Help, chicken attacked by dog.

[Wyorp Rock]

I thought she was getting better but now I'm thinking its sour crop instead. She still gurgles but not as bad as before. I was thinking of trying some fennel tea or do you think I should try some monistat instead. I really don't want to lose this one.

I'm sorry she is not getting better.

I'm not familiar with holistic/herbal treatments for crop issues, so I just don't know about the Fennel Tea. Maybe @coach723 @Hen Pen Jem or @biophiliac can help with "natural" crop treatments.

Here's a couple of very good articles on crop problems, hopefully those will help:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[coach723]

I just finished reading the whole thread, whew, she's been through a lot and you've done a great job! I'm not entirely sure based on the info here that you have a crop problem. Is her crop large and squishy, or is anything remaining in it at all in the morning when you check first thing? Any sour/bad odor from her mouth? Sometimes if you massage the crop while holding them close to your face you can catch the smell. Can you look inside her mouth and as far back as you can see to see if you see anything in there, lesions or plaques? The moldy box is concerning so I'm really thinking upper respiratory and possibly fungal. The Tylan would probably help with respiratory, depending on which one it is, but if it's fungal you would need an antifungal medication. I'm not an expert on either, so those are guesses on my part. She's been through a lot so I would not be surprised if her immune system is not up to par. If it IS the crop, then when you put her back outside did she have access to anything that she may have eaten that she shouldn't have? What do her droppings look like at this point? I know that's just more questions and not much help, but I hate to throw more at her than necessary. I can't remember (I read too may posts!) if you have a vet possibility or not, but if so then I think getting help to ID the respiratory part would be beneficial so you aren't chasing your tail or treating the wrong thing.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings mar,

My goodness, what a struggle for you and your hen.

I have read your posts, and you have been doing a good job of caring for the hen's injury.

You may be correct, that there is a problem with the crop.

A sluggish crop can cause the contents to sit too long, and then souring will begin. Feeling full and uncomfortable, the chicken will start to drink water to try and move the contents along. But now the contents are like sludge sitting in the crop, they may or may not smell yet. So then, the water will come back up or get thrown out when the hen swings her head. You may hear gurgling or gaseous sounds in when you pick her up and hold her close to your ear.

The crop is a muscle, and can lose it's tone during long periods of inactivity, such as confinement during illness recovery. It doesn't happen to all chickens, some are just more prone to this. You can definitely offer some fennel tea, it is good for the reproductive system of the hen. But, if you want to use herbal remedy, oregano oil is a better choice for crop issues. Oregano oil, is very potent, it is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I have found this effective in mild crop issues.

Here is my recipe for Crop Tonic.
Crop Tonic:
1 tsp. thick yogurt with at least 3 bacteria cultures in it.
1 drop, Oregano Oil (not essential oil)
4 drops Coconut Oil, melted or Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
4 drops water

Mix in a shot glass, stir well, and administer 1 mL, orally with syringe.

Give the crop a gentle, but good massage 2-3 times a day.
Then, first thing in the morning check her crop. If it doesn't feel flat, then you know it didn't empty.

Her injuries were serious, without your care she would not have made it this far. But, as Wyorp Rock and getaclue, mentioned, a dog crate offers: protection, is more sanitary, has better ventilation, cage cups and feeders can be used to prevent spillage, and the hen can see out. The crate can also be covered with a sheet for night time or to prevent drafts, and a heat lamp can be set on top to provide warmth when needed. I hate to say it, but there will be chickens in need of the hospital crate, so it is a good investment. I use butcher paper and two artificial turf mats (which I switch out), for easier clean up.

Here is Ginger recovering from a bad crop impaction.

You can also use a more aggressive treatment on you hen for sour crop or crop impaction.

Nystatin or Oznystatin liquid, .5 mL, every 12 hours, orally
Lactulose 1.5 mL, every 12 hours, orally

The Nystatin will kill any fungus/yeast, and the Lactulose will break down solid food. Massage is still needed, to support the crop during healing. Here in California, we can no longer purchase many medications without a prescription from a vet. This is the case for the Nystatin, but the Lactulose is sold at some pet stores for dogs.

Now that we have discussed the possible crop issue, as coach723, mentioned...respiratory infections, are a definite possibility. In an effort for the BYC members to try and assist you, we must rely on your eyes, nose, ears and touch. Ultimately you must evaluate the symptoms and make a judgement as to what is the cause and what treatment is best. Secondary infection is possible when caring for a sick chicken. If you use Tylan, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic, be sure to provide a three day course of probiotics for poultry. Repeat in a week.

Because the hen has been inside so long, she will need to be re-acclimated to the outside temperatures. A hen saddle will cover her lungs and prevent heat loss. As for her exposed neck, fresh air is good for healing. But, you will have to take precautions when reintroducing her to the flock. As, there will be some pecking. She may benefit from a bit of Genetian Violet, painted over the exposed neck. Gentian violet is an antiseptic dye. It is anti-fungal and also has weak antibacterial properties. It will color the skin purple and make it less attractive to pecking. Or, you can use Blu-kote at that time. Her feathers will grow back, but it will take much time. And some may never regrow, if the follicle was damaged.

This kind of incident takes a lot of time. First, is the healing process, then the re-acclimation to the outside temps (extreme heat or cold), and finally the return to the flock. It is tiring for the keeper, and you will get frustrated at times. But if you hurry things and rush the hen, then all your good work can end in tragedy. A complete timeline for an injury like this, can take anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks. It all depends on proper care, feeding, environment and exercise, during the healing process.

Having a Veterinarian is always a good thing for the hen, certainly, but also - for the keeper. I have been fortunate to have found my vet, as he has taught me so much about chicken health and healing!

These are my thoughts on you hens health issue, I hope they are helpful.

God's Blessings to you and your little hen.

 

[Julie Hadley]

So first off, I know that my dog is the problem. But she is 13 and a cocker spaniel.
So I came home today to find one of my chickens out of the coop. My Cocker was pulling feathers from her neck and had probably been doing it for a while because of the amount of feathers. I immediately got her away and picked up the hen. She is an easter egger. She isn't actively bleeding but you can see her flesh and the skin has been opened along the back of her neck. I have her in a room in the house that the dogs can't reach. She is in a box with food and water. I don't know what to do about the back of her neck. The other areas look okay just without feathers. Its just her neck area. Any suggestions. Should I just watch her. She is acting okay. But not interested in eating just yet. She has food and water. Should I try and use some antibiotic spray? Please help. Thanks.

Same thing happened to one of my Barred Rocks a few months ago. My puppy had actually ripped the skin from her left wing and torn the skin on her neck as well as pulled out a lot of feathers. My vet did surgery on her to clean her up and sutured her neck laceration. I kept her in a small dog crate in my spare bedroom for about three weeks, gave her an antibiotic twice a day ( that was fun), she started to eat after about two days. I put one of her baby roosts in the crate with her so it would be more normal for her. After three weeks she was starting to refeather, I started taking her outside when it was warm enough and letting her see her girls and them see her, but I keep them separtated. After four weeks I had her rejoin the flock. I did get the antibiotic spray and some stuff called "pick no more" to put on the bare spots so the other girls would leave her alone. She did very well and now you really have to look to tell her from the other BR's. Where the skin was gone from her wing has granulated over and while no feathers can grow back there she has plenty that cover the area. It took awhile for her to start laying again but in time she did. I suggest finding a vet to look her over. Keep her warm, giver her love and pray. Hopefully she'll be ok.

 

[Julie Hadley]

The spray I bought is ventramicil. I think. I am attaching a picture of her wounded area. I'm worried that she hasn't eaten anything. I gave her a covered place to hide in and she is staying in there. If she hasn't eaten anything this afternoon. Should I try to give her some yogurt or eggs. What about drinking what if she hasn't had anything to drink? Thanks.View attachment 1246890

ouch. I just saw your post. How did she do? Did she survive?I attached a picture of Ryanna's injury my puppy gave her.

 

[kissezmychicken]

Tylan word wonders. You've done a great job.

 

[Julie Hadley]

Thank you. Now though I just discovered Fowl Pox on three of my girls. Going back to the vet tomorrow. I did clean their water bowl with 10% Iodine over night. and I have separated the sick ones.

 

[mar]

Thanks for your response. Her neck is almost all healed she still has a quarter sized scab on top of her head. Her feathers are very thin on her head. So i switched to the miconazole yesterday and she had a good poop. Before they were very small and dry. She still has mucous or saliva coming up. She shakes her head and scratches her beak with her feet or in the floor of the box. But she seems to be eating more. Is it safe to do the anti fungal and the tylan50. I switched because i wasn’t sure. What do you think? I can give her yogurt but i didn’t know if i should wait until I’m done with the anti fungal. I also have ape cider
QUOTE="Hen Pen Jem, post: 19622800, member: 493148"]
Greetings mar,

My goodness, what a struggle for you and your hen.

I have read your posts, and you have been doing a good job of caring for the hen's injury.

You may be correct, that there is a problem with the crop.

A sluggish crop can cause the contents to sit too long, and then souring will begin. Feeling full and uncomfortable, the chicken will start to drink water to try and move the contents along. But now the contents are like sludge sitting in the crop, they may or may not smell yet. So then, the water will come back up or get thrown out when the hen swings her head. You may hear gurgling or gaseous sounds in when you pick her up and hold her close to your ear.

The crop is a muscle, and can lose it's tone during long periods of inactivity, such as confinement during illness recovery. It doesn't happen to all chickens, some are just more prone to this. You can definitely offer some fennel tea, it is good for the reproductive system of the hen. But, if you want to use herbal remedy, oregano oil is a better choice for crop issues. Oregano oil, is very potent, it is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I have found this effective in mild crop issues.

Here is my recipe for Crop Tonic.
Crop Tonic:
1 tsp. thick yogurt with at least 3 bacteria cultures in it.
1 drop, Oregano Oil (not essential oil)
4 drops Coconut Oil, melted or Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil
4 drops water

Mix in a shot glass, stir well, and administer 1 mL, orally with syringe.

Give the crop a gentle, but good massage 2-3 times a day.
Then, first thing in the morning check her crop. If it doesn't feel flat, then you know it didn't empty.

Her injuries were serious, without your care she would not have made it this far. But, as Wyorp Rock and getaclue, mentioned, a dog crate offers: protection, is more sanitary, has better ventilation, cage cups and feeders can be used to prevent spillage, and the hen can see out. The crate can also be covered with a sheet for night time or to prevent drafts, and a heat lamp can be set on top to provide warmth when needed. I hate to say it, but there will be chickens in need of the hospital crate, so it is a good investment. I use butcher paper and two artificial turf mats (which I switch out), for easier clean up.

Here is Ginger recovering from a bad crop impaction.
View attachment 1279701

You can also use a more aggressive treatment on you hen for sour crop or crop impaction.

Nystatin or Oznystatin liquid, .5 mL, every 12 hours, orally
Lactulose 1.5 mL, every 12 hours, orally

The Nystatin will kill any fungus/yeast, and the Lactulose will break down solid food. Massage is still needed, to support the crop during healing. Here in California, we can no longer purchase many medications without a prescription from a vet. This is the case for the Nystatin, but the Lactulose is sold at some pet stores for dogs.

Now that we have discussed the possible crop issue, as coach723, mentioned...respiratory infections, are a definite possibility. In an effort for the BYC members to try and assist you, we must rely on your eyes, nose, ears and touch. Ultimately you must evaluate the symptoms and make a judgement as to what is the cause and what treatment is best. Secondary infection is possible when caring for a sick chicken. If you use Tylan, which is a broad spectrum antibiotic, be sure to provide a three day course of probiotics for poultry. Repeat in a week.

Because the hen has been inside so long, she will need to be re-acclimated to the outside temperatures. A hen saddle will cover her lungs and prevent heat loss. As for her exposed neck, fresh air is good for healing. But, you will have to take precautions when reintroducing her to the flock. As, there will be some pecking. She may benefit from a bit of Genetian Violet, painted over the exposed neck. Gentian violet is an antiseptic dye. It is anti-fungal and also has weak antibacterial properties. It will color the skin purple and make it less attractive to pecking. Or, you can use Blu-kote at that time. Her feathers will grow back, but it will take much time. And some may never regrow, if the follicle was damaged.

This kind of incident takes a lot of time. First, is the healing process, then the re-acclimation to the outside temps (extreme heat or cold), and finally the return to the flock. It is tiring for the keeper, and you will get frustrated at times. But if you hurry things and rush the hen, then all your good work can end in tragedy. A complete timeline for an injury like this, can take anywhere from 6 to 10 weeks. It all depends on proper care, feeding, environment and exercise, during the healing process.

Having a Veterinarian is always a good thing for the hen, certainly, but also - for the keeper. I have been fortunate to have found my vet, as he has taught me so much about chicken health and healing!

These are my thoughts on you hens health issue, I hope they are helpful.

God's Blessings to you and your little hen. [/QUOTE]

 

[mar]

Sorry, one last thing. Her crop is squishy but no foul odor. Just the bubbles of saliva or mucous. I definitely think its coming from the crop. There is no drainage from the nose or eyes.

 

[mar]

Just a wuick update. Her crop was empty but squishy this morning. So i definitely think it’s sour crop. I don’t have access to nystatin but she has almost one complete miconazole suppository and has about two more to go. Should i wait until
She finishes all the miconazole before i decide if it’s not working. I’m not seeing a ton of improvement. She did eat some egg this am.