PLEASE HELP! DOG ATTACK!!

[Texangrace43]

one of my babygirls was attacked yesterday by a freaking dog. we thought all she had was a few teeth marks and scrapes. there was food all over her chest but we thought nothing of it cause shes messy and had just eaten as had the dog. well we looked over her chest where the food was at just in case this morning and realized that the dog tore a gaping hole in her chest. food is in it and spills out of it. i dont know how to explain it really. please help. should i sew it ip? or leave it open? i was thinking about sewing it up and putting "new skin" on it. she cant eat or drink or at least she wont she just sits there and sleeps mostly.

this is her back wound

and this is her chest wound.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I would be worried about sewing it up now after so much time as past as you would be shutting in infection. I would keep her isolated, clean and warm and observe her carefully. Clean the wound with saline or one of those antibiodic washes (nothing with pain relief - that is bad for birds).

It's hard to tell in the picture. but is it all the way through the skin? If so are you seeing crop or muscle below? Is the crop intact? That you would need to close up to save her digestive system.

Good luck!

 

[Texangrace43]

in her chest wound it looks as though its gone all the way through the skin. i can move the skin over and see more food. whats the crop?

 

[Texangrace43]

and saline is just salt water right?? could we just mix salt and warm water?

 

[Texangrace43]

and there is no blood. just a hole in her chest that food comes out of.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Every bird has a crop, which is a balloon like organ that fills with food as they eat. They do not have teeth so the food goes into the crop whole and then is ground up by rocks in the gizzard (which is why chickens need grit or access to soil). As they graze throughout the day their crop fills.

Pick up one of your healthy birds and massage her chest - slightly to the right you should be able to feel her crop, you should be able to feel feed under the skin. It will be a lump.

If food is coming out from the wound then it is likely the crop is ruptured. For a person this would be like a whole in their stomach. Feel a healthy bird then look and your injured bird and see if this is as possibility. If so stop feeding her right away. NO solid foods. You are going to have to close up her crop or she wont be able to eat. Look up chicken anatomy and look carefully at their digestive track so you know what you are looking at and looking for.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

You need to clean her really really well.

 

[Texangrace43]

the hole is right next to the crop. so i should close it up? the crop is partially opened.

 

[Texangrace43]

what all should i clean it up with? peroxide? salt water? neosporin?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I would use saline. What are you using to close? Your need to make sure you close the crop and not just the skin otherwise food will be dumping into her body.