Possible raccoon attack help please

[ABS9590]

Found one of my pullets this morning with a nasty neck wound that looks like it might b
e a couple of days old. I put Betadine and Poly Antibiotic ointment on it and she's in the house in a hospital box. She's fluffed up and looks stressed, occasionally panting or shaking her head. Can i do anything else for her? I'm short on emergency supplies so i had to use stuff from the horse first aid kit.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Poor thing. It sounds like you have treated the wound well.

Check her over for any other puncture wounds that may be hidden under the feathers. She may be in shock or really sore. Try to get her hydrated - if you have some electrolytes or poultry vitamins you can put those in her water. Once she is drinking, then offer some food - her normal food along with some chopped egg or tuna may be welcomed.

If your weather is cool - keep her warm - a sick/injured bird does a bit better around 75-80F.

When you have time - if you can post another photo of her with the wound so we can see the whole bird that would be great. The wound photo is very good. Watch the wound for signs of infection - especially odors (you should be able to tell). Give her another day to see if she starts getting better (actions wise). Usually a wound like that will heal fine with proper care, but it's possible she may have some neck/nerve damage that will take some time to recover from.

Keep us posted.

 

[ABS9590]

She is apparently feeling quite a bit better-went to run some errands and when i came back she was perched on the edge of her box eyeing up the cat-i put my lunch down to move the cat and when I came back she was eating one of my chicken nuggets lol

now she keeps hopping out of her box to sit on the bed. Do you think she would be safe to go back to the coop or should I leave her in a dog crate for a few days?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Glad to hear she is feeling good enough to cause trouble Just too cute - eyeing the cat and stealing chicken nuggets!

She will most likely do better back with the flock - but there is always a concern about an injured bird being picked on and of course keeping the wound clean, especially keeping flies out of it. You may want to keep her in for the day or if you have a wire dog kennel that you can set up in your run to "isolate" her that would be a good idea - this allows them to be near the others, but limits contact from attackers. If she goes back out, then cover the wound with something like Blu Kote to help hide the redness.