Help! Chicken attacked by dog. Impacted crop?

[DoodleRoo]

One of my Gold Sex Link hens, 'Goldie' was attacked by my dog yesterday (family member accidentally let the dog out while the chickens were still free ranging). By the time I found out about it it was already turning dark and I could not find her that night. I found her the next morning standing in the field, the feathers around her neck battered and askew, and she looked to be in shock. She wouldn't cluck or move or lie down.

I took her inside and checked for injuries. She has feathers missing from the top of her neck and her crop. Her crop looks a bit purple and bruised. She also has a puffy blister on her left shoulder right above her crop. Her crop is still full to bursting over 24 hours later which tells me it might be impacted. She has not eaten or drank anything since I took her in this morning.

I gave her a warm bath, and did my best to disinfect the area around her crop. I tried giving her a drop of vegetable oil in her beak, to possibly help with the impacted crop, but she didn't even swallow it. She also won't lie down. She stays standing all the time. One of her eyes is squinted shut as well.

I want to try to save her if possible. Please, any advice would be very welcome. Thank you!

TLDR: One of my chickens is injured and I'm not sure what to do next. She has a bruised/impacted crop and is not eating, drinking or lying down.

 

[rebrascora]

Sometimes it can take them a couple of days to come out of shock. Make sure she doesn't have any puncture wounds anywhere and if she does, clean them with an anti bacterial wash and dress with antibiotic ointment. I would try to get some fluids into her but don't force it if she is not responsive as she could aspirate and then put her in a semi-dark box or cage covered with a towel or tarp in the coop where she can hear the other chickens, with food and water available and check on her a couple of times a day, but don't handle too much. Hopefully it is just that she is extremely traumatised and will snap out of it when she is ready.
The puffy blister that you describe may be a ruptured air sac. I would not try to do anything more with her until she shows signs of activity.
Of course veterinary assistance would probably be the best option if you can afford it, to make sure there is nothing more serious going on.

Good luck with her

Barbara

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

So sorry to hear this. I don’t have much to add, other than that you should try to watch her poops too, to see if her digestive system is working. Please keep us posted. Pictures can also help, if you are able.

 

[azygous]

That poor girl. She's in shock, and it wouldn't surprise me if the crop issue was related. Her system has shut down.

Treat for shock first. Electrolytes in water. Try red Gatoraid. That may tempt her. I use the Gatoraid lid, pour Gatoraid into it and dip her beak. She'll likely drink if you do that.

Keep her warm. I would rig up a heating pad in a crate on low setting. No noise or other stimuli. You need to provide a very small, safe space where she will feel secure. A pet crate is ideal for this.

To address the crop issue, I recommend coconut oil. It's very easy to use in its solid form and you can slip small chunks into her beak. If you get it onto her tongue, she will swallow. You need to get a teaspoon down her. Repeat in an hour with gentle crop massage. Do it a third time and you should feel the contents break up and go down.

Look very closely for puncture wounds. If you see any red skin, that's a signal infection is rearing its ugly head and you'll need to get her an an antibiotic.

 

[DoodleRoo]

She clucked a few times this morning and I saw her sit a couple times as well, though she generally went right back to standing. Her crop is still full, though I believe it is only half the size it was yesterday, so maybe some progress?

What worries me is that there is yellow looking poop in her cage. She had two normal poops yesterday, and I changed out the papers. Today it is yellowish white stuff on the paper. Kind of like the color of bile. I'm not sure what that means though.

She is still showing no interest in food or water though she did swallow one little bit of water when I gently dipped her beak in some.

I'll try the gatoraid and coconut oil today. Oh, and she is inside a pet carrier in my master bedroom (quietest place in the house). Would it help to put another chicken in there with her or should I let her continue to have some alone time? (I have a tiny bantam hen I could possibly bring in to keep her company. Maybe influence her to eat and drink?)

 

[Cuccismith]

I understand your thoughts on her being alone... sometimes I feel that the stress of being alone is something to think about. When I have had injured chickens in the past (that have healed) I have also brought in visitors for them for company. I think it's a good idea especially if she has no visible signs of wounds for the other to peck at. Best to you!

 

[chickens really]

Hopefully she makes it but could be too injured and Culling might be your best choice so she does not suffer....

 

[DoodleRoo]

Thank you, everyone. Sadly, I chose to cull her in the end as, despite my efforts, she was not recovering and I did not want her to suffer further. Was too upset to update this post sooner. She was culled shortly after my second post.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry. That is never an easy decision to make but a very responsible one.

 

[DoodleRoo]

Thank you so much, Rebra.