Racoon attack on chicken. Esophagus and crop damage.

[Ontariochickens]

Hello Everyone, Hope you have any advice. Sadly I think she will need to be put down but I was hoping for some outside of the box ideas!! Warning for graphic photos.

I had a chick get attacked by a racoon around 6pm on Friday (Today is now Wednesday). The racoon ripped the front of her throat. She wants to eat and drink but a lot is coming out through her esophagus and crop. I have cut away the dead skin and was able to take her into the vet yesterday. The front of her esophagus and crop is missing. There is access to the rest of her system through an opening where the crop should connect. The vet said he thinks he could repair the crop with stitches but he is not confident that he can do anything about the esophagus. I have been given some pain killers and antibiotics to administer through the hole I spoke of since if I give it to her by mouth it will mostly just leak out.
More Info:
1) She is about 3 months old and she weights about 1lb 8oz now as she has lost some weight due to the food to making it all the way where it needs to go. I have fed her some mushed chick feed with water straight into the hole to get her some nutrients.
2) She is acting totally normal. She is trying to eat and drink and everything. She is making chicken noises, Perks up when she looks outside, tries to walk away from me if she doesn't like what I am doing, tries to jump over to the other table where I had the containers with food and water, etc. She is not really having bowel movements because I think she isn't getting enough to get rid of anything. She moves around the brooder when the sun is out to stay in the sun.
3) Symptoms of course started on Friday around 6pm.
4) No other birds injured because I intervened.
5) She has some extensive skin damage but nothing I am too worried about. The issue I am hoping for any outside the box advice on in the esophagus and crop issues. Not a small wound (photos included)
6) Racoon attack caused the injury. I made it outside and the racoon had her in it's mouth and I managed to get it to let her go pretty quickly.
7) I was feeding her regular layer mash but then the food kept being in the band aid when I changed it. I couldn't get a good look early to realize the damage to the crop/esophagus. I stopped feeding her but kept her on water because she seemed like she must be getting some or she wouldn't still be alive. I have switched the food the a mushed chick feed to try to get her something.
8) Now that she is back on food a little she did have a small bit of runny poop last night but very little.
9) So far I have just cleaned the wounds, cut away feathers, dead skin and change her band aid regularly. I am using Vetericyn and Betadine for wound and skin care. I did bring her to the vet as described above.
10 ) At this point and the vets opinion I think I am just treating her myself unless I need to end up putting her down. I am just looking for any extra options to avoid that.
11) Photos included.
12) I moved her inside right away and she is in my chick brooder alone with wood chips and a waterer.

Edit: Forgive the food in the photos I clean her regularly but had just fed her.

I don't know if there are any far fetched ideas, like could I put some kind of tube in that connects the two holes? Is that crazy? Right now she doesn't seem to be in pain but if I cannot think of anything long shot ideas I will have to put her down.

 

[Eggcessive]

Just from the damage to the esophagus and crop, I would put her down. I doubt if a vet could even repair those, and she will die of dehydration and lack of food. I am very sorry.

 

[Ontariochickens]

Just from the damage to the esophagus and crop, I would put her down. I doubt if a vet could even repair those, and she will die of dehydration and lack of food. I am very sorry.

This is what I am assuming but I wanted to see if anyone had any additional thoughts first.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. I normally encourage people to try and help their chickens as best they can, and give them a chance.

 

[Ontariochickens]

Welcome to BYC. I normally encourage people to try and help their chickens as best they can, and give them a chance.

Hello, Thank you, from my conversation with the Vet and what I have been reading I have been worried that this isn't the type of injury that can heal on it's own. I am going to give her at least until the medications I was given by the vet are done and monitor her condition for now.

 

[thebeesaresleepy]

Hello Everyone, Hope you have any advice. Sadly I think she will need to be put down but I was hoping for some outside of the box ideas!! Warning for graphic photos.

I had a chick get attacked by a racoon around 6pm on Friday (Today is now Wednesday). The racoon ripped the front of her throat. She wants to eat and drink but a lot is coming out through her esophagus and crop. I have cut away the dead skin and was able to take her into the vet yesterday. The front of her esophagus and crop is missing. There is access to the rest of her system through an opening where the crop should connect. The vet said he thinks he could repair the crop with stitches but he is not confident that he can do anything about the esophagus. I have been given some pain killers and antibiotics to administer through the hole I spoke of since if I give it to her by mouth it will mostly just leak out.
More Info:
1) She is about 3 months old and she weights about 1lb 8oz now as she has lost some weight due to the food to making it all the way where it needs to go. I have fed her some mushed chick feed with water straight into the hole to get her some nutrients.
2) She is acting totally normal. She is trying to eat and drink and everything. She is making chicken noises, Perks up when she looks outside, tries to walk away from me if she doesn't like what I am doing, tries to jump over to the other table where I had the containers with food and water, etc. She is not really having bowel movements because I think she isn't getting enough to get rid of anything. She moves around the brooder when the sun is out to stay in the sun.
3) Symptoms of course started on Friday around 6pm.
4) No other birds injured because I intervened.
5) She has some extensive skin damage but nothing I am too worried about. The issue I am hoping for any outside the box advice on in the esophagus and crop issues. Not a small wound (photos included)
6) Racoon attack caused the injury. I made it outside and the racoon had her in it's mouth and I managed to get it to let her go pretty quickly.
7) I was feeding her regular layer mash but then the food kept being in the band aid when I changed it. I couldn't get a good look early to realize the damage to the crop/esophagus. I stopped feeding her but kept her on water because she seemed like she must be getting some or she wouldn't still be alive. I have switched the food the a mushed chick feed to try to get her something.
8) Now that she is back on food a little she did have a small bit of runny poop last night but very little.
9) So far I have just cleaned the wounds, cut away feathers, dead skin and change her band aid regularly. I am using Vetericyn and Betadine for wound and skin care. I did bring her to the vet as described above.
10 ) At this point and the vets opinion I think I am just treating her myself unless I need to end up putting her down. I am just looking for any extra options to avoid that.
11) Photos included.
12) I moved her inside right away and she is in my chick brooder alone with wood chips and a waterer.

Edit: Forgive the food in the photos I clean her regularly but had just fed her.

I don't know if there are any far fetched ideas, like could I put some kind of tube in that connects the two holes? Is that crazy? Right now she doesn't seem to be in pain but if I cannot think of anything long shot ideas I will have to put her down.

I’m definitely late to this, but i’m posting this incase what i know can save a future chicken.

this happened to one of my hens, and even a quail i used to have. you can glue things shut for the first few days using a gel superglue, but i found that they just keep reopening it and it causes the wounds to not heal.

what i did to save my hen who had her throat and craw slashed open was to use a medicine syringe to inject food and water into her craw a few times a day. we use layer pellets, so i soaked them in a vitamin water (you can get packets of them from where you get your feed), filled the syringe, and put it in her craw myself. i could do this because the cut in her craw was at the top, so i could just make sure i didn’t over flow her craw and she did great.

it took her a few weeks to heal. but i kept her wounds clean, kept hand feeding her, and she slowly recovered.

i fed her a few times a day because i knew i wasn’t filling her craw all the way. its also important to let them drink water every time you feed them as well. they can’t get the water in their craw, but it’ll keep their mouth and throat from drying out.

 

[Luv chickens 02]

Hello Everyone, Hope you have any advice. Sadly I think she will need to be put down but I was hoping for some outside of the box ideas!! Warning for graphic photos.

I had a chick get attacked by a racoon around 6pm on Friday (Today is now Wednesday). The racoon ripped the front of her throat. She wants to eat and drink but a lot is coming out through her esophagus and crop. I have cut away the dead skin and was able to take her into the vet yesterday. The front of her esophagus and crop is missing. There is access to the rest of her system through an opening where the crop should connect. The vet said he thinks he could repair the crop with stitches but he is not confident that he can do anything about the esophagus. I have been given some pain killers and antibiotics to administer through the hole I spoke of since if I give it to her by mouth it will mostly just leak out.
More Info:
1) She is about 3 months old and she weights about 1lb 8oz now as she has lost some weight due to the food to making it all the way where it needs to go. I have fed her some mushed chick feed with water straight into the hole to get her some nutrients.
2) She is acting totally normal. She is trying to eat and drink and everything. She is making chicken noises, Perks up when she looks outside, tries to walk away from me if she doesn't like what I am doing, tries to jump over to the other table where I had the containers with food and water, etc. She is not really having bowel movements because I think she isn't getting enough to get rid of anything. She moves around the brooder when the sun is out to stay in the sun.
3) Symptoms of course started on Friday around 6pm.
4) No other birds injured because I intervened.
5) She has some extensive skin damage but nothing I am too worried about. The issue I am hoping for any outside the box advice on in the esophagus and crop issues. Not a small wound (photos included)
6) Racoon attack caused the injury. I made it outside and the racoon had her in it's mouth and I managed to get it to let her go pretty quickly.
7) I was feeding her regular layer mash but then the food kept being in the band aid when I changed it. I couldn't get a good look early to realize the damage to the crop/esophagus. I stopped feeding her but kept her on water because she seemed like she must be getting some or she wouldn't still be alive. I have switched the food the a mushed chick feed to try to get her something.
8) Now that she is back on food a little she did have a small bit of runny poop last night but very little.
9) So far I have just cleaned the wounds, cut away feathers, dead skin and change her band aid regularly. I am using Vetericyn and Betadine for wound and skin care. I did bring her to the vet as described above.
10 ) At this point and the vets opinion I think I am just treating her myself unless I need to end up putting her down. I am just looking for any extra options to avoid that.
11) Photos included.
12) I moved her inside right away and she is in my chick brooder alone with wood chips and a waterer.

Edit: Forgive the food in the photos I clean her regularly but had just fed her.

I don't know if there are any far fetched ideas, like could I put some kind of tube in that connects the two holes? Is that crazy? Right now she doesn't seem to be in pain but if I cannot think of anything long shot ideas I will have to put her down.

Did she survive? My livestock guardian dogs attacked mine and it is very similar to what you had to deal with. I will post pictures in a sec.