Please Help Dog Attack Injuries

[want2know]

Just had 2 large dogs breach our fences and chicken run, out of 9, 3 confirmed dead, 2 injured but hopeful of survival and a 3rd is fine. 3 are missing but hopefully that they are hiding.
How do I treat the back injury? The other injured chicken may have a broken wing. foot or leg, still undetermined. They are resting in their nest together right now. but am slightly worried about moving. One of the dead, died in my arms. Her back was injured but seemed OK otherwise so I picked her up and was walking around looking for the 3 missing and she startled, then started fading out, losing color in her waddles and eyes started closing. I put her down and she convulsed a few times, I picked her up, and then she died in my arms. Was she in shock and my picking her up make it worse?
Any advice appreciated.

 

[CCsGarden]

I'm sorry to hear and see this! Sorry for your losses! Maybe @Eggcessive @azygous @Wyorp Rock can help?

 

[azygous]

I've had dogs attack my chickens, too. I love dogs, but some people don't love their dogs much and let them roam to cause problems for others. The law says we can shoot dogs that threaten our live stock, but it's really the human owners that need to be shot.

Here is my wound care protocol:


1. Treat for shock as the number one step. Give warm Gatoraid or mix one teaspoon of sugar into one cup of warm water with a pinch of salt and baking soda. Have the patient drink it all or syringe it into the beak. Dip the beak to show the patient it’s sweet.

2. Flush the wound well with saline. This is better than soap and water as it maintains the ph balance of the tissues. But warm soap and water will do. You need to wash away the bacteria from the wound. Scrub away all blackened or dead tissue.

3. Inspect the wound carefully. If it has a skin flap dangling and it’s still pink and warm to the touch, keep that. Do not cut it off. Look for bite, tear or puncture marks indicating a puncture wound. If you see this, the patient will need an oral antibiotic such as amoxicillin. Bacteria from the predator’s mouth can be injected deep into tissue and can kill in as little as 24 to 48 hours. You may want to try to obtain some amoxicillin from your vet to treat the bacteria that may have been left behind in the puncture wound.

4. Use a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, triple antibiotic ointment without pain killer in it to coat the wound. If there's a skin flap, lay it across the wound that has just been coated with the ointment. Then smooth on a generous amount over the top of the skin flap to hold it in place. Manuka honey is also a good wound treatment for a large wound and will keep it moist.

5. Gently scrub the wound every day with a soft wash cloth following the above steps. This will get rid of any non-viable skin cells that will attract and support bacteria. Keep the wound covered with the ointment. Never allow the wound to get dried out or it will not heal.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I've had dogs attack my chickens, too. I love dogs, but some people don't love their dogs much and let them roam to cause problems for others. The law says we can shoot dogs that threaten our live stock, but it's really the human owners that need to be shot.

Here is my wound care protocol:


1. Treat for shock as the number one step. Give warm Gatoraid or mix one teaspoon of sugar into one cup of warm water with a pinch of salt and baking soda. Have the patient drink it all or syringe it into the beak. Dip the beak to show the patient it’s sweet.

2. Flush the wound well with saline. This is better than soap and water as it maintains the ph balance of the tissues. But warm soap and water will do. You need to wash away the bacteria from the wound. Scrub away all blackened or dead tissue.

3. Inspect the wound carefully. If it has a skin flap dangling and it’s still pink and warm to the touch, keep that. Do not cut it off. Look for bite, tear or puncture marks indicating a puncture wound. If you see this, the patient will need an oral antibiotic such as amoxicillin. Bacteria from the predator’s mouth can be injected deep into tissue and can kill in as little as 24 to 48 hours. You may want to try to obtain some amoxicillin from your vet to treat the bacteria that may have been left behind in the puncture wound.

4. Use a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, triple antibiotic ointment without pain killer in it to coat the wound. If there's a skin flap, lay it across the wound that has just been coated with the ointment. Then smooth on a generous amount over the top of the skin flap to hold it in place. Manuka honey is also a good wound treatment for a large wound and will keep it moist.

5. Gently scrub the wound every day with a soft wash cloth following the above steps. This will get rid of any non-viable skin cells that will attract and support bacteria. Keep the wound covered with the ointment. Never allow the wound to get dried out or it will not heal.

Good information and instructions as always!

@want2know I'm sorry for your losses, this must be distressing.
You did nothing wrong by picking up your hen and holding her, she must have felt secure in your arms. Even though damage may not have appeared too severe, she may have suffered internal injuries and of course shock will take them out too.

Treat the wounds as described and work them out of shock.
The one with leg or wing injury, hopefully nothing is broken, but you'll have to access her.
Keep us posted on how they are doing.

 

[want2know]

View attachment 4284941

I've had dogs attack my chickens, too. I love dogs, but some people don't love their dogs much and let them roam to cause problems for others. The law says we can shoot dogs that threaten our live stock, but it's really the human owners that need to be shot.

Here is my wound care protocol:


1. Treat for shock as the number one step. Give warm Gatoraid or mix one teaspoon of sugar into one cup of warm water with a pinch of salt and baking soda. Have the patient drink it all or syringe it into the beak. Dip the beak to show the patient it’s sweet.

2. Flush the wound well with saline. This is better than soap and water as it maintains the ph balance of the tissues. But warm soap and water will do. You need to wash away the bacteria from the wound. Scrub away all blackened or dead tissue.

3. Inspect the wound carefully. If it has a skin flap dangling and it’s still pink and warm to the touch, keep that. Do not cut it off. Look for bite, tear or puncture marks indicating a puncture wound. If you see this, the patient will need an oral antibiotic such as amoxicillin. Bacteria from the predator’s mouth can be injected deep into tissue and can kill in as little as 24 to 48 hours. You may want to try to obtain some amoxicillin from your vet to treat the bacteria that may have been left behind in the puncture wound.

4. Use a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin, triple antibiotic ointment without pain killer in it to coat the wound. If there's a skin flap, lay it across the wound that has just been coated with the ointment. Then smooth on a generous amount over the top of the skin flap to hold it in place. Manuka honey is also a good wound treatment for a large wound and will keep it moist.

5. Gently scrub the wound every day with a soft wash cloth following the above steps. This will get rid of any non-viable skin cells that will attract and support bacteria. Keep the wound covered with the ointment. Never allow the wound to get dried out or it will not heal.

Thank you so much. several people have recommended Bag Balm to keep clean and moist. Is this a no? How long after injury can I still give oral antibiotic? Vet not available on the weekend.

 

[azygous]

Bag Balm is a great wound treatment. I love the stuff and have used it for fifty years. As for antibiotics, the sooner you start them, the better. If you have any wound that goes deep or was a result of an animal bite, assume a wound that is loaded with bacteria deep in the tissues.