Severe injury cochin rooster :(

[Crys22601]

My cochin rooster got attacked by the neighbors dog the other night. We didn't even notice he had gotton hurt until the next day after our hen had pecked at it for a bit. Being medically trained, I sterilized some supplies and stiched him up as best I could. The dog got him by his tail feathers and severed his tail bone. His tail was hanging on by mearly some skin. I was able to bring it up and back where it is supposed to be. There is a large area of skin missing though. He does seem to be healing okay. Even wandering around the yard when I let him out, keep the hen up so she leaves him alone. I am keeping them seperated until this resolves. My main concern of course is infection. I can tell there is a slight smell starting but I also just started with the ointment today. Should I try to contact my country vet and see if there is an antibiotic I should try to give him or is there something over the counter from maybe a feed store I could get? I really want him to make it. This kids really love them both and they are both actually really sweet chickens. They aren't even old enough to start laying (I know the rooster doesn't lay). They were born in Sept. Any advise would be helpful. Thank you.

 

[TeamChaos]

Can you post pictures? Depending on how the tail was nearly severed, you may be better off snipping it off and healing an open wound rather than sealing in infection. Chickens are amazing at healing, so take heart! I never do stitches, no matter how tempting just because I can keep an open wound clean and dry and let the body do the healing on it's on terms. I swear by vetericyn for everything, even though it's expensive, it's great for nearly anything that happens in the barn yard. You can use neosporin withOUT pain reliever and there are many over the counter antibiotics avail. at feed stores, but I'd like to see the wound and hear how it's healing before I start throwing names out there! best of luck!

 

[Crys22601]

The tiny bright white spot directly in the middle of the red area is the severed end of the bone. I was able to stitch it up in place. I have cleaned up the feathers from the area.



It looks real bloody in these pics but that is actually the antibiotic ointment glistening. There is actually no active bleeding at all. In the middle pic you can kinda see the greenish hint. That is what I am concerned about with possible infection. Our poor baby

 

[TeamChaos]

Gosh, I wish this ol' computer had better resolution! Sometimes the green/yellow can be bruising rather than infection, I can't see well enough to give an opinion on this one. Did you get a chance to scrub up the wound? I would scrub it up with dilute betadine, dry it off and take any dead skin/ old blood off and re-slather it in salve. I've used injectable procaine G on chickens w/ open wounds in the past if you're still interested in starting him on an antibiotic. (and I'll recommend vetericyn again- ha ha ha) Best of luck- thanks for posting pics!

 

[Crys22601]

Thanks, my hubby is off the next two days. May inlist his help to clean it up real good and go from there.