Sophie Attacked by Coyote *UPDATE-NEED ADVICE**

[sbhkma]

My speckled sussex Sophie was attacked by a coyote Sunday just before 5pm. Luckily, my daughter and I were right by the patio door and saw it happen so we ran out with the dogs. Coyote dropped Sophie and tried to run for it, but my rat terrier caught him, knocked him over and my 112lb Shepherd beat the crap outta him,then let him go. Sophie looks beat up, but not super bad. ALL her tail feathers are ripped out as well as most of them along her right side from just before her wing all the way to her vent. She has one open wound about 2 inches behind her right wing that's about 1 1/2 inched across and about 1/4 inch or so deep. I've been cleaning the wound with betadine, then covering it with Vetericyn. She's in a huge dog crate in my spare bedroom so I can control temperature and avoid flies & maggots. She's not eating much, but I can entice her with some sunflower hearts and she's eating watermelon (her totally favorite treat). She has access to grit, crumbles and fresh water. I'm hoping she'll be ok but my question is.. should I put Chewie (her best buddy hen) in a second crate next to her to keep her company during the day? She's used to 4 other hens and she seems very lonely and confused. I'll be putting her in a crate next to the run when she's healed enough that flies won't be an issue. Hoping that will help keep her from having to integrate into the flock like a stranger.

 

[Eggcessive]

Look for any puncture wounds and try to keep them open for 2 days to prevent an abscess--peroxide and q-tips are good to re-open those, and Neosporin ointment may help keep them open. Watch for signs of infection (redness, swelling, foul odor, or pus or yellow drainage.) An antibiotic such as Clavamox, amoxicillin, or Keflex if you have access to it from your vet. Scrambled chopped eggs, low salt tuna, and dry cat food can be good for getting extra protein into her, but chicken feed should make up most of her diet once she is on the mend. Yes, I would put one of the others near her if possible, and you could always rotate them. When she is better, I would use BluKote on her wound, and let her out with the others for supervised times. Good luck to you.

 

[sbhkma]

Thanks. I've checked her all over for any other injuries and can't find anything but the one. She won't touch cat food, but she's eating watermelon, grapes, mealworms and sunflower hearts. I'm checking her twice a day and putting Vetericyn on her wound and the area around it. She's "peeping" slightly and after she ate a bit she sat down like they normally do when they're resting. Her poo is looking normal and I don't smell anything like infection anywhere on her and no redness or swelling. I'm going to start her on antibiotics just to make sure. I've got Blukote (a staple item when you have horses!). I like the idea of swapping out buddies. Thanks!

 

[sbhkma]

Sophie seems to be slowly recovering. She laid an egg yesterday. Her appetite is pretty good and she's drinking water, getting up on her roost pole in the 30 X 48 kennel in my spare bedroom. I have a spare kennel to put outside next to the run so she can hang with the chickens out there and was wondering if that would be safe for her. I worry about flies & maggots, but was thinking perhaps neosporin and then cover that with swat. Would that work or should I just keep her inside for a couple more weeks? She's dealing with it better inside now since I keep her favorite reggae music on and sit in there with her and read for a while each day. I decided having 2 chickens in there was just way more work than I wanted to deal with, since I'm also nursing an injured horse right now (mesquite thorn was in her frog)

 

[Eggcessive]

I have heard others recommending SWAT to prevent flies in wounds, but you need to use your own judgement about the flies. Maybe short visits each day would help her. I can just see her wearing little dreadlocks listening to reggae, LOL. Hoping she and your horse make a quick recovery.

 

[sbhkma]

Update:
Sophie is healing amazingly well (If only I healed that quickly!). Her wound is healing beautifully from the inside out and all her raw skin from her wing to her vent is getting covered in pinfeathers now. She looks like she has a very bristly week's worth of stubble

I am putting Vetricyn on her (I discovered she will pick the neosporin, but not the vetricyn and I decided against SWAT). I coat it pretty heavily in the morning and then put her out in a 30 X 48 kennel right next to her flock for a few hours a day. Then she comes inside, gets another wound check and fresh spray of vetericyn, then she goes in her inside cage and believe me.. if I don't get her reggae going, I hear about it! She squawks and fusses. Music starts and she starts making happy chicken noises. She's laying an egg every other day too.
My horse is slowly getting better. Being as how she's 26, she's healing a bit slower than it if were either of my other horses.

 

[sbhkma]

Sophie was healing so well I had thought perhaps I could get her back with the flock this coming weekend. But today she picked her scab completely off her wound. It's still not nearly as deep as it was, but re-opening it wasn't good. Is this a common problem and a non-issue that I am worrying about too much or should I put a non-stick pad on it and vetwrap it? Where it's located I think I can wrap it behind both wings and down around her abdomen to keep it covered. Will that work? Is it even necessary?

 

[sbhkma]

anyone have some suggestions? not sure if I should bandage or not. don't want to introduce infection, but would like to help her heal faster.