Fox attack!!

[Liadan]

A fox attacked my favorite girl minutes after my husband and dog stepped back inside.

Hubby shot the fox. It's dead. As we were discussing what needs to be done with bodies Dolly gets up and walks off!

She has feather loss and a good bite to her back with 5-6 punctures. I've sprayed with iodine and penned her. Not really sure what to do here. Very concerned she may have a punctured lung as I believe I heard air escape when I set her down. Really agonizing over just ending her suffering or giving her a chance.

Help.

 

[sourland]

As long as she is trying give her a chance. She will probably be 'shocky' for a bit, and you may want to isolate her. Be on guard for fly strike. Good luck. Well done on shooting the fox.

 

[clintbwell]

so sorry, i dont know what to tell you about her health. i hope someone can help. I have foxes all around me too!! i hate them! they killed 10 of mine 2 years ago. Just for fun to, killed them and left them all over the yard!

 

[cheekychick3]

Hi, Sorry to hear your sad news, and glad your hubby shot the fox. It sounds like others have stated she is in shock, at the moment. Can you cover her wounds loosely with a
bandage, like others has stated, not for any flies, to get at the wounds. Make sure she has plenty to drink, use a syringe if need be. Then try her with some food, soft scrambled
egg ect. If she trys just a little then she has a chance. Yes, it is time consuming for you,
but your TLC will give her strength to fight. If they are puncture wounds, she has a good
chance, of surviving, at the moments she is in shock. If her wounds are deep then buy
some Aliginate dressing, and pack the wounds, it is brilliant for deep wounds. We have
used it many a time. You can buy it off Amazon or online anywhere. It is not expensive.
Hope this helps.

 

[Liadan]

I got her put away by herself right now with water and food. She started eating immediately. Haven't seen her drink yet. All wounds are at the edges of the bald spot she now has on her back. To cover it I would imagine I'd have to wrap it all the way around her? Would it be best to go over or under her wings?? Or do I have it all wrong? I can take pics of needed but I'm really not wanting to disturb her more than necessary.

Most I've ever had to do for my chickens is wash a poop butt and trim a beak. Only been chicken wrangling for 1.5 years so I've got a lot to learn.

 

[50-45-1]

I would not try the bandaging. Just keep it covered with antiobiotic cream, niesporin or triple ointment. This greasy kind of stuff also keeps the flys off.
Glad you got the fox.

 

[Melissa97]

I whould set her up inside the house if you can, just to make sure flies don't get at her wounds, also I whould purchase some electrolyte/vitamins and put that in her water for 3 to 5 days and if you can get some kaytee baby bird food from exact it's an awsome powder that makes a mash and they really love it when sick or injured, it's 22 percent protine and has probiotics in it petsmart should carry it. That's awesome you guys got that fox!! , hate them soo much, have never lost any birds to them yet but I also have 4 huge dogs with my guys at all times when they free range a douge de borduex, Presa canario/african borebol, maremma/akbash, and a Irish wolfhound so the fox whould get his if he ever came to mess with my birds lol! But it's good you have a dog try to keep him out with you're flock while there free ranging and that will keep the foxes from bothering you for the most part but you might need more than one dogs to guard you flock as they may out smart a single dog especially if it's a male and female working together. I hope you're sweet girl gets better, is there anyway you could start her on some antibiotics to prevent infection, just incase it's a deeper wound?

 

[Willowspirit]

I would not try the bandaging. Just keep it covered with antiobiotic cream, niesporin or triple ointment. This greasy kind of stuff also keeps the flys off.
Glad you got the fox.

We use greasy stuff on horse wounds of every sort and it works miracles to keep flies off.

 

[Liadan]

Luckily we don't seem to have many flies at all this year, yet. We have horses and goats so they will come eventually.

I can't thank you all enough for the advice. It's a comfort to know I had a good start on her care and I don't feel guilty or selfish for giving her a chance anymore. The last thing I want to do is prolong her suffering if it was hopeless.

I would love to bring her inside but I am worried that might be more stressful for her, since my 2 young children are home today and Grandma is visiting. I do have ointment I can put on her wounds and will use the next time I fuss with her.

Right now I have her shut in the coop (coverted horsestall) by her lonesome. The rest of the flock have plenty other amenities available to them and my hens are accustomed to being shut out, since I did so earlier this year while this year's batch of chicks got some more age on them. Overnight I probably will put her in a pet crate inside. The only reason I settled on the coop was I figured she would feel the most safe and secure there.

Last I checked on her she was resting. She looks like she is in pain. I am sure she is. Bruising was visible when I first inspected her. There has been very little external bleeding.

I'm just so grateful my husband took time out of getting ready for work to see what the commotion was all about. He still apologized profusely over the loss of my girl, that is before she got up and let us know she was still alive.

 

[Liadan]

As far as antibiotics, I do not even know what the options are for chickens. Most of my animal care knowledge is of larger farm animals and I kinda doubt a shot of penicillin is the route to take.