Mauled by dog, 4 days later

[RubyCC]

Help! I've been put in charge of caring for a sweet chicken who was mauled by the neighbor's dog 4 days ago. It's a long story, and I'm too distraught to write more, but I'm looking for any and all suggestions, while keeping in mind we can't afford hundreds of dollars at the vet.
She's been cleaned off with hydrogen peroxide, and some antibiotic ointment. Her back and down toward tail are getting hard, the skin was torn pretty bad and there are some punctures from the dog's teeth. Nothing is oozing anymore and she talks and is bright-eyed. Is the vet the only option, or can she be cared for at home? Should I rinse her in a bath of warm water? She has been isolated from the three other hens, and is currently warm and in the garage, with the heat lamp and some meditation music. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!

 

[pineapple416]

It sounds like you're doing a good job, and she's getting better. I would make sure to clean the wounds once or twice a day. I might also very carefully rinse her of. If she gets worse, I might take her into the vet.

 

[RubyCC]

Thank you Pineapple416. Would you rinse her with plain water, or continue using hydrogen peroxide? Also, is 'neosporin' type of antibiotic ointment ok to use? Thank you for your help!

 

[deacons]

Neosporin is ok to use, but you have to be sure you use one without pain reliever in it (any ointment that includes ingredients ending in "-caine" are harmful to chickens).

I personally am not a fan of using peroxide for cleaning out wounds, as I think it can be harmful to healthy regenerating skin. My preference is to use a product called Betadine, which is an iodine solution (good antiseptic). I believe you can buy it a CVS pharmacy in the first aid section, and you can definitely get it at a feed store, a tack shop, etc. (here's an online option: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=25829).

Another product I'd consider getting is Vetericyn wound care spray (I prefer the spray to the gel). This has worked great for me on healing large open wounds on all sorts of animals from chickens to horses. Here's an online option, but any feed or tack shop should have it: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=24619.

To answer your other question, I think many of the experts on this site recommend NOT giving a full bath if you absolutely don't have to- particularly if a chicken may still be in shock following an attack like the one you described. I don't have personal experience one way or the other, but seem to remember reading that advice in the past.

Good luck healing your girl up! Ever since joining this site, I've been amazed at the truly horrific injuries chickens can survive.

 

[RubyCC]

Thank you so much deacons, I truly appreciate your reply! I have both Betadine and Vetricin so will use those now. I just put her in a secured enclosure outside so she could hear her other 3 sister hens (who generally ostracize her, so I don't want the others to forget that she's still a part of the flock). It's a pretty gruesome set of wounds but she's eating grass, organic cooked rice cereal, and seems comfortable. Is there a way I can post a pic? The skin is turning black in areas and it's helpful to get reassurance that you've heard/ read of plenty of chickens heal from some horrific injuries. I currently am so overwhelmed and without much time in my day and am doing this alone, so can't search this site much (yet!)...thanks again for sending the info!

 

[deacons]

@RubyCC, you can post a picture. If you're posting from your computer, you'll see a little picture icon above the box where you type in your message (it looks like a little mountain with a sun above it). You can upload from your computer or enter a link from a site like Photobucket.

It's great she has an appetite and wants to eat! As far as what she's eating, I'd probably want to keep feeding her chicken pellets while she's recuperating. If she's not interested in them dry, mine love them if I moisten them a little with some warm water. You could mix your rice cereal (or rolled outs, good protein/fat) right in and make a mash. This way you'll know she's getting proper nutrition while healing. Also, be careful about too many grass clippings, I've heard some people run into problems with sour crop if the chickens eat too much cut grass. If she's grazing grass on her own in her enclosure, that's probably fine. I'm still buried under a foot of snow here so the thought of grass access is foreign to me

 

[pineapple416]

Your welcome, I'm glad to help. I would rinse her in plain water, but continue to clean the wounds.

 

[RubyCC]

Hi, so it's now actually 5 days later, here's what she looks like today.....thanks to all for suggestions/ advice/ support. I am following the advice and she seems stable. But some skin on her back is peeling back and is feeling hard and is turning black. I'm guessing that will need to be cut off at some point? Is that something that can be done at home, and if so, is there a good link and info out there you might know of? Thank you, I appreciate it so much.

 

[AGraybeal]

I would also put antibiotics into her water if you haven't. You can buy them at your local feed store. It's another way to make sure she doesn't get an infection. I had the same thing happens with one of my sweet buff orpingtons. I cleaned her wounds and added antibiotics to her water for a few days to make sure she didn't get sick from the wound. It took her a little while to bounce back but she made it. Good luck!

 

[deacons]

Hey @RubyCC , how is your hen's healing coming along? Sorry I can't be of any help to your question regarding the dead skin you see forming, but hopefully some of the BYC experts will have a look at this and give you some advice. Hope things are going well.