Relatively new chicken attacked by dog - help!

[EggDropSoup]

Hey there--

I'm in the US. A nurse friend of mine actually brought me the bag of Lactated Ringer's, but I know vets here in the US will give them to dedicated pet owners who need to administer fluids at home! I administer fluids beneath the wing--right where it connects to the body. If you extend the wing, you'll see a pocket of skin that forms, and the needle slips in easily. A vet should be able to provide this for you. I've found these fluids to be SO useful and necessary--not just for chickens but for all animals who are going through trauma. It can't really hurt your chicken. 20-33 ccs of fluids will give her a little boost if she's not drinking enough on her own.

 

[motleysussex]

If you try egg again maybe try scrambles egg it reduces the chances of creating an egg eater, and if that occurs you have to be quick and watch your hens like a hawk or they get to them first

 

[PrepperNerd]

More update: While she was outside I noticed a couple of ants crawling on her, I looked to see why and found a hole I'd missed It's about the size of my pinky nail and looks a bit yucky. Being in Australia I can't get penicillin except from a vet, so i've smothered it in a product called Rawleigh's Salve, which is excellent for infections in humans or animals, it's an ointment and it draws the infection out, so fingers crossed we caught it in time. I have done another thorough examination of her and can't see anything else, the only thing I can think of is it was only a little tooth hole before which is why I missed it, and now it's bigger from infection. She's quite dehydrated, i've injected 2ml of saline and will keep trying, but if she's no better in the morning, i'm afraid i'm going to have to euthanase her

 

[allison finch]

You can always try crop feeding her as a last resort. I make a mixture of live culture and pedialyte (electrolytes) and suck it up into a 3-5 cc syringe. I open the mouth and put the syringe deep into the throat. It is important that you go below the area near the base of the tongue. That is where the trachea is. If you get the mixture there, the bird will aspirate and, likely, die.

I have had great success nursing sick birds, as it keeps them hydrated and gives them easily digested foods.

Good luck. It is very possible that the puncture went deeper than you think and punctured a vital organ.

 

[Sjisty]

Can you get betadine where you are? We have it here in our local feed stores. Whenever I have an injured chicken, I make a warm bath with diluted betadine and let her soak for a bit. That way the betadine gets to whatever injuries I can't see because of the feathers. Of course, you have to make sure you have a nice warm place for her to dry afterward.

I would also try scrambling an egg for her. Mealworms are good if you can get some. I would even use cooked liver or another meat high in protein to help build her strength up. Anything tasty she might eat. If you soak bits of bread in sugar water, you can put pieces in her mouth. She will swallow them and be less likely to aspirate than if you try putting just water down her throat.

Also, I would just let her wing hang, if strapping it stresses her.

Good luck!

 

[PrepperNerd]

Sadly she has deteriorated rapidly over the last hour or so, she's puffed out all her feathers and is panting. She just sits on the bottom of the box now. We were too late I think - we've made the decision to euthanise her rather than let her suffer further.

 

[PrepperNerd]

Oh, and for the record - Never, EVER, doing the CO2 method, EVER AGAIN. It sounded like the most humane method (and Miss 10 was horrified at the thought of neck-breaking), but I don't know whether I did it wrong (I followed the instructions on a link in here to the letter) or what, but she writhed, and fought, there was no nice 'going to sleep' like it's supposed to be. It was horrible. I had prepared myself when decided to raise chickens that I would need to do this sometimes, but I certainly didn't think it would be so soon, and also, this was my first deliberate animal death by my hands....which I HAD mentally prepared for....but the whole writhing and suffering thing, not so much.

Horrible. Awful.

 

[Sjisty]

I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience!

 

[appps]

So sorry :-(