Skin ripped off (warning: graphic pictures of wounded chicken)

[Love the Moon]

Thank you all for the information and pictures. I think it is bruising. It looks like the dog may have had her a few times, judging from the wide trail of feathers, before I found it with her in it's mouth. So not surprised she is bruised.
I don't think it smells and will double check tonight when we change her bandage. My partner is a Dr. and he says it's too quick for it to be gangrene.

She laid an egg this morning in the kitchen. My goodness she is resilient. I've been keeping her in a dim-lit room, surprised she laid. I rather she saved her energy and strength for healing.

I have been feeding her the pullet food because it is higher in protein, as well as her food mixed with yogurt and little vitamin E, and just gave her some cooked egg.

 

[casportpony]

Quote:

Thank you all for the information and pictures. I think it is bruising. It looks like the dog may have had her a few times, judging from the wide trail of feathers, before I found it with her in it's mouth. So not surprised she is bruised.
I don't think it smells and will double check tonight when we change her bandage. My partner is a Dr. and he says it's too quick for it to be gangrene.

She laid an egg this morning in the kitchen. My goodness she is resilient. I've been keeping her in a dim-lit room, surprised she laid. I rather she saved her energy and strength for healing.

I have been feeding her the pullet food because it is higher in protein, as well as her food mixed with yogurt and little vitamin E, and just gave her some cooked egg.

I had a peacock that got caught by a coyote back in June, so I trimmed/plucked the feathers away from the skin edges, cleaned it with chlorhexidine and put a pad/wrap soaked in chlorhexadine on and somehow it healed 100% in about a month.

-Kathy

 

[Chickie13]

Wow, that looks bad! I'm no professional, but when one of my hens was attacked by some animal, it left a large gash similar to that one, but it didn't cut through any tendons etc and was farther back. We researched it and went to tractor supply and got "Vetericin" or something with a very similar name. That stuff works miracles! After a few weeks my hen was all healed up. We separated her from the flock, gently cleaned the wound with water, then used the vetericin as directed each day. We also sprayed some water on the wound because the bottle said to keep it moist. Hope this helps!

 

[jaseyboy1986]

Hi, did your chicken survive it's ordeal?

 

[Love the Moon]

Yes, she is alive and well.

Below are pictures of her at one week after the attack. The area is starting to dry and enclose.

On Tuesday it will be two weeks. I will post more pictures.

We are still cleaning the area with diluted iodine and coating with antibacterial ointment once a day.
In the last couple days she has been wanting to be with the others. I have her next to them but fenced off during the day.
Two nights ago she jumped out of her bin in the house and started walking around the living room looking for a place to roost. All good signs.

This evening I let her out with the others and watched. She went into the coop and got on the roost. They all got on there with her.

But I brought her in for the night. I could separate her with in the coop but, I don't want to chance flies or picking up any infection from the coop.


Also, a note on the blue-green that I was afraid of, but thought might be bruising. The next time I took off the bandage there was blue-green on the bandage too. So not sure it was bruising. It only lasted 3-4 days. Not sure what it was, maybe a mix of iodine, antibiotic and something from her body. It never smelled bad.

 

[Stiggy]

She is looking much better, and its a good sign if she is wanting to/ doing typical chicken things, it means she must still be fighting and living rather than becoming afraid and depressed.

I think she will make a full recovery skin wise and her feathers will likely take a bit longer

 

[jaseyboy1986]

Well done, it looks like you're doing a great job looking after her

 

[carolinasculpture]

Hi! Glad she is doing so well! Iodine can be used as an indicator of starch and will turn blue if there is starch present, this May account for the blue color you saw.
Hope she continues to heal! Sounds like you are taking great care of her!

 

[Love the Moon]

Hi Everyone,

I thought I would post more pictures of her healing process. She is doing great.


Here are pictures at two weeks.









Her feathers are growing back so fast. You can see she is finding places to dust and get dirty. She is no longer white.



Today is three weeks since dog attack. Here are pictures from this morning.






It's harder to get in to take pictures...that's a good thing

So amazing to see the skin growing in!!

We have been rinsing with diluted iodine and applying antibiotic ointment once a day. She is starting to get annoyed with us. All looks good so we haven't done the cleaning ritual for a couple days. The scab is dark partly from dirt which doesn't rinse off even under the kitchen faucet.

She still sleeps inside the house at night, not only for cleanliness but I don't want her laying. So she stays in dim-light in the morning till I bring her out in her own fenced off section next to the others.

I'm not sure when I'll put her back in coop. Maybe once scab falls off and I know she is sealed up I'll let her in at night in her own section. She will start laying again, but that should be ok by then.
I do have a rooster, I don't what him jumping on her back any time soon (even though he is a pretty gentle guy), so will need her separated.

I've learned a lot and been impressed with this big girl.

 

[sbhkma]

Congratulations on a well-done nursing job! She looks amazing.