Hen attacked by dog

[debbzz16]

Hope someone can help - my hen was attacked by a dog we think as she had wet feathers but no blood or puncture wounds that we could see. I kept her comfortable in her nesting box and lifted her in and out for fresh air - she is eating and drinking okay - she can now stand up and seem to clean herself okay but cant walk normally but can take baby steps but has to put her wings out if she goes to fall over. Its been 1 week and she has laid and egg as well in that time.

 

[Kevin565]

. I personally would separate her from the others to make sure they don't further injure her. Is there any swelling in her thighs or legs?

 

[cfremder]

One of my hens was attacked by my dog a few months ago. There were some rear feathers pulled out and a slight amount of blood where the feathers were removed. She recovered just fine and layed an egg the next day. After that, she developed a large squishy spot under her right wing. She ate and drank normally, but was at times, lethargic. It took her two months before she layed another egg. Now she is back to laying everyday. It was touch and go for awhile and I almost thought I would have to cull her. I am not in an area where I can take my hens to a vet, so I pretty much followed a lot of advice I found here. Chickens are really hardy and can survive some amazing circumstances. Monitor her daily. Extra protein is also a plus as they are healing. Good luck!

 

[fifenashia]

Amazing how many of us started here after an incident similar to yours.

I have been through this situation before and I know how scary it can be. It's a good sign that there were no punctures and no blood! Even better that she is laying already. If she is still having trouble walking it could be a number of things; broken bones and sprained muscles are the two things that pop into my head first off.

I agree, separate her from the others so you can ensure she is eating/drinking/pooping normally and you can give her some electrolyte/vitamin supplements with her water to combat some of the stress response.

Check her over, get a partner to help you. Feel down her legs starting at the hip joints. Lightly run your hands down and feel for swelling, hotness, tenderness or anything that seems out of place. It may be that she needs more time to rest and recover. Soaking some rags in warm water with epsom salt and wrapping her legs for a few minutes might help as well especially if its muscular.

Hope this helps even a little. Let us know what you discover!

 

[debbzz16]

Thanks for your feedback - we only have 1 other hen so we haven't seperated them, We didn't check for swelling - she seems to be walking a bit better but still with a limp.

 

[debbzz16]

Thanks for the feedback - I'm new to having hens - what sort of protein do you mean - like meat etc

 

[fifenashia]

Some Gatorade mixed into water can help provide electrolytes, Tractor supply also has vitamin powders you can mix in water to give them. But we used gatorade until we could get to the store.

a great source of protein would be a hard boiled egg (shell and all) crushed up. It will help with muscular regen and the calcium couldn't hurt either.


I have heard stories of chickens with holes in their chests that recover! She is still hanging in there, that's a great sign.

 

[chickencrazy888]

I had a rooster attacked by a dog 6 weeks ago. His wounds were very bad and obvious, so I thought. He was so bad off I almost culled him, but he saved our hens so I figured he deserved a chance to fight for recovery. Even though his wounds were very visible, I found more wounds and some puncture marks two weeks later even after caring for him every day. Believe me I searched him for over 20 minutes for his wounds on the first initial check. I strongly suggest keep searching her for puncture marks. A puncture mark can leave no trace of blood. The reason I'm saying this is because if she has puncture wounds, she may need antibiotics. If she seems to get sick, not eat,and lethargic it may mean that she's getting an infection. If she starts getting those symptoms, I would give her antibiotics. I gave my rooster an injection shot of penicillin G procaine at 300,000 units per ml for 4 days. I gave him half a cc using a 3 ml syringe. If she seems fine and keeps eating, I wouldn't worry about it. She may just have a torn ligament which will just take time to heal. My rooster couldn't walk or put any weight on one of his legs for 2 weeks. He slowly has gotten better even his ginormous wound and puncture marks. He now walks, and will be spending his first night outside in the coop tonight. Happy new year to you all. Hope this helps in some way.