Hen Mauled by dog, Large skinless wound gashed muscle LOOK HELP ADVISE PLEASE PICS

[froggiesheins]

When I did my girl's wing, I actually had to do surgery on her to remove 2 pieces of exposed bone so that the skin could grow back over. I called my vet before doing anything with her & took his advice on the watered down alcohol, triple antibiotic ointment, blu-kote & oral antibiotics in her drinking water. First I literally flooded the wound with the alcohol solution to wash away any debris. I used a child's medicine dropper to spray the wound with so I didn't have to touch it. I then doused a pair of tin snips in straight alcohol & clipped the bone even with the skin as best I could to allow the skin to grow back over it. She lost all but about 1 1/2 inches of her wing, so a pretty big & traumatic wound for a 4 month old Sebright pullet. She was in shock when I found her. After the bone was removed, I rinsed the wound again & smothered it in triple antibiotic ointment. I then wrapped it with gau2e pads & roll gau2e & put vet wrap over the entire thing to keep her from picking at it. I changed the dressing the next day & added blu-kote to the procedure. I had to soak the bandages with the alcohol solution to soften them because the blood had clotted to the bandage. I only bandaged her for about 3-4 days because she began to pick at the bandages & I didn't want her choking on pieces of them. She actually kept the wound very clean on her own & picked all feathers out of the affected area herself. During the 1st week of her treatment I added Duramycin-10 & a vitamin/electrolyte powder to her drinking water. The very 1st thing I had given her to drink was diluted gatorade with added sugar to try to bring her out of the shock. It worked well & she was back to eating & drinking normally within 24 hrs. The Duramycin-10 & vit/electrolyte powder can both be found at TSC. I would assume most feed stores would also carry something similar.

As for your girl's wound, a good rinse with the diluted alcohol, a coat of blu-kote & triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin) and the vitamin/electrolytes & antibiotics would probably do her fine. My vet was most concerned with infection for my girl & said the antibiotics in her water were really the most important part after the initial cleaning & dressing of the wound. As long as the wound is staying clean & fly free it really won't need a dressing on it.

Complete healing took about a month for the skin to completely cover the bone. She will never have feathers over that particular spot again, but the feathers from the little bit of her shoulder that is left have grown in over it to help conceal it & now, unless she extends her wing you can barely tell it's missing without looking very closely.

Now THIS was an education!...WOW, you sure were brave Nsampsel, but I suppose if I were in a similiar situation I would have to muster up the gumption too!

 

[Nsampsel]

Now THIS was an education!...WOW, you sure were brave Nsampsel, but I suppose if I were in a similiar situation I would have to muster up the gumption too!

When I found this girl cowering in the cage it was right after I discovered 3 other birds were missing & only found a few feathers that were left on the ground beside the cage. A raccoon had pulled the smaller birds thru the bars of the cage. It had grabbed this pullet, but she was too big to fit thru the bars & she put up a fight & lost her wing. My 8 yr old daughter & 5 yr old son were standing there when I found her & when I said I didn't think she was going to make it my daughter threw a fit & insisted I call the vet. I wrapped her in a towel to keep her warm & called the vet, explained I had no money to bring her in & asked what I could do to try to save her. I told him what her condition was & what supplies I already had on hand & what I could get ahold of quickly. A neighbor helped hold her in the towel while I did what had to be done to try to save her. She was a VERY strong bird or she never would have survived. When she returned to the coop after being gone for nearly 3 weeks she went right back to the top of the pecking order. I had brought my OEGB pullet that was the same age in to keep her company during recovery & they were both very high on the totem pole. They were #3 & #4 in the pecking order. Only 1 banty hen & 1 LF pullet above them. This warrior bird has since gone to live at a friend's farm & immediately went to the top of the pecking order there as well. She's 1 sassy little bird. Despite her handicap, she still runs the coop & even manages to fly to the top of the roosts.

 

[froggiesheins]

When I found this girl cowering in the cage it was right after I discovered 3 other birds were missing & only found a few feathers that were left on the ground beside the cage. A raccoon had pulled the smaller birds thru the bars of the cage. It had grabbed this pullet, but she was too big to fit thru the bars & she put up a fight & lost her wing. My 8 yr old daughter & 5 yr old son were standing there when I found her & when I said I didn't think she was going to make it my daughter threw a fit & insisted I call the vet. I wrapped her in a towel to keep her warm & called the vet, explained I had no money to bring her in & asked what I could do to try to save her. I told him what her condition was & what supplies I already had on hand & what I could get ahold of quickly. A neighbor helped hold her in the towel while I did what had to be done to try to save her. She was a VERY strong bird or she never would have survived. When she returned to the coop after being gone for nearly 3 weeks she went right back to the top of the pecking order. I had brought my OEGB pullet that was the same age in to keep her company during recovery & they were both very high on the totem pole. They were #3 & #4 in the pecking order. Only 1 banty hen & 1 LF pullet above them. This warrior bird has since gone to live at a friend's farm & immediately went to the top of the pecking order there as well. She's 1 sassy little bird. Despite her handicap, she still runs the coop & even manages to fly to the top of the roosts.

Its the "biker" chick in you--tough as nails..... Yes these birds can be amazing sometimes....

 

[ChickinBlack]

wow thats pretty darn amazing! It gives me hope that my girl will eventually get better. Meanwhile she's being a great little housebird. I've wanted chickens ever since I was little, and bought my handful birds on impulse as chicks last year. I knew NOTHING about raising them LOL it was a big learning experience and continues to be so. Dee dee, the gal thats hurt now, has always been my favorite. She's always had the most personality and is the most intelligent of my flock. She's the only one who will hop on my lap at all, and when she does she falls right to sleep. I thought it was going to be strange having an adult chicken in the house, but she fits right in, During the day she'll "talk" to me, cooing and clucking softly as she follows me around my little house. I thought I'd have to keep her in a cage most of the time, but she's ben behaving quite well and is staying off the furniture for the most part on her own. She's found my sons bookcase and has claimed a spot on the bottom shelf as her own. Right now she's in my bedroom halfway up the staircase to the attic asleep on a discarded T shirt of mine. She was always friendly since a chick outside, but now that she's inside she's become even more social with me, despite her ghastly injury. It seems like it doesn't bother her a bit, just me LOL which Im thankful for. I figured she'd hate me for pestering with her wound, cleaning it and all, but she's even nicer than she was before it happened to her. I hae a dog tha had parv as a pup, she was a mean fearful little thing but once I nursed her through it, with all the shots and IVs and bags of solution they injected her with all the time shes now the most loving dog Ive ever had. I firmly believe that most animals know when you love them and when you're trying to help them. I hadn't had any experience with birds so I didnt know if she'd still like me after all Ive had to do with her for her ordeal, but it seems she likes me even more. It's a very special and rewarding feeling to have this chicken trust me so much. I think some of you here might relate to or understand what Im saying, but I dont think theres anyone I know off this site who wouldnt think Im nuts for saying so. I'm so glad I got a chicken to be my friend instead of my dinner!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Aww. i believe they know you are helping, too. I'm glad this is going well for you. Have you ever heard of a chicken diaper? They are pricey, but there are patterns on byc that you can follow if you want to make your own. I don't think she could wear one yet with the injury so fresh, but perhaps when it's healed over more? Sounds like you have a friend for life

 

[Nsampsel]

None of my girls are ever thought of as diner. There is an occasional roo or 2 that could go that way tho...LOL Sometimes you just can't afford to feed them all & the girls are ever so thankful when you thin them out a bit. I had about 20 roos in my main coop a month or so ago, so my girls were glad to see most of them go to the swap meet (I still didn't manage to do the deed myself). I still have a couple more that need to go, but I have been considering having a friend process them so I don't have to deal with it. I don't have a problem eating them, I just don't think I could actually kill them myself.

My 5 yr old son has a favorite chicken we have had since she was only a couple days old, Ruby the Red Star. He can walk right into the coop & pick her right up & she never so much as squawks or tries to run. He brings her out into the yard & stretches her out on her belly or side with her legs behind her & sits down beside her to "pet" her (more like maul her). She just lays there & nibbles grass until he's done. The only objection she ever has is when he decides to give her "flying lessons" & tosses her into the air to watch her flap frantically to break her fall. She's definitely gotten too fat to fly, so she never makes it far. I'm constantly telling him she can't fly but he's bound & determined to "teach" her. Since her wings aren't clipped, I know she can break her fall sufficiently, but I still yell at him for it.

 

[Quietjd]

Hi there!

Aug 17th must have been a really bad day for chicken attacks. One of our little hens was also attacked by a dog. We found a trail of feathers leading down to the creek, and by the volume of feathers and lack of carcass, decided she must have been carried off to parts unknown. We found that a neighbor, 5 doors down, had 2 of her dogs escape from her pen and that she was working on retrieving them and reinforcing her dog pen. We had no hope that our little girl, "Whiskers" was still alive....until evening came! And she resurfaced to go inside the coop! What resilience some chickens have!

You have done a great job cleaning up that wound!!! We are still in the learning process of what to do, how to help our surprisingly alert and reactive, chicken. The front of her body and all major organs are alive, well, and perky!! The backside is a mess!

Although your hen's surface area of injury is much larger, the wounds on our chicken are deeper and involve deeper layers of tissue along the backbone and rectal area. She also has 4 deep "canine teeth wounds" that have driven infection and debris into deeper levels. If I can figure out how to attach photos, I will post them, as I am brand new to this website.

We have cleaned the wounds out as best we can (not as "pretty" a job as yours) and are facing many of the same questions about keeping the wounds lubricated and exposed, or not. We are learning so much, but I'm afraid maybe a little too late, in spite of our efforts. If "Whiskers" didn't have such a wonderful desire to live and a sparkling personality, we would be resigned to let her go. But as long as she is perky and eating as well as she is, we will keep struggling to learn how we can help her recover.

We are facing debriding surgery this evening. It has become obvious that she has necrotic/dead and dying tissue that goes under the muscle flaps of her backbone that must be removed and cleaned out (somehow!). Reading through your posts has given me hope that I can check out the closest Farm store for the items that were mentioned. My biggest problems are: 1. Finding antibiotic to fight the bacterial/strep infections (didn't know I could buy some in Tractor Stores!) 2. Discerning healthy tissue from stuff that needs to be removed. (Your photos have been really helpful in visualizing healthy skin and tissue!) 3. Researching what to do about major muscle tissue loss and how to repack debrided wounds. (She has exposed bone on the back wounds) 4. What to do about anesthetics for this surgery! 5. How to prevent maggots (in spite of wound cleaning and providing fly free quarters). Whiskers has been very tolerant of all the probing and cleaning we have done. She seems to have little sensation on her back wounds; but the rectal area is very sensitive.

Needless to say, I have lots of questions and am still in the process of learning. Hopefully we have not been too slow in responding to her wounds. I will post photos, if I can find them on my husband's computer.

Thanks for all the info your posts have generated! You are a courageous woman!

May God bless your efforts!!

Quietjd

 

[Nsampsel]

Hi there!

Aug 17th must have been a really bad day for chicken attacks. One of our little hens was also attacked by a dog. We found a trail of feathers leading down to the creek, and by the volume of feathers and lack of carcass, decided she must have been carried off to parts unknown. We found that a neighbor, 5 doors down, had 2 of her dogs escape from her pen and that she was working on retrieving them and reinforcing her dog pen. We had no hope that our little girl, "Whiskers" was still alive....until evening came! And she resurfaced to go inside the coop! What resilience some chickens have!

You have done a great job cleaning up that wound!!! We are still in the learning process of what to do, how to help our surprisingly alert and reactive, chicken. The front of her body and all major organs are alive, well, and perky!! The backside is a mess!

Although your hen's surface area of injury is much larger, the wounds on our chicken are deeper and involve deeper layers of tissue along the backbone and rectal area. She also has 4 deep "canine teeth wounds" that have driven infection and debris into deeper levels. If I can figure out how to attach photos, I will post them, as I am brand new to this website.

We have cleaned the wounds out as best we can (not as "pretty" a job as yours) and are facing many of the same questions about keeping the wounds lubricated and exposed, or not. We are learning so much, but I'm afraid maybe a little too late, in spite of our efforts. If "Whiskers" didn't have such a wonderful desire to live and a sparkling personality, we would be resigned to let her go. But as long as she is perky and eating as well as she is, we will keep struggling to learn how we can help her recover.

We are facing debriding surgery this evening. It has become obvious that she has necrotic/dead and dying tissue that goes under the muscle flaps of her backbone that must be removed and cleaned out (somehow!). Reading through your posts has given me hope that I can check out the closest Farm store for the items that were mentioned. My biggest problems are: 1. Finding antibiotic to fight the bacterial/strep infections (didn't know I could buy some in Tractor Stores!) 2. Discerning healthy tissue from stuff that needs to be removed. (Your photos have been really helpful in visualizing healthy skin and tissue!) 3. Researching what to do about major muscle tissue loss and how to repack debrided wounds. (She has exposed bone on the back wounds) 4. What to do about anesthetics for this surgery! 5. How to prevent maggots (in spite of wound cleaning and providing fly free quarters). Whiskers has been very tolerant of all the probing and cleaning we have done. She seems to have little sensation on her back wounds; but the rectal area is very sensitive.

Needless to say, I have lots of questions and am still in the process of learning. Hopefully we have not been too slow in responding to her wounds. I will post photos, if I can find them on my husband's computer.

Thanks for all the info your posts have generated! You are a courageous woman!

May God bless your efforts!!

Quietjd

Your MAJOR concern right now is infection. Check at TSC or a local feed store & ask them what antibiotics they have available. I used Duramycin-10 (1/4 tsp per quart of water or 1 tsp per gallon) for my girl because it's what I already had available. There may be better options if you have to buy something anyway. I highly recommend the alcohol wash I described above to remove debris & infection. If you are seeing puss you can use peroxide to pull infection out, but I would dilute that as well & also use it to flush the wounds. I've never had to remove dead tissue, and you may want to call your vet for advice on that. Blu-Kote certainly won't hurt & will most likely be quite beneficial in helping with infection as well. Good luck with your girl. As long as she is eating & drinking well she certainly still has a very good chance.

 

[Quietjd]

I totally agree with your assessment!! Infection is the major problem at present. After I read through the entire thread, I went 30 miles to our nearest TSC and bought the Duramycin-10 that you suggested and also Blue Kote. I was disappointed to not find anything resembling and anesthetic that we could use on some of the more sensitive spots. The clerk also told me that they used to carry a larger line of supplies like the ones I was requesting, but have since dropped them. She didn't know why.

Anyway....we spoke with an Army Corpsman tonight to get additional information on how to handle the infection and debridement and recognizing healthy vs. dying tissue. He told us not to close the deeper wounds and instead use gauze packing (changed every day) to heal it from the inside out. The gauze packing acts as a wick to draw out infections and drain fluids and also keeps bacteria from contaminating the wound further. He also talked about wet to dry dressings on the surface wounds.
Thank you so much for your posts. They are so informative, and encouraging!

I’m still waiting for my husband to return, so I can attach some photos.

Quietjd

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I would like to know about the wet to dry, i've heard about it but i don't know how it's done. Never know when you will need to know this stuff............ thanks.