Severely Wounded Chick

[njh64us]

So, I've been a BYC voyeur for awhile and just hadn't joined (didn't want to keep up with one more username and password) but about ten days ago, my neighbor's dogs attacked three of my 13 biddies and wounded two of them severely. The chicks are about 12 weeks old. My Candy-girl didn't make it the first 24 hours and little Sampson is struggling with an open wound on the lower part of his back near the tail. Portia Louise is doing fine with no open skin and just waiting for some re-feathering so she can fully return to the flock.

I've been following advice I've read on BYC and other sites regarding wound care but I'm concerned about Sampson's flesh in the center of the wound. It's about the size of a silver dollar with no organ tissue showing, but no skin and no way to pull skin up to stitch it since this is a very bony area and this little Ameraucana has very little extra flesh. The inner part of the wound has no foul odor, no apparent infection, and no debris or other ilk, but the flesh appears dark and dead.

I've been cleaning the wound with warm soapy water and spraying it with blue-kote and intermittently using anti-bacterial ointment to keep the area somewhat lubricated since the skin is dry around it.

My little champ is eating and drinking (electrolyte water). I have him in a crate during the day with plenty of dry bedding and food/water. We take him out twice a day for getting a little grass and socializing with the flock but have to watch him closely as they want to pick.

Is there some wonder-drug or wound dressing that will aid in the healing? I read about furox, but thought blue-kote was probably comparable. Not sure about debriding as I'm no vet and it doesn't look like there's enough meat there to take anymore from him.

Any help will be appreciated as well as advice if you've had a similar wound experience with your feathered friends.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Sorry about your losses, you might try the Emergencies forum for help with Sampson, https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures this time of year you might also consider using something like Swat (horse wound dressing) against flies around the wound.

 

[gander007]

Alright

lurkers are most welcome

BYC has a very useful learning center

Sounds like you have been doing your research and following the advice given now is the waiting part and intim your chickens will recover ....

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

I am so sorry about your babies. Definitely post this in our emergency section. You may need to get her on antibiotics in the water to help prevent infection internally.

I hope she pulls thru. So sorry.

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[Foghorn Cogburn]

I had one get de-feathered on most of her left leg and had torn enough on the inner thigh to see bowels. I treated her similarly but she was quite young, so it was difficult. Itsy Bitsy is happy and well now, 5 weeks later. She has some major bald areas but they are mostly concealed. Keep up the good work...sounds like your little feathered friend has got HEART! Good luck!!!!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Continue applying antibacterial ointment to the wound. It will take time, but such wounds generally heal from the outside in. I have had pigeons/ducks/chickens with similar scalping or lacerations and they heal well if kept pliable and free of fly/maggot infestation. Good luck.

 

[njh64us]

So, Sammy Girl is doing ok. The blue-kote and anti-bacterial ointment seem to be keeping the wound reasonably dry and it has a nice scab formed around the edges. She's eating good and standing up and getting around more everyday. Noticed this afternoon that her nose seems to be stopped up. Not real bad, but I can hear the difference in her breathing, like a whisper or something. Tried her on durmycin last week, but she wouldn't drink the water and I worried about her getting dehydrated so I went back to electrolyte water. Any ideas what this might be? I thought it could be allergies or lack of activity, but just concerned.

I bought her a peck n' play and it arrived today so she's been out in the yard with the other chickens and this seems to be helping to get her back with the flock a bit. I've kept her in a large crate since this happened about twelve days ago, but can't let her around the others because they want to pick at her. The peck n' play is so cool, especially for a wounded bird. She's able to see them and they her but no contact.

Thanks for all your posts and well-wishes. Sitting out with the flock right now. Queen Sammy in her peck n' play.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope she makes it, she seems to have spirit. What was your neighbor's reaction to damage his dog caused? Probably none and no effort to keep it from happening again. Are you in an area where you can shoot dogs injuring your flock? If so make sure he knows that, whether you would do that or not.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Soap and water cleanings, debriding if they've dusted and filled the wound with dirt

and apply antibiotic ointment like Neosporin. I liked to do iodine/purified water solution irrigations to clean too. (with a kid's medicine syringe or similar) --it's cheap and easy.

I had a hen that had both her sides gashed open by rooster spurs. I found her dragging one day. Both sides were down to the meat about 3-4 inches in length. Underneath her wing. It had been happening over time before I noticed so the skin had also retracted back without the ability to put in a few stitches and hold things back together.

2 weeks that bird was looking great. I removed the bandaging and special saddle I made her and he gashed her open again!

These are the wounds on the 2nd day. So she's had antibiotic ointment and clean wounds for 24 hours here.




And this is where she was at in 2 weeks before the set back.



I know Dogbites involve puncture wounds but this gives you an idea if your dealing with gashes and exposed meat. The feathers grew back in and these scars are very hard to see now...at all.



These birds are amazing on how well they heal. One clever BYCer, I saw one time, called chickens the Sherman Tank of the Avian world.

I think your neighbor gets one fair friendly warning. I believe in being neighborly and being the "better neighbor." But if the dogs are on your property again, they are predators. you have rights as a livestock owner and practicing good animal husbandry you should protect your flock by whatever means you have available to you. If the neighbors' dogs disappear...you don't have to say a thing. S. S. S.