Hen attacked, by what, I don't know

[MarlaMac]

Thanks.

I found these at my local tractor supply. Will any of these work?

 

[Duckin Crazy]

I'm fairly new at this chicken and duck thing. Unfortunately I've had a couple occasions to treat them for wounds. The first was a duck an the daughter's dog when she was here to visit and about 2 weeks ago my husband forgot I had seven chickens that My son-in-law rescued, and actually was going to butcher but really didn't want to, so somehow they ended up here... I cleaned out my greenhouse stuffed all the stuff in the old little greenhouse and turned it into a temporary chicken jail. Husband "forgot "and took the dog that's not allowed in that yard in that yard and of course he immediately grabbed the littlest sweetest hen of the bunch. She had some gnarly holes and a bunch of feathers missing, but she's on the mend. For her the first night I just flushed it with saline and I did try an injection of antibiotics from the feed store. my first attempt at that... She didn't really have enough breast tissue to do the injection there, so I'd read to do it and under the skin on her back and most of the antibiotics leaked out of the puncture wounds and neither one of us enjoyed the experience so I didn't try again after that. I Just put coconut oil on it every day.
when the dog got the duck I pretty sure he was going to be a goner. I didn't know you could get antibiotics at the feed store without a prescription. ( But I guess that's changing in a couple months )His neck looked like your girl's does. The nearest avian vet I can find is about 80 mi from me. Not really an option. I was about 6 months into raising birds in panicked about infection. I actually discovered that my daughter had"leftover"(I know..she's 30,so I'm not longer responsible for that)human antibiotics that were on the list of what they would give ducks for a bite, I don't remember what it was. We figured out about what the dosage would be and I don't have a grain scale so we broke open the capsule and I divided it up and did that for a few days.He recovered. I honestly don't know if that was the right thing or not but he fully recovered.I have no veterinary,medical or pharmaceutical training so take that for whatever it's worth. I might have just gotten lucky.
But, what I was going to tell you that I've read is okay is I gave them about half of an aspirin a few times a day that I'd smash up and mixed with a little bit of canned cat food for the chicken and I think I used peas for the duck to help with pain. You wouldn't want to give aspirin if there's a lot of bleeding still because it will thin her blood.
Best of luck to you.

 

[MarlaMac]

I'm fairly new at this chicken and duck thing. Unfortunately I've had a couple occasions to treat them for wounds. The first was a duck an the daughter's dog when she was here to visit and about 2 weeks ago my husband forgot I had seven chickens that My son-in-law rescued, and actually was going to butcher but really didn't want to, so somehow they ended up here... I cleaned out my greenhouse stuffed all the stuff in the old little greenhouse and turned it into a temporary chicken jail. Husband "forgot "and took the dog that's not allowed in that yard in that yard and of course he immediately grabbed the littlest sweetest hen of the bunch. She had some gnarly holes and a bunch of feathers missing, but she's on the mend. For her the first night I just flushed it with saline and I did try an injection of antibiotics from the feed store. my first attempt at that... She didn't really have enough breast tissue to do the injection there, so I'd read to do it and under the skin on her back and most of the antibiotics leaked out of the puncture wounds and neither one of us enjoyed the experience so I didn't try again after that. I Just put coconut oil on it every day.
when the dog got the duck I pretty sure he was going to be a goner. I didn't know you could get antibiotics at the feed store without a prescription. ( But I guess that's changing in a couple months )His neck looked like your girl's does. The nearest avian vet I can find is about 80 mi from me. Not really an option. I was about 6 months into raising birds in panicked about infection. I actually discovered that my daughter had"leftover"(I know..she's 30,so I'm not longer responsible for that)human antibiotics that were on the list of what they would give ducks for a bite, I don't remember what it was. We figured out about what the dosage would be and I don't have a grain scale so we broke open the capsule and I divided it up and did that for a few days.He recovered. I honestly don't know if that was the right thing or not but he fully recovered.I have no veterinary,medical or pharmaceutical training so take that for whatever it's worth. I might have just gotten lucky.
But, what I was going to tell you that I've read is okay is I gave them about half of an aspirin a few times a day that I'd smash up and mixed with a little bit of canned cat food for the chicken and I think I used peas for the duck to help with pain. You wouldn't want to give aspirin if there's a lot of bleeding still because it will thin her blood.
Best of luck to you.

Thank you. Not a lot of blood. I will see how she feels tomorrow.

 

[Duckin Crazy]

I found these at my local tractor supply. Will any of these work?

I think this is what I just got to use on a hen the dog got, I was telling her about that in my post just below yours. I ended up not doing a full course.poor thing didn't have anywhere to really poke but I figured I'd put us both through it if it started to look infected and it never did. At least now I don't think I'll be intimidated if I ever have a situation come up where I have to give an injection.As long as it's not a scrawny chicken with holes in her skin for it to leak out of.

 

[MarlaMac]

I think this is what I just got to use on a hen the dog got, I was telling her about that in my post just below yours. I ended up not doing a full course.poor thing didn't have anywhere to really poke but I figured I'd put us both through it if it started to look infected and it never did. At least now I don't think I'll be intimidated if I ever have a situation come up where I have to give an injection.As long as it's not a scrawny chicken with holes in her skin for it to leak out of.

I did see that this should be given orally to chickens. It can cause nercrosis at the injection sight if given IM.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sometimes an antibiotic is not necessary if the wound is cleaned well and tended to.
Do trim the feathers away from the wound so they don't stick in the wound when you apply the ointment.

Chlorhexidine is a good thing to have on hand, but saline is very good to use for flushing a wound too.

If you feel she does need antibiotics and you can't get Amoxicillin, then I'd use the LA200, it is to be injected, but only every 3 days. Dosing is a bit hard to nail down but the thread below seems to be the best answer with the best instructions that we have found.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/miracle-la-200-dosage-and-vetrx-for-crd-treatment.631458/

You mention clicking - is she clicking her beak or is the clicking her breathing?
IF she's clicking her beak, it may just be a stress response. Offer electrolytes or sugar water to give her a boost. Work on hydration, then see if she will eat.
IF the clicking is while she's breathing, then she may have a damaged or ruptured air sac but if she's not in respiratory distress, then I'd monitor her for a couple of days to see if that heals on its own.

 

[MarlaMac]

Sometimes an antibiotic is not necessary if the wound is cleaned well and tended to.
Do trim the feathers away from the wound so they don't stick in the wound when you apply the ointment.

Chlorhexidine is a good thing to have on hand, but saline is very good to use for flushing a wound too.

If you feel she does need antibiotics and you can't get Amoxicillin, then I'd use the LA200, it is to be injected, but only every 3 days. Dosing is a bit hard to nail down but the thread below seems to be the best answer with the best instructions that we have found.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/miracle-la-200-dosage-and-vetrx-for-crd-treatment.631458/

You mention clicking - is she clicking her beak or is the clicking her breathing?
IF she's clicking her beak, it may just be a stress response. Offer electrolytes or sugar water to give her a boost. Work on hydration, then see if she will eat.
IF the clicking is while she's breathing, then she may have a damaged or ruptured air sac but if she's not in respiratory distress, then I'd monitor her for a couple of days to see if that heals on its own.

Thank you. The clicking is definitely her beak, not her breathing and she only did it last night when I would reach into her cage.

I do have some Chorhexidine in soak gauge from the vet from when my cat got bit by a rattlesnake - she survived! The gauze is just barely damp, but I could rewet it for a quick flush and then get some more and use that. I also have betadine if that is better than saline.

Questions:

How many times a day should I flush the wound?

Should I re-apply triple antibiotic after each flush?

Should I keep her isolated until she is healed, or at least until her wound in no longer exposed?

I did see her drink this morning - just plain water. I will look around the forum to see the mix of sugar/water to make.

And she did poop this morning. Watery, but I am sure that is to be expected.

I assume the cutting of the feathers do not cause pain if they are not pin feathers.

She ate last night, but not yet this morning, even with her favorite of chopped up poached eggs and cooked lentils. I left this in the cage with some regular crumble. They are all on chick starter b/c of the rooster.

Thank you for your time and advice.

 

[MarlaMac]

@Wyorp Rock

Will this work for antibiotic? Saw it on a list of approved antibiotics for chickens and TS has it.

 

[MarlaMac]

@Wyorp Rock

Will this work for antibiotic? Saw it on a list of approved antibiotics for chickens and TS has it.

Sorry - wrong post.

 

[MarlaMac]

First of all let me say "thank you" to everyone on this forum that has given advice to others. I scan this forum often to get ideas of what to do, "if" if ever needed them. Today, "if" happened.

My flock free ranges all day - out in the am and led back in at sunset by rooster. We are out and about all day and see the flock happily scratching around. About 1.5 hours before sunset, the flock starts to head back toward the run and I am usually out there and sit with them as they meander into the run. I lock the run and then go back out after everyone is in the coop to do a final close up.

Tonight when it was time for everyone to start to head toward the run, I counted heads, 7 hens, 4 babies, 1 rooster...1 missing. Started looking and found her pecking around all by herself - not usual. Had to climb a barbed wire fence b/c the like to hang out in the trees on the property next to us. Closing that option off tomorrow - the have plenty of trees on our proper to utilize.

Got her pretty quickly - she hardly ran away. Started looking at her and found the gaping wound in the pictures attached. It looks like half her neck is missing.

She is acting well - she was pecking around when I found her. Brought her in, saline washed the wound - don't have epsom salt, so used some kosher salt water and flushed the wound then dried it slowly with a hair dryer. Sprayed some Vetricyn on the wound and put a light coating of triple antibiotic on the wound.

Made her a scrambled eggs and she ate 1/2 of it. Monitoring her on a camera. She settled in and is now resting. She does not appear to be in shock. I do have some tyslon and also a bunch of fish antibiotics, but no fish mox. I can go out in the morning and get whatever I need that doesn't require a vet - they are not open on Sun.

Anything else I can/should be doing? I will get an inventory of what I have for fish and post soon.

Update on my sweet girl. She is doing very well. Eating, drinking and pooping. Poop is still a little watery, but hey - a bunch of skin was ripped off her just yesterday. It has gotten better as the day has progressed.

Yesterday we thought 1/2 of her neck was gone and that tendons were exposed. Today we think that what we saw was just some stretched fatty tissue. We think she really escaped what could have been very bad. Hopefully all will heal and she will be back to peck and scratching with the flock in no time.

BTW...her name is LC - we called her this b/c ever since we brought her home she has the tendency to wander off by herself. LC is short for Loner Chick. Hopefully she will stay closer to the flock and Rooster Cogburn from now on.

She is getting her area flushed 2x daily with chlorhexidine. I bought a gallon of this stuff before I read the label and found out it is diluted to 2 tlbsp to 1 gal. Kind of maddens me b/c my vet sold me about a 1/2 cup with some gauze in it in a baggie for $19.50 when I cat got bit by a rattlesnake. I paid $20 for a gallon of super concentrate.

Any way, this girl laid an egg today, so I take that as her body is acting normally. Now I will just keep everything squeaky clean and moistened until she is all healed. Any guesses on how long this process will take?

My guess is I can take her off the sugar water now. Please let me know if I should continue this.

Thank you again for all your kind words and your advice! I will keep you all updates as to her progress!