My Dog Attacked My Chicken Help!!!!!

[ladywolfe]

Earlier today my Black Copper Marans hen go out of pen and dog got her, she is alive but was on her back and feet in air. She has about a 2 or 3 inch gash in her back. The best i can explain it is you know when you get a chicken at the supermarket and you pull the skin off the chicken thats the gash( just top layer) what should i do should i try to sew this up, get her on penicillin any help would be most helpful. When i found her i rushed her inside and have been keeping her warm in a cage with a towel over her. She seems to be drinking but hasn't eaten anything that i can tell. Please Help. Have photos i will try to download later can't find cord.

Thanks
Ladywolfe

 

[Chicken Rox]

Sorry to hear about your hurt chicken. A few months ago My dog Lucky killed some of my chickens while we were on vacation. One of the survivors was in shock and we thought she was dead. We brought her inside and put her in a big plastic tub with a wire top. She eventually came to herself and after a day began to drink. It took another day for her to try to eat. After three days she started to complain about the close quarters and I reintroduced her to the diminished flock. I used Neosporin on the only wound I could find. It was just a small spot and not large like what you are dealing with. I hope some one else will address that. Good Luck!

 

[jforsness]

This is good wound advice, I hope it helps....

http://shilala.homestead.com/woundcare.html

Good luck and remember that these birds can heal quite well when properly cared for.

 

[chickenzoo]

I would rinse with saline, and apply neosporine or nitrofurazone to the wound. I'd get her on some antibiotics for the bite. Keep her hydrated, quite and warm and she should heal up well.

 

[Indiana hens]

I had the same problem with a cat. I had forgotten about the buff hen that had the back side of her neck pealed. You could see all muscles, veins,and tendons. That was 1 1/2 years ago and she is still out there. I injected her with pennicilin but did not sew her up because I figured her to die. The cat attack is in the basement. Sewed her up and she wants to go out; but I am going to keep her in for awhile. She had some muscle missing but is standing on the leg, 16 stitches. 4/0 silk; I buy them at the gunshows just in case. They cost like $1 for needle and silk.

 

[Anny]

I'm so sorry.

Make sure you clean the wound as best you can, and keep it clean. Get the chicken on some meds to prevent infection.

 

[walkswithdog]

I had one attack a hawk because it was attacking a younger bird. She actually needed a ton of stitches but made it. Do flush the wound with saline or an over the counter wound wash and apply antibiotics. Hers was three 5 inch gashes, from both ears to keel. She made it.

Right now I have a turkey who decided the grass in the varmint dog yard looked too good to pass up. She was BADLY bitten. One 2 inch neck wound, mostly skin and one much worse leg wound under the wing - almost four inches in diameter. I had to flush the wound, apply antiseptic, then I used a surgical stapler I had for the dog medicine chest to try to close parts of the wound. (I had sibling brothers who used to fight to the point of some nasty wounds and the vet said get a stapler.) They tolerate stitching as well but stapling goes faster once you get it figured out.

Despite the muscle damage and the size of the wound the turkey has made it and is beginning to be ticked about being isolated. She'll have a limp, and it's going to be a nasty scar when it's done but it's about 1 1/2 to 2 inches round and getting there. I had to keep it flushed because of the depth and muscle damage and apply antibiotic and blue kote - because she picked at it too often. But she's outside yelling bloody murder about not being allowed out with the other turkeys and her limp is fading.

There's hope. They can actually be quite tough with a little support.