Need emergency advice--asap please help

[jalen911]

I need ideas for any home first aid I can do to help her. Please tell me anything I can do at home to help her.

Our dog has been great with our chickens for over a year. In the last few months he's started to give chase, as though they are toys. He's never once bit, nipped or hurt one even as he caught them after chasing...until yesterday when he killed one. As I type this my hubby is building a fence around our coop so they have a safe yard to play in where the dog won't have access, but we just noticed our sweet Ruby Buff Orphington was missing feathers and it looks like he got to her too.

He clearly took a bunch of feathers off the top of her neck, looks like maybe some skin? I'm not able to tell, looks like an open wound. She's walking around, seeking treats but her feet feel warm to me and she was panting after I held her for awhile- though both of those could be because it's 90 degrees out. Is there any first aid care I can offer her for this wound? Should I clip the feathers that rub the top of it to give more air circulation, or will the feathers protect the wound from the elements? I can't take her to a vet, as I just lost my job the same week I broke my leg in two places, so we have medical bills galore and half our income, we are really struggling financially right now. I feel so terrible. The fence is going up today and it won't be an issue going forward, I'm just so upset that our dog forgot they were toys.

 

[jalen911]

Anyone with any advice?

 

[enola]

I can't tell by the picture..... is the skin torn? Or just feathers missing?

 

[Chicksahoyfarm]

Flush it out with hydrogen proxide then stuff the wound with neosporin. You could then wrap some gauze on it but isn't needed I do it because my other hens like neosporin.

 

[jalen911]

I'm not totally sure, it doesn't look bloody but there looks to be a layer of fat on the right side so it could be an open wound.

 

[happyhens1972]

You would be AMAZED what injuries a chicken can recover from and often without a care in the world. I find it strange that when it comes to illness, they seem to get little more than a runny nose and keel over dead but can survive the most horrific wounds!!

I would put some antiseptic ointment or powder on the wound, isolate her for a couple of days to prevent others pecking at it and see how it goes. Feed her some scrambled eggs to give her a nutritional boost to keep her strength and her anti-bodies up and ensure the flies stay off, especially in the heat you mentioned. Fly strike will be a real threat!

 

[jalen911]

Thank you all!

 

[jalen911]

Any suggestions for how to keep flies off her? Wrap it?

 

[enola]

You may have to bring her in the house to keep flies off her. Flies will crawl through most wrappings to get to a wound. Chickens don't do well with their wounds covered any way.

 

[happyhens1972]

I would agree. Keep her in the house and maybe hang some citronella very near to the cage/container she is in (but not near enough for her to get to it!) You could also use ivermectin spray-on if you have it available...but don't get it in the wound, just spray it around but not on the area.