my hurt guinea - lonely?

[Nyxish]

As i posted in the emergencies list, my neighbor's dog got into my chickens and got ahold of one of my guineas. i think Skye (the dog) got a mouthful of feathers and it just ripped the guinea's skin partially over her hip, exposing but near tearing the muscle. She has a couple other puncture wounds but they look shallow, no bleeding, just a lot of lots feathers and i think she has dislocated her hip, maybe. i've got her inside in the bathroom in a tote with clean bedding and food and water. i think she has eaten a little but not much. She's going to the vet this afternoon tho i don't know what i expect him...to do, really. The wound isn't visible unless you actually get in and lift her wing. She fights like the dickens when anyone gets too close (normal behavior for her), but isn't really walking.

my question is it seems like all my guineas are really into having their flock (i have 3 guineas and 5 hens) around them, and now this one has been hurt, handled and is all alone in a strange place. (with an open wound i didn't think it would be a good idea to put her int eh coop, even in a crate) Do i... bring in one of the lower ranking hens to keep her company? or for a visit? wait until she starts to scab over and then move the dog crate into the coop and she will deal with being alone til then?

 

[robin416]

Wait until the vet has done the assessment before contemplating how to deal with the loneliness issue. It might work out that she can go out to the coop and be more in her element.

Guineas shed under feathers in moments of great stress, its a sort of diversion method when being attacked by a predator. So chances are most of the missing feathers was an autonomic response on her part.

 

[Nyxish]

Well, the vet says her leg isn't broken nor is her hip dislocated. She probably wasn't using it because it just hurts like hell. Cleaned the wound and gave me some antibiotics.... i'm gonna have to learn how to pill a bird.

This should be interesting.


i worried about how she just really hasn't eaten. Hmm... maybe i have a a mirror around here to keep her company.

until the skin starts growing back, he doesn't think she should be out...so..for a bit she'll stay inside. Sigh. My poor bathroom...

 

[robin416]

Call and ask if you can crush the pill up. If you can then mash it really good, add about 1 cc of water to it and dose her that way using a dropper or syringe without a needle. Not saying its going to be fun, you might have to wrap her in a towel to be able to hold her.

The vet is worried about flies getting in to the wound. It shouldn't take long before she is out again.

 

[Nyxish]

i know the procedure for pilling a bird... i've just never done it. Well, not until tonight.


She's got at least some of her medication down, her wound cleaned and zomg she is furious with me. The glare i got when i finally got her back in the tote... wow.