HELP! Is it inhumane to keep this chicken alive? Predator Attack (Warning: Graphic Photos)

[Albop]

My beloved Lucy was brutally injured by a raccoon 2 nights ago. I only have 3 hens and we heard the commotion and scared it away before it injured my other 2, but Lucy was in pretty bad shape - we found her laying lifeless, noticed she was breathing and thought we were going to have to put her out of her misery right away until she darted up flying around, and so we decided to clean her up and assess the situation.

We brought her into the laundry room and created a soft bed for her in a large plastic bin. There are no injuries on her body, but her head was basically scalped and she can't open one eye. We cleaned her up with warm water and disinfectant spray, and picked off all of debris from her head, and gave her a small amount of asprin water for pain the first morning. We are now on the second day and she has zero quality of life, but I can't bring myself to end her life as she is fighting so hard and I feel that she may make a comeback. We have not given her any more asprin water, and have kept her bedding and wounds clean, and I have started to put neosporin on her.

What concerns me though: Her one eye that is open is very bloodshot. This could be from some of the disinfectant spray accidentally getting into it? She is drooling a fairly mucus-like drool pretty consistently. She is extremely lethargic, but will very randomly kind of come-to and walk around a bit.
However: She is very receiving of care, leans her head back to take water from a dropper, loves being held, and the crazy thing is she even laid an egg last night. I only have a flock of 3 and she is the best layer, the most friendly, and all around our favorite hen. I want to do what's best for her and I am so torn between ending her pain and misery or helping her through this time as I feel ending her life would be hard, but the easy way out for me if she should have a chance. She's only 2 so she would have a lot of life to live.

Please help!! What would you do?!
Photos:

View attachment 1436482

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

She might be in pain, but in my unprofessional opinion.... I would say it's only 'flesh wound' and with time she can heal from it. I mean, it's not like her internal organs are hanging out or say she has a broken neck and can't walk anymore, give her a chance she might fully recovered.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

If it were me, I think I would put her down. I don't know what others would do, Ive seen in groups on FB where people have had really bad injured chickens and others would say to give her a fighting chance.... But if you see zero quality of life, if you believe she is suffering, I would end the suffering.

 

[Criticalicious]

If you have a vet nearby who treats chickens, I might take her in and get a professional's opinion whether she can be saved. At the very least, a vet might know why the eye is bloodshot and if she has more extensive injuries that we can't see, and then you could make a more educated guess.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Sounds like Lucy is a Pet with Benefits so that's where it tugs on the heart strings ...
All the advice given is good, only YOU can make "that" decision

 

[townchicks]

There is a difference between being in pain with a chance of recovery, and being in pain with no chance of recovery. You say she has no quality of life, what do you mean by that? Do you mean she is miserable due to being injured? That's normal. No quality of life, to me, means that even if she recovers, she would not be able to do chickeny things, like scratch, walk about, interact with flock mates etc. If she is still eating and drinking, and occasionally moving about, I would give her a chance. Certainly, if you can, have her looked at by a vet, but if that's not an option, keep up the cleaning and dressing the wound with antibiotic ointment (without pain relief in it). I'd keep up on the aspirin, pain alone can be debilitating, even if the injuries are not life threatening.

 

[Loopeend]

I don't know if it has any use; but due to my work I know that in humans a bloodshot eye happends very fast. You can sleep wrong and one of the really tiny veins in your eyes can get ripped and you will have a bloodshot eye. It is one of the most common things in patiënts that fell or got in a fight. Let alone when you get mauled by a raccoon twice your size!
Eyes are an organ that heal really fast luckely. It looks way worse then it usually is. Because they are not supposed to be red, and eyes are the first thing we look at when looking at a person or an animal.
In my non-vet opinion I would not worry so much about the blood in the eye.

For the rest I would choose to let her live and let nature and your nurture do the job. If she dies with you care; atleast you know you have done everything in your power.
It is still possible for her to recover; it will not be in 1 day, but give her this chance. Especially when you mention that you have room and time for a chicken with a handicap.
If she recovers but you find out she can't do chickeny things like townchiks said you can still think about euthanising her.
Take it day by day.

Good luck.

 

[Albop]

Thank you everyone for the responses! As in no quality of life, just right now, it's so sad seeing her in that box just waiting to recover. But if and when she recovers, she will certainly go back to her old ways. She's already letting a little of her old sassy ways come through.

Does anyone have recommendations for antibiotics I should be giving her? My girls are typically strictly organic, but Raccoons are such dirty creatures and I want to be sure I'm doing everything I can for her...

 

[Evelyn's Mom]

Oh you poor thing!! This is my worst fear, too... but remember, animals don't have cell phones to speed dial their doctors or ER's, so they are really good at healing!! I think you're keeping her quiet, comfortable, and if she's fighting, I think you should, too. Just my opinion, and I agree with someone above, only you can make that decision...

 

[Loopeend]

Oh, I forgot to mention;
A bloodshot eye might be okay; but signs of an infection are not. If that might happen, it starts to get crusts in green/yellow and starts to smell, and you don't have a vet nearby, you can rinse the eye with droplets used to clean human eyes. If that is not available use boiled and cooled of water. Not with stuff normally used for the skin.
I would try to clean the headwound as least as possible; it looks in the picture if her skin indeed could be ripped off. Regenerating such a big piece of skin is a really hard thing for a body to do (if not inpossible), and it needs a lot of rest to do that. Besides removing some feathers that are trying to grow in the soon to be big crust, I wouldn't do much else. you already desinfected it, and now just wait.

Again, good luck.
Poor hen.