Help bear attack... should I euthanize?

[Chuckie chicken]

To give the bear some "understanding" of the electric fence, you may want to coat it with peanut butter or fish oil so they lick it or give it a good sniff. A 10,000 volt jolt to the nose or tongue is what you're after.

 

[CCinVT]

Edit: Are her wounds hot to the touch in general, or significantly hotter than the surrounding (undamaged) flesh? Chickens run a high temperature, so they'll feel warm compared to your hand -- if the wounds have a localized fever than I'd be concerned about infection, especially considering it was a bear that attacked her (and wild animals don't have the cleanest mouths.)

I would say the wounded end of her body is significantly hotter than her unwounded front crop area. I was thinking infection also. I do not have access to a needle or a vet who would just sell me antibiotic. She is noticeably warmer when I was handling her this afternoon that last night before bed. As of the last I offered she was eatting and drinking so i could get something in her. I currently have on hand 250mg clavamox chewable tabs or liquid 400mg/5ml amoxicillin. I would need help on dosing if either of these could help her survive.

 

[TropicalBabies]

What is her poop doing?

 

[CCinVT]

What is her poop doing?

Her poo is small, and a bit watery.... small brown with watery white...but not all liquid. Some small normal poos. I did trim her tush feathers because she was getting messy. No blood, green or other odd colors. I can attach a picture shortly

 

[CCinVT]

Get a sterlizer to num the pain and stich the wound.

These are not stitchable. I wouldn't even know where to begin they are so wide open. The skin was peeled off, and there are deep puncture wounds. It's my understanding that punctures should not be closed up, and allowed to heal from the inside out. I do not want to trap any infection inside. I am rinsing it with saline, and the spraying with vetericyn then thick coat of neosporin with lightly draped sterile gauze onto.

 

[ryneaeiel]

I currently have on hand 250mg clavamox chewable tabs

If you use Clavamox, give her one tablet by mouth per kilogram of weight every eight to twelve hours. For example, if she's an 8-pound hen, she'll need 3 tablets. If needed you can split the tablets to make them smaller so she can take them more easily.

liquid 400mg/5ml amoxicillin

I take it this is amox trihydrate? Mix 200mg per 1 liter (1 and a half quarts) of water and offer it to her full-time until the infection subsides.

 

[CCinVT]

If you use Clavamox, give her one tablet by mouth per kilogram of weight every eight to twelve hours. For example, if she's an 8-pound hen, she'll need 3 tablets. If needed you can split the tablets to make them smaller so she can take them more easily.


I take it this is amox trihydrate? Mix 200mg per 1 liter (1 and a half quarts) of water and offer it to her full-time until the infection subsides.

Would one be better/more effective than the other? She is a 6 lb hen.

 

[ryneaeiel]

Would one be better/more effective than the other? She is a 6 lb hen.

I would honestly use Clavamox -- it's a more concentrated dose and quicker to administer (taking the pills versus having to wait for her to ingest the soluble amox over a period of time.)

I'd give her 2 and a half of the Clavamox every 10 hours until she begins to improve.

 

[CCinVT]

I would honestly use Clavamox -- it's a more concentrated dose and quicker to administer (taking the pills versus having to wait for her to ingest the soluble amox over a period of time.)

I'd give her 2 and a half of the Clavamox every 10 hours until she begins to improve.

Thank you very much! I'll get her going on that.

 

[CCinVT]

Poo update: this morning her watery poo is tinged yellow.
I included a glimpse of the section of wound above her tail that I think is one of the most painful spots. It is also where I think some smell is coming from. I can take better pictures later today when I change her gauze during babies nap time. But you can see in the photo it is the area that is weepy on the gauze. The area under the wing the gauze looks mostly clean when I change it, but I'm keeping it there to keep her feathers off it or trimmed feather nubs from scratching it further.
By now she has had 2 doses of antibiotics. She ate mostly all of her first dose mixed with scrambled eggs. This mornings dose I mixed/ hid in rice and mealworms mix and she picked out the mealworms and ate maybe half-ish of the rice. I have to go out this morning so I'm leaving it in there with her so she can pick at it more. Shes mostly picking at food. Sunflower seeds, and scrambled eggs, the treats. She ate some bits of cherry tomato. She is hobbling around and changing positions in her crate. Her water has diluted electrolytes still so maybe today should be the last day of that? I think 3 days is the limit for electrolytes right? Could that be adding to her watery poo?
Thank you everyone who is following, and helping me navigate this. She obviously had a will to live.
The bears were back yesterday afternoon. I had left the dogs out on our deck, and they sounded the alarm. I think our hound dogs bark got them to run off this time, but they were going right for the coop. We started scoping out what we need for the electric fence, and will hopefully have it up by this weekend. I'm trying to work around taking care of the hen, but doing it at times where the toddler isnt screaming at the door. Which I imagine would be stressful for the hen, cause it sure is stressful for me! I would be changing her gauze each morning but that's tough so it's getting done at naptime, and bedtime. And I just encourage her to eat and drink throughout the day. I feel like shes not out of the woods because of infection. But her comb is still bright red and she is picking at food drinking and moving around. I just know this can go downhill so fast.