roo paralyzed after dog attack - vet not too hopeful. need advice

[luvmychks51]

my bantam roo was attacked about 2 weeks ago by my sisters little runt dog. He had been limping but 3 days ago his leg got totally useless and he started dragging it behind him so we took him to the vet. He has a bump on one side of his spine and she said his prognosis was "guarded" and she gave me anti-biotic and anti inflammatory meds. Per instructions i made him a sling and the minute i held him upright he started eating like crazy. i know i should have taken him to the vet sooner but i thought he'd get better - since I've had chickens with broken legs before and they always seem to heal OK. I'm feeling like since the paralysis has set in that he may not recover. Anybody out there ever go through anything like this? And does he have a chance to get better after 2 weeks?

 

[cassie]

Give the medications time to work. He may surprise you.

 

[luvmychks51]

i was glad to see him eat but its so hard to see him paralyzed. i hope you're right. maybe the meds will work. how long do you think it will take befor i see some improvement?

 

[dlhunicorn]

if you have one of those red lamp thingys (for muscles) you might try using that ... cant hurt might help. Give him some time... I know of cases where they did recover but it took a few weeks.

 

[Farmer Benjii]

i went through it but poor roostie dies

Count yourself lucky that the chickens alive still

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

They are telling you the truth. I had a BO hen that was attacked and bitten on the thigh.
She did the same thing but, as the swelling and bruising went down she improved completely.
You are fortunate that you have a vet that will see chickens. I get mine diagnosed by a local
chicken farmer (better than nothing) and the vet will sell me meds but, not see the chicken as
he doesn't deal with birds at all.

 

[seminolewind]

Give him a chance, he'll probably recover. Just, like the poster above,put some heat on him, and continue with the meds. Keep him eating and drinking. Good luck!

 

[chickenzoo]

I had a little bantie roo who was attacked by a larger roo. After a few hours he could not move either leg to stand, only slight movement. I separated him, gave him shallow food and water right buy him or mixed his food into a damp gruel. I gave him vitamins in his water, Vitamin E and a lot of time. He took a month to totally recover, but then you couldn't tell he was ever injured....... give it time. We had a Doxi that hurt his back and couldn't use his legs, Vet didn't think he'd regain use. After some time and being in a crate to restrict movement and the meds he was back to normal.... Best Wishes

 

[OccamsTazer]

My darling boy, Godzilla, was hit hard by a fox in his teenage days (last summer). I was not hopeful at all about his recovery. He had no outward wounds at all, but he couldn't walk. I think his pelvis was crushed. That same day, my favorite hen dissapeared.
I kept watching and waiting, hoping he'd get better, and within a week, he was flopping over to the food! He's fully functional now except that he looks absurd when he mounts hens, but he's made a full recovery. We still get a giggle to see him run, he wobbles like a fat man.
Give your boy time, a good roo is worth the heartache!

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Chickens are tough. With time, patience, and lots of hugs they can do amazing things. You may even want to take some time, gently soak, and massage that leg in warm water. Special attention sometimes reaps special rewards.

Last March I received a day old Jersey Giant chick. The feed store that I got her from said that the chicks were trucked through an ice storm from Arizona to California. Thirty of her mates were found dead when they arrived at the post office.

A few days after I had her she started flopping all over the place. She could not walk or run as the others did. However, she was eating well and there was no diarrhea. It was a pitiful site and I thought I would have to cull her. I felt she had some sort of neurological damage from the freezing and that she would never be normal.

I put off my decision to cull her and I am glad I did. She now is a beautiful health bird and she must weigh at least 12 pounds and she lays me an egg almost every day. She is the first one that comes running to me. She is the sweetest thing and talks to me incessantly.

P.S. Many years ago, I had a lone chick named Godzilla. He was a Buff standard Cochin. He was called Godzilla because he was so big. He was a very sweet boy who used to like to watch TV at night before he went to bed.