Raccoon attack

[AldrichP]

The other night a massive raccoon managed to squeeze through a gap in the roof netting of our run where a tree was going through, then proceeded to attack one of my silver laced wyandottes but we heard it from the house in time to intervene but not before she sustained some injuries. Any advice for treatment? I used an antiseptic/pain relief spray immediately after and then have been keeping the wounds moist with neosporin. She was very inactive the day after but now is back to scratching around but I am trying to limit her exposure to the elements

 

[azygous]

First, have you treated her for shock yet? Give Gatoraid or a cup of water with a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and baking soda. Give this as the sole water source all day.

The wound - is there a flap of skin still attached to its blood supply? If so, use antibacterial ointment to glue it in place after washing and flushing the wound well with saline. A still living flap of skin dangling from an open wound makes an excellent skin graft.

It's best not to use any medication containing pain killers as it can be toxic to chickens.

Here is my tutorial on wound care:

Here's what you do in the event of a predator attack to treat the survivor.

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

2. Flush the wound well with saline. This is better than soap and water as it maintains the PH of the tissues. But warm soap and water will do. You need to wash away the bacteria from the wound.

3. Inspect the wound carefully. If it has a skin flap dangling, 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 can order this https://www.kvsupply.com/item/aqua-mox-250mg-capsules-100-count/P06184/250mg once a day for ten days. Or you may be able to find this or something similar at TSC or a pet store.

4. Spray with Vetericyn wound treament and let dry. Use a topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin or a generic 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.

5. It's useless to try to stitch a wound on a chicken. Don't even try. It's also useless to try to bandage a wound other than on the feet. The chicken will not tolerate it. It will be pulled off faster than you can blink an eye.

6. Clean the wound every day following the above steps. Keep the wound covered with the ointment. Never allow the wound to get dried out or it will not heal.