Help bear attack... should I euthanize?

[CCinVT]

Yes, that's why I said it may not be good for use in this situation.

It is my understanding that if there is a chance of internal bleeding then aspirin is not good to use.

 

[CCinVT]

Yeah, that definitely looks gnarly, but I've seen birds survive worse.

View attachment 2673300
The sucking sound you hear is one of her lungs, which was punctured. I agree with MysteryChicken -- clean the wounds well and use the ointment to keep it moist. It looks like most of the bleeding has stopped. Keep an eye on her through the night -- she may or may not have blood in her lungs.

I'd be worried about possible kidney damage given the location of the lower wound, but only time will tell.

If she's standing and eating/drinking, she has a chance.

Based on this illustration I would say these punctures are right in the kidney zone

 

[MysteryChicken]

It is my understanding that if there is a chance of internal bleeding then aspirin is not good to use.

Yes, I know. That's why I said it won't be good in this situation. Just a precaution.

 

[Mountain Roost]

I have used Chlorhexidine on chicken wounds with good success. It was actually a meat chicken that got bit by a fox. Those chickens never get better but the chlorhexidine spray helped heal her right up. You can use it around the house too for other bacterial problems. You dilute a small amount to make a lot so the bottle lasts a long time. As a final cleaning for my hatcher, I spray the box down and let it dry between batches.

Give your hen a chance if you want to, love goes a long way.

 

[HappyClucker7]

I think, if she seems to have the will to continue fighting, you should let her live.
Obviously, if she seems to be suffering too much and not getting better, then euthanizing would be the most humane solution.

 

[ryneaeiel]

It is my understanding that if there is a chance of internal bleeding then aspirin is not good to use.

Don't use aspirin. Right now she needs her blood to clot. If her punctured lung fills with blood, she's more likely to die.

You can see here how the top of her pelvis kind of curls over the kidneys, so it she was lucky enough that it didn't pierce bone, her kidneys should be okay.

If she has kidney damage, there will likely be blood in her feces, so watch out for it. If it's there, I'd honestly recommend euthanasia.

Edit: I agree with HappyClucker7 about the will to live. If she begins to rapidly decline, euthanize her.

I say rapidly because she's going to feel horrible for the next few days. She may not walk much. That doesn't mean she's dying, it just means she's recuperating. If you start seeing clear signs of stress or shock, I'd euthanize her. Until then, I'd give her a chance.

 

[CCinVT]

Ok I've got her pretty well trimmed up. The upper back/under wing area is tough because it wraps under her wing but she seems to be keeping her wing lifted. Next I will tackle cleaning her as best I can. We are taking a little break, and she is drinking electrolytes I mixed up. I sprayed gauze with vetericyn and lightly covered the exposed areas as I trimmed to try and keep as much feather fluff off the wound as I could. Now I have saline solution, vetericyn and some triple antibiotic ointment... I'm not sure I have enough ointment to cover her whole area so I'm gonna focus on the deepest areas then see where I'm at. I do have plain vaseline so I can make sure the entire area is at least covered tonight. I have a crate set up inside my laundry closet. She definitely needs some rest. She is a top hen, and our rooster was standing gaurd of her when I saw her so shes been acting tough today. I will give her a chance, some love, and keep an eye on her. I'll watch for blood in her poo. I'm gonna try to be gentle but thorough with the cleaning.

 

[ryneaeiel]

Ok I've got her pretty well trimmed up. The upper back/under wing area is tough because it wraps under her wing but she seems to be keeping her wing lifted. Next I will tackle cleaning her as best I can. We are taking a little break, and she is drinking electrolytes I mixed up. I sprayed gauze with vetericyn and lightly covered the exposed areas as I trimmed to try and keep as much feather fluff off the wound as I could. Now I have saline solution, vetericyn and some triple antibiotic ointment... I'm not sure I have enough ointment to cover her whole area so I'm gonna focus on the deepest areas then see where I'm at. I do have plain vaseline so I can make sure the entire area is at least covered tonight. I have a crate set up inside my laundry closet. She definitely needs some rest. She is a top hen, and our rooster was standing gaurd of her when I saw her so shes been acting tough today. I will give her a chance, some love, and keep an eye on her. I'll watch for blood in her poo. I'm gonna try to be gentle but thorough with the cleaning.

The fact she's drinking is a great sign! She may be lame for the next few days, but that'll be because of all the stress and her injuries. So long as she's eating and drinking, she's got a good chance of survival.

 

[CCinVT]

For reference now that shes trimmed up and I've cleaned off alot of the feathers that were glued onto the wounds. I've found a few more smaller punctures. Shes obviously in pain so I'm letting the gauze sit and soften the stuck feather bits some more and then will try to irrigate under the flaps of skin best I can. In trying to gauge at this point if I've cleaned enough off, and should let her rest till tomorrow. I wont be able to go get her more antibiotic ointment till later morning/ early afternoon. I'll spray the whole area with vetericyn. The skinned area under her wing is very thin tissue. I hope she makes it, but I'm gonna take my cues from her. Cleaning her up is obviously stressful and painful also. My poor girl. Shes my oldest hen.

 

[TropicalBabies]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/24081034

I am so sorry about your hen but take heart and don't give up. My old gal was attacked and chewed on by a small dog, not a bear or raccoon but a butthead Lhasa Apso. Thought she was a goner because of age and severity. I was a wreck, not nearly as calm as you. Amazie made it through and was even laying again after 6wks???