Pullet Attacked by Dog - not using right foot

[PREPPYGURL46]

My pullets (approx 21 weeks, Barred Rock, 3 living together) found a tiny hole and squeezed through to the backyard where my dog grabbed one on the side, shook her and dropped her when I yelled. The other two fled but Lilac is injured. I assumed wing or hip injury but I actually think it's her foot.

The injury happened at 1pm (it's now 5.5 hours later). She was sitting comfortably under the coop with her sisters standing over here. Now it's dark and she attempted to get into the coop so we moved her into the garage in a dog crate, in a box with wood shavings.

We felt her from hip to toenail. She visibly winced when we touch her foot. She can open and close the claw but is leaving it "closed" and was able to move the actual leg now.

It does not feel hot. She is eating with close access to food and water. She is cooing at us when we speak and seems calm.

But what do I do for the foot? I am thinking to splint it but I am not sure how to approach this. YouTube is not helping me with the foot specifically.

 

[nuthatched]

Youtube is frequently wrong, it's good you came here.
It might be some inflammation along that side. if she has no open wounds, give her some sugar water and let her rest tonight.

 

[PREPPYGURL46]

Youtube is frequently wrong, it's good you came here.
It might be some inflammation along that side. if she has no open wounds, give her some sugar water and let her rest tonight.

She doesn't seem to be able to put weight on it. It isn't visible swollen. Do you think she needs pain medicine? I read baby aspirin in water but feel concerned about the dosage.

 

[nuthatched]

She doesn't seem to be able to put weight on it. It isn't visible swollen. Do you think she needs pain medicine? I read baby aspirin in water but feel concerned about the dosage.

I wouldn't give any aspirin until we make sure there's no internal bleeding.
there might be inflammation around the nerve, causing some slight paralysis. it might be out of joint or sprained but it's hard to say initially.

 

[mchickies]

Hi PREPPYGURL46,

Sorry about your little baby . I hope she's ok. I found this post about aspirin for chickens, but I would definitely go with what nuthatched said and not give unless you're sure she's not bleeding internally.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/aspirin-dosage.1273737/post-20480034

I don't know the dosage for a pullet, so you might have to do a bit of math based on her weight vs. the average 5-7 lb. hen. A much safer med to use would be meloxicam; I've used it with great success for our hen that was mauled by our neighbor's dog. You need a prescription for it though.

 

[PREPPYGURL46]

Thank you. Does anyone have any thoughts if I should splint the foot? My local mom group voted no but I feel unsure I did get advice on how to trace the foot on cardboard and use vet wrap around it. When doing this, do you wrap each toe individually? How do we decide, to splint or not to splint?

 

[mchickies]

Thank you. Does anyone have any thoughts if I should splint the foot? My local mom group voted no but I feel unsure I did get advice on how to trace the foot on cardboard and use vet wrap around it. When doing this, do you wrap each toe individually? How do we decide, to splint or not to splint?

I wouldn't; everything just happened so her leg is going to be very sore. Trying to put a splint on it right now would probably just frustrate her and you. Plus, we don't know if it would even help. Being as she's eating, drinking, and talking to you, I would wait. She sounds ok, just sorta beat up. Just make sure she keeps eating/drinking and pooping . See how she is tomorrow and go off of that. Everyday is something new with chickens! Hope she's much better !

 

[PREPPYGURL46]

She is still talking to us and turned herself in the night... Obviously so she could poop directly into her water bowl.

This morning, I turned her back around to have access to food and water. She's sitting still and looking comfy but still cannot put weight on the foot. She tried when I was turning her and ended up tipping, using her wings to attempt to balance.

I must say, she is being very good about letting me handle her considering the three of them stick together and aren't overly into us humans (although I was spoilt because the 3 roosters I was accidentally raising were super friendly, could pet them and they would jump up to sit and eat from you).

 

[mchickies]

Hmm...I wonder if she won't put weight on it because it hurts or because it can't support her. One of my hens (aptly named Limpy) injured herself as a pullet and spent most of her pre-laying pullet-hood limping around. I think it predisposed her to sensitivity because sometimes it would pop back up again. One time, she spent almost a whole week practically sitting down because it hurt so much. From the picture, I'd say your Lilac looks pretty good. Does she have her eyes open most of the time, looking around at you? Does she perk up when you offer her treats?

P.S. Barred Rocks are the only breed I own, and are absolute lap dogs, if you get them used to you as chicks. Doesn't surprise me that she's being so sweet with you!

 

[PREPPYGURL46]

Hmm...I wonder if she won't put weight on it because it hurts or because it can't support her. One of my hens (aptly named Limpy) injured herself as a pullet and spent most of her pre-laying pullet-hood limping around. I think it predisposed her to sensitivity because sometimes it would pop back up again. One time, she spent almost a whole week practically sitting down because it hurt so much. From the picture, I'd say your Lilac looks pretty good. Does she have her eyes open most of the time, looking around at you? Does she perk up when you offer her treats?

P.S. Barred Rocks are the only breed I own, and are absolute lap dogs, if you get them used to you as chicks. Doesn't surprise me that she's being so sweet with you!

I think the foot WON'T hold her. She is trying to use it but it's limp

In herself, she is alert, chatty, not fighting us. Her eyes close in a wince (I am assuming chickens wince ) when you touch the foot - implying she can feel it. Aside from that, she is watching us. She enjoyed some fruit and sausage this morning and is working her way through a bowl of pellet.

At what point do I - or at no point - do I splint the foot?

My roos were Barred Rocks and sooo friendly! Long story but I traded roos for pullets through a third party. I took these ladies not knowing they were being raised with little to no human contact, no table scraps, etc. So it's been about 3 weeks and they are finally accepted that the humans supply the food and we aren't going to hurt them. They will now gather at our feet to get scraps as long as we move slow. Certainly not the lap birds my roos were! But hopefully it will come. Lilac might spread the good word about us