and so I don’t want to put her back in her house by herself but she appears to be starting to bully the welshies. Do you think dog crate in the coop? It’s already almost 10pm here.. if so could it wait til tomorrow night?
 
Update: everyone who I put to bed has survived the night. I put the first aid boys out this morning in a little area that I had fenced off to keep (normally) keep ducks out because I have plants in it. Fresh water food and umbrella. Even put out a fan and had to rig up a tarp for some extra shade. It’s about 94 today so I tried to give them everything short of ac. Pinkie is a little depressed after losing her flock but is having fun bossing around “the littles.” Side note - sounds like a great band name lol “pinkie and the littles”. The geese are hovering around the duck coop but I locked them out of the run because between them and pinkie I was afraid no one else could eat or drink. I locked pinkie out while I set up the fan and she DESPERATELY wanted back in but the littles started getting up and preening and getting food and water so she probably will get a dog crate when I cool down enough to go back out there.

The boys that I separated still aren’t walking but they’re eating and drinking.. I’m hoping that they’re not walking well due to pain. I know that sounds terrible but the alternative would be partial paralysis/broken hip/etc and for us would mean culling. I literally found someone to take all the extra drakes yesterday before this happened 🙄 so if I can nurse them back to health, they will have a home to go to. No evidence of fly strike but it may be a little early still for that.

Going to get some epsom and just put it in their respective pools so they can treat themselves and need some medical tape to wrap pinkies wing so will update how that goes
 
That's great they are all doing so good so far.
I finally remembered to go to the coop for the jar of SWAT it's for use around wounds and sores to keep the flies off. You def don't want to deal with fly strike,
 
Update: the first aid boys have been reintegrated into the flock and the only what you could tell there was every anything wrong with them is the traces of blue kote still visible. Also pinkies wing is improved but hasn’t healed. Not sure if it ever will, between her and the geese the wrap comes off in seconds. But it doesn’t seem to cause her pain or affect her quality of life so we’re just going to let her be happy and a little gimpy.
 
Ugh I’ve had a long couple hours. I got home from work with my dog (GSD) and we went out back to check on the ducks and found our gander in the coop that houses our flock of welsh harlequins which is the second time I have found that… the first time he was bullying them and not letting them out. So I tried to coax him out to no avail. Then I wondered where the female goose was… and found her standing under a copse of trees with another couple ducks and still she wouldn’t come to me either. Then I realized one of those ducks was dead. And then Rhea (my gsd) started chasing something… a dog! Suddenly it all made sense. She herded the dog into the goose coop (which was empty and impressive) so I locked the dog in there and gave it some water and set out to evaluate my ducks.

All welsh harlequins were alive and being guarded by my gander, good, close door to run.

Now for pebbles, my female pilgrim. She appeared to be guarding my female white layer and the other 3 jumbo pekins had passed away. Ok… move both into coop.

Called the dogs owner and sorted that out. They came to pick him up and I set about evaluating my ducks. CLOSELY.

One Welsh harlequin drake passed away while the dog was being picked up sadly (I think from shock because he was not in the worst shape). Unfortunately he was the one drake I was planning on keeping.

Three more drakes were not able to walk so I was worried I would have to cull them. I was trying not to stress anyone out so I examined the WH drake that passed and his injuries seemed superficial but there were wounds.. feathers pulled out from between wings and tail. Okie dokie. I went and grabbed the blue kote and set about examining the other WHs. They mostly all had similar wounds in the same area which I sprayed with the blue kote. Seemed only muscle deep and I decided that the 3 other drakes were just muscle deep. I sprayed them and separated them into the goose coop which I cleaned out and latex with fresh straw, water and food.

The other welshies were still able to walk and I sprayed the ones that looked rough and left them to be quiet. My white layer was then next…

View attachment 2762704

She had a droopy wing which appears to be dislocated (question about that at the end). But no blood or anything so the dog probably just grabbed her wing tip but she got away. She did seem faster and smarter than the others in her flock.

Geese don’t seem to have been touched at all and words cannot describe how incredibly proud I am for standing their ground and actually protecting birds that they normally bully (I was beginning to worry).

I put electrolytes and nutri-drench in everyone’s waters.

QUESTIONS
is there anything else I could do? It’s very warm outside and they are safe from predators but in terms of specialized care…

also for the white layers wing… I feel like I should wrap similar to angel wing but I’d like confirmation or experiences with that.

I don’t feel like we need to go to a vet. So I’d like to make them as comfortable as possible and give them the best chances.
Spray vetericin on them. Use the nozzle where it sprays a stream it will flow under the feathers. Crush up dried bay leaves and sprinkle that in the wound. Flies do not like bay leaves so they wont lay eggs on the wound. Hopefully your grocery has a bulk spice section! This has worked well ducks and bunnys for me. U can mix the bay leaves in an ointnent too. Good luck!
 
Spray vetericin on them. Use the nozzle where it sprays a stream it will flow under the feathers. Crush up dried bay leaves and sprinkle that in the wound. Flies do not like bay leaves so they wont lay eggs on the wound. Hopefully your grocery has a bulk spice section! This has worked well ducks and bunnys for me. U can mix the bay leaves in an ointnent too. Good luck!
They are all healed up now but I’m definitely going to try the bay leaf thing. I’m super into remedies like that! I’m sure a time will come when I’ll need that again. :oops:
 

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