Hens recovering from Dog Attack....

[Huit Poules]

I am new to chicken raising......Two of our ladies were attacked by a Terrier who dug into our yard. The attack happened on July 3rd, we weren't sure if they would make it due to their injuries. Our Dark Barhma (Gertrude) had punctures in her back and all her tail feathers were ripped out. And, it seemed like our little Banty Mix (Scrappy) had some sort of puncture in her lung as well as her tail feathers pulled out, but they were fighters, so if they were going to fight, I was going to too! We couldn't afford to take them to the vet ($54 just to see them!) so I started them on antibiotics (bought from our local feed store) & dressed their wounds with a anti-peck antiseptic. We built them a separate recovery coop to quarintine them from the other chickens, to give them the best chance at not being pecked at. It has been 20 days since the attack, the girls seem to be making progress. Gertrude seems to be itching the sight of her injuries, so I have been frequently adding the anti-peck solution, to keep her from doing so. Scrappy still is "wheezing"...I'm not sure how else to describe it.....but when she gets nervous or startled her breathing gets really heavy...I'm not sure what to do...if anything....I also have been giving them Black oil sunflower seeds that I was told helps promote feather growth, and their feathers are coming in nicely!!

Scrappy walks all around the 200 foot area that the "healthy girls" are in and seems to want to get back in with them...I'm just not sure if I should be concerned about the wheezing? I know it was from the attack, she doesn't seem to be in any pain, she acting "normal" (thoughts?) Neither are laying yet, which I have read will probably not happen unitl they are healed....they still have a week and a half before I'll decide if it's time to introduce them back (since I want the antibiotics to be completely through their system)...Any thoughts on how to introduce them back?

I'd love to know thoughts! Thank you!!

 

[pazz]

Glad the tough things (when loved) are making a recovery. Re the wheezing, hmmmm, perhaps we put 2+3 to make 4 and its a coincidence. Possibly an airway infection of some sort/ashtma even.

Alternatively it could be damage from the attack but having survived a while its clearly not terminal so that's good news.

Id still be inclined to see a vet to check the first possibility incase it could be treated

 

[Huit Poules]

They are so tough! I'm amazed!

I'm certain the wheezing is attack related, since she never wheezed prior to the attack and immediatly following the attack she was wheezing. It seems like she is recovering from it, I have not noticed her doing it the past few days...

Thank you for your input!!

 

[NovaAman]

Very cool! My birds have not been so lucky when attacked by dogs. I am glad yours survived. Lung injuries are a long time healing. I had a dog with a punctured lung after being hit by a truck. He survived, but it took several months for him to get anywhere near normal. Made running very difficult. Give her time. You should have made the dog owner pay the vet bill... Unless it was you own dog...

 

[Huit Poules]

It is an unfortunate situation since it is our neighbors Terrier, who simply looks at it as a trait of the breed. He is constantly stalking them. We have had to run cement block our entire fence (approx 80+ feet), but just yesterday that blasted dog got under again. Thankfully our chicken sitter happened to be there reading & her and her father were able to stop him...but we are going to have to redo practically our entire coop configuration..never thought our biggest predator would be a neighborhood dog...it's sad when a dog owner isn't responsible...When our dogs are home and out in the yard they are protective of the hens, which I have been encouraging of...allowing them to growl & bark at the dog when he is in his "stalking crazy mode."...But they are not out all day. It's a frustrating situation. Especially since the recovering of the 2 girls (1 month = no eggs) and the affects it's had on the other ones has reduced production a lot.