HELP!! Chicken Attacked Under-belly ripped open, what can I do?

[jjthink]

Also, 3 drops Polyvisol liquid children's vitamins daily for now - dribble very gently along her beak line with a dropper, so she swallows on her own and doesn't choke. The stuff smells like it tastes like crud so see if she'll take a couple of squished blueberries from your hand afterward (or something else wet and tasty, e.g. watermelon) to help make the bad taste go away. I know she hasn't been eating and that this is iffy at best, but try. Check to see if anyone in the area is comfortable with and skilled at tube feeding birds. This may be necessary to get her system started up again with processing and wanting food. JJ

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I agree with jjthink that if she is not drinking try dribbling water with nutrients added. If you get the Polyvisol, I have read that it should be the one without iron added.

When we were caring for a wounded hen, we had to hand feed her for a couple of days. We actually got a chick vitamin packet from the feed store and mixed that in. After a day we also mixed in some crumble, but we kind of had to force her to take it. Then we tried offering by hand some scrabbled eggs which is nutrient rich. She accepted some. Her favorite treat, bread, was not very nutritious, so we ended up smooshing the bread with the eggs and feeding it by hand and she did show interest in that. It took some trial and error. After several days she did start eating her crumble again.

 

[lilyb]

Thank you for all your help! yesterday we gave her .1cc of penicillin (I didn't want to give her .2 because she has lost so much weight) and she seems a bit more active and alert. She now drinks a little (I put the vitamins in the water as you suggested, and I also mixed that with apple juice to help it taste better) but she still doesnt eat anything. she still 'tries' to go for food but she misses it and doesn't peck at it properly. I do want to get the eye dropper and force feed her but I don't want her to accidentally choke.

 

[jjthink]

How many days no food? if several at this point, you need more proactive approach - she has to have adequate fluids and nourishments or her system will shut down and there's no going back once that happens. Are you certain there is no avian vet anywhere around? Maybe a wildlife rehab place that would make an exception and help with tube feeding etc?. I don't want to alarm you but honestly, I would hasten to take additional steps.
JJ

 

[lilyb]

Called the wildlife hospital they said they can't help. :/
Her wound is looking great and scabbing over very nicely- but its been a week now and I haven't seen her eat. Also- I've started to notice she has a runny nose and mucus in her mouth. I think I might up the dosage on her penicillin?

 

[jjthink]

Well, shame on the wildlife hospital - they could have at least advised you and let you obtain the needed meds. She needs the right medical attention NOW. I'm in the middle of mayhem at work right now but you might PM super experienced mods like Cyn (speckled hen) and get advice. Call pet stores in your area and find out who they use as an avian vet. Call feed stores and ask who the best farm vets are. Post haste. She needs the right meds, hydration and likely tube feeding now. JJ

 

[scratch'n'peck]

At least she has had some water to drink and you gave her some penicillin and it sounds like you have taken good care of the wound.

Penicillin is recommended for wounds, but I haven't seen it on the list for treating respiratory infections. But getting some nourishment in her is probably the priority.

What happens when you hold a treat or larger morsel of food right up to her beak? Can she take it? Have you tried putting her food in a larger bowl and filling it deeper so that she may not have to have accurate aim to get food. Would she be able to get the feed in her beak if you mix it with a liquid or yogurt? You may have tried all these things, but I am just trying to brain storm.

 

[Kyoht]

I had two hens attacked this fall by a racoon. One of them had a wound like the one your chicken has. The vet that I work for had me spray Granulex on the wound and keep her with the other chickens. Do not bandage it. If the wound is in a place where the other chickens can pick at it you can place pine tar on it. The other chicken I had was wounded in the neck area and I placed pine tar on the wound. With the pine tar on there its a natural antiseptic and it keeps the other chickens from pecking her. They both are healed and doing wonderfully now

It is also important to use a type of screw worm spray on the wound after applying the granulex every day to prevent maggots.

 

[lilyb]

Thank you all SO MUCH for your posts and your concern... after reading your post jjthink I thought it would be best not to wait any longer and get her to a vet. The vet force-fed her a 'bird smoothie' and also injected her with antibiotic. He also gave me antibiotics for the next four days to inject into her breast. The vet bill wasn't so bad afterall. Hopefully this helps.. although when I went into the clinic everyone was amazed to see a chicken, they said they hadn't seen a chicken come into the clinic in almost 10 years!
Scratch 'n' Peck thank you for your brainstorming ideas- I had tried some of those things except the yogurt...and she still was uninterested in food. I really hope that I'm helping her get better instead of assisting in a slow and painful death... but she seems like she's a fighter so I wont give up on her.
I'm going to upload a picture so you all can see how her wound has started to heal.
Thank you again for all your help and knowledge with this! Since this is my first time raising chickens I know I need as much help/advice as I can get and Im so thankful for all of your input... surely without you guys Id still be wandering in the dark! Although this hasn't been fun.. I'd have to say its definitely a learning experience.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

It sounds like your hen is on the road to recovery. I'm glad you found a vet who sees chickens and has fairly reasonable prices. I'm sure you are relieved that she got some nutrients in her system.

The chickens I have nursed back to health became more trusting, so they pretty tolerant patients.

It is clear from your avatar photo that you love your chickens. There is nothing like a big hug-able chicken!