Fox attack - limp neck

[Loona]

Thank you. We sure are trying I'll update what happened today. She was mouth breathing this morning. Worried me. I gave her some fluids and it did go away in a bit. I bought some Exact baby bird formula last night. Casportpony recommended it. So she ate that in the morning. She had about 30mls. Later some watermelon juice, yogurt, electrolyte water and Poultry-Cell water. She really likes this, and I'm so glad she is eating/drinking on her own as I hold the cup. Her neck felt very warm and is turning shades of blue purple and green. So I got the soft Ace cold pack and let her rest on that for 20 minutes. She seemed to like it. Around noon we took her outside to try and get her to poop, and I would take some pics after cleaning her. But I began to get this gut feeling that she might need the antibiotics. So I started her on the Clavamox. It was a bear to get down. She hated it. By the time we were done, she just laid there wiped out. So I cleaned her vent, got some pics. Now I know for sure that thing is not a bone. Its just whatever was under the skin and got ripped out. Not sure what to do about this. But at least its not a bone. Shew! Her vent is definitely something wrong. I have no idea what to do : \
So she rested after a/b. A few hours later she seemed alert. She ate another 30mls of Exact and some yogurt. She took a poop and it was actually kinda solid, so that was good too. For the rest of the evening she got some yogurt and electrolyte water and we just try to keep her comfortable. Then came round two of a/b. Again she hated it, but we washed it down with watermelon juice and now she is sleeping. Sigh......

Really was feeling a bit overwhelmed today, but now I'm feeling better. Before evening set in we checked the coops and locked them down. The I went around there coop and sprayed my urine!! LOL I was reading an article that said to pea in a cup and pour it but I thought to just put it in a bottle and spray! I feel like I'm going nuts. But I'm so scared that thing will be back. I've had them three years now and I've never felt so scared. I haven't left the house since this happened. But I think I may calm down sooner or later.

Here are the pictures I took of her vent today. I have no idea what to think or what to do.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

So glad to hear it's not bone, that's really good news. Again, I am not a chicken anatomy expert, could be a slight tear and /or prolaps, hopefully someone who is better able to identify it will chime in. For now it sounds like you are doing everything you can and it seems to be working. I am very impressed with your hard work, give yourself a pat on the back. Just keep her vent as clean as you can. Love the urine spray!! Let that bad thing know who's territory it's dealing with and be prepared to get rid of it. Kisses to Olga, she seems to be a fighter and a tough girl. Good for her. and please keep us up dated, I truely do want to know how she is doing. Thoughts and prayers your way everyday

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

What it looks like to me is that both sides of her vent are ripped.

I marked this picture where I'm thinking the tear is. It could be all the way under, from side to side. That's hard to tell.

You may have to debride the skin in that area. (Basically scrape or cut off dead tissue.)
If the cloacal opening is intact there is less chance of poo getting into her wound. You may be able to glue it. I still think steri strips are your best best. They will allow for some movement of the area. (Let's be honest they move their vent a lot.)

I'm sure her neck is bruised and rather traumatized. The antibiotics are good just in case. As long as the green seems to be the bruising reabsorbing I think you're ok. If you think they are infected you could try and flush them with cool water. She may like the cool water run over her skin anyway if she liked the ice pack.

You're doing great! Keep up all the good work!
(BTW hard to find pictures of a normal chicken vent online)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree with @FlyingNunFarm it does look like the vent is ripped.

Go out and take a look at one of your other hens vent for comparison.

In the photo - I have circled a couple of things - the "scalloped edges" is the vent opening. The other circle - is her poop coming out there?

 

[Loona]

So glad to hear it's not bone, that's really good news. Again, I am not a chicken anatomy expert, could be a slight tear and /or prolaps, hopefully someone who is better able to identify it will chime in. For now it sounds like you are doing everything you can and it seems to be working. I am very impressed with your hard work, give yourself a pat on the back. Just keep her vent as clean as you can. Love the urine spray!! Let that bad thing know who's territory it's dealing with and be prepared to get rid of it. Kisses to Olga, she seems to be a fighter and a tough girl. Good for her. and please keep us up dated, I truely do want to know how she is doing. Thoughts and prayers your way everyday

Thank you so much for the well wishes and encouragement I really appreciate it! While spraying my pee, my daughter, um, how did you get it in the bottle? LOL A cup of course. She was so bewildered!! That's a new one on her! We humans do funny things sometimes!

 

[Loona]

What it looks like to me is that both sides of her vent are ripped.
View attachment 1100900
I marked this picture where I'm thinking the tear is. It could be all the way under, from side to side. That's hard to tell.

You may have to debride the skin in that area. (Basically scrape or cut off dead tissue.)
If the cloacal opening is intact there is less chance of poo getting into her wound. You may be able to glue it. I still think steri strips are your best best. They will allow for some movement of the area. (Let's be honest they move their vent a lot.)

I'm sure her neck is bruised and rather traumatized. The antibiotics are good just in case. As long as the green seems to be the bruising reabsorbing I think you're ok. If you think they are infected you could try and flush them with cool water. She may like the cool water run over her skin anyway if she liked the ice pack.

You're doing great! Keep up all the good work!
(BTW hard to find pictures of a normal chicken vent online)

Thank you for these ideas. Not sure what the cloacal opening is. Is that something inside the vent? I did check up in there and it does seem to be intact. Do you mean glue those scalloped edges? I do have some adhesive strips for wounds. They are a bit long but I don't know how to apply them to this. Can you use that same picture and mark some thick lines where I should apply them? That would be so great!

After looking her neck over yesterday morning, I saw a shade of green that was green as grass. That, the mouth breathing, and torn vent just made me think some a/b's should be in order. I will inspect the neck area again to see if that's gone. She got (2) 250mg Clavamox pills yesterday. Could just be bruising but looked weird. I've seen olive green in bruises, but not this color. I will try the cool water on her neck. Yes,she may like that.

Thank you so much for the help! Such a relief to finally try to understand what's going on with her vent!

 

[wvchics]

Very good news. Still keep in mind the total fluids she needs in 24 hrs to stay hydrated Try to measure what she takes in until back to normal. Scrambled eggs, yoghurt etc may tempt her. Watermelon juice was an excellent idea!!!

You could also try making a thin mash with crumbles or cornmeal or something similar. I would make it very thin at first almost like a drink. Then, as she regains her strength you can gradually thicken it until she's ready for real food again. I think with enough tlc she can survive being that she does seem to be improving.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Thank you for these ideas. Not sure what the cloacal opening is. Is that something inside the vent? I did check up in there and it does seem to be intact. Do you mean glue those scalloped edges? I do have some adhesive strips for wounds. They are a bit long but I don't know how to apply them to this. Can you use that same picture and mark some thick lines where I should apply them? That would be so great!

After looking her neck over yesterday morning, I saw a shade of green that was green as grass. That, the mouth breathing, and torn vent just made me think some a/b's should be in order. I will inspect the neck area again to see if that's gone. She got (2) 250mg Clavamox pills yesterday. Could just be bruising but looked weird. I've seen olive green in bruises, but not this color. I will try the cool water on her neck. Yes,she may like that.

Thank you so much for the help! Such a relief to finally try to understand what's going on with her vent!

cloacal opening is her vent

 

[Loona]

I agree with @FlyingNunFarm it does look like the vent is ripped.

Go out and take a look at one of your other hens vent for comparison.

In the photo - I have circled a couple of things - the "scalloped edges" is the vent opening. The other circle - is her poop coming out there?

View attachment 1101120

No, no poop coming out of that area. Those scalloped edges seem to be the dirty part. When I cleaned it yesterday, I saw some yellowish looking tissue. I thought it was poop, but it's not, so that was another reason I thought to start a/b. After cleaning it looked like a yellowish soft scab forming.

Yes we looked at the vent of another hen and I see pretty much what your picture shows a normal vent. So when I look at her vent I just got so perplexed.

Here is what is curious: before this attack, it was quite wonderful because Olga started laying eggs again after almost a year in September. We couldn't believe it, because we were just talking about it. Was so funny! Thereafter she laid 2 more eggs, and then came the attack : \
As I carried her into the house in the middle of the night and looking her over I noticed she had some clumpy poopy-butt feathers. I asked my daughter if she had been sick? She said no, but she did have some clumpy poopy feathers. It was not bad, I've seen bad poopy butt, but the clumpy feathers were there. So maybe she had something going on from laying eggs again. Maybe it was swollen or prolapsed slightly and that is how the fox got a hold of it. I don't know though, I'm only guessing. Suddenly laying eggs, slight poopy butt, maybe a swollen vent, and she also had very runny poop after the attack, smelled really foul, and now that she is being cared for indoor and she's getting yogurt, her poops have stiffened up. It could all be coincidental that she had something going on just before the attack. Ah, I'll never really know.
Thank you for your help!

 

[Loona]

You could also try making a thin mash with crumbles or cornmeal or something similar. I would make it very thin at first almost like a drink. Then, as she regains her strength you can gradually thicken it until she's ready for real food again. I think with enough tlc she can survive being that she does seem to be improving.

Thank you! I do have some corn meal on hand so I'll give it a try. Put a japanese beetle in front of her just to spark her attention. She liked the sight of it, went to nibble but couldn't grab it. Just wanted to test the waters. I think a variety of foods and liquids are helping whatever poopy butt that she may have had before the attack. Thanks again!