stupid racoons!!!!!

[hatty]

Last night after I very stupidly left the coop open too late a racoon got into it and attacked one of my chickens. Please don't tell me how dumb that was I feel bad enough already.
here's my problem though, during the attack the racoon pulled off some of her feathers and I think her skin. I got triple antibiotic to put on her and I was going to clean it out with peroxide and/or iodine. she is still eating and drinking, she came out of the coop this morning on her own and is just kinda sitting. should I give her sugar water or anything? this is my first year with chickens they are only about three months old
please help!
hatty


I know it's been quite a while since I posted this but I just wanted you all to know that she is fine, I brought her to the vet who told me she would die without surgery, not an option for me. but I brought her home anyway since she was still eating and drinking and looked happy enough. I got some stuff from the hospital I work at and went to the drug store, after a month in my upstairs bathroom getting daily dressing changes she is outside and totally healed. I am just so proud of her!
thanks again guys

 

[tiffanyh]

Sounds like you are doing the right thing....also make sure she is eating and drinking and watch close for infection. You can quarintine her if you are worried about the others pecking at the spot...they seem to do that if one gets a wound.

Good Luck.

 

[hatty]

i just brought her to the vet to get checked out. her skin is pulled off under her wing, and her thigh is exposed. he suggested we put her down. i could use some advise if this is a good idea or if we should try and heal her? please help

 

[SpottedCrow]

If she's eating and drinking and pooping okay, then there's no reason to put her down...That's ALWAYS my last resort.
BlueKote or Woundkote would help to cover up the bare areas so her coopmates won't peck at them.
You can also put some aspirin in her water for the pain.
Don't worry about us giving you grief, we've all made these mistakes..it's part of learning.
Good luck with her.

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

Hi,
Another thing you may want to do is add some vitamins and electrolytes to your water for your hen. You can get a powder mix from your feedstore. It should mix up at 1 teaspoon to one gallon water. I mix mine in a gallon bottle and use only what I need in the waterer. Your girl will need a boost after its ordeal. Try it for about 3 days, and then give it a break from the v&e water.
Best wishes!

 

[Freebie]

Last year something got ahold of two of my chickens through the fence. I don't think it actually got into the fence. One hen had her head tore off. The other, got her wing messed up pretty good. It was bloody and open with some feathers missing. I did not take her to the vet, just cleaned it everyday with a saline solution and sprayed it with BlueKote. She layed around for a few days. Then started acting normal. but I still cleaned her up and sprayed her good. She still does not "fly" as good as she used to, but she has healed well and is a real good layer.

So, I say just do what feels right to you, and what you feel is best for your hen.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Thankfully, I haven't gone through this personally. But I've read some horror stories. And the strength of spirit that chickens show can be truly amazing. They pull through stuff that sounds horrible, and go on to lead normal lives.

I have been disappointed lately in the vets around me. I've called for things I felt were really an emergency, and I love my pets like children. One of my dogs had porcupine quills all over his face, in his nose, in his mouth. He was very unhappy and uncomfortable.. and meanwhile he was forcing the quills in deeper and deeper. Back when I was a child, I remember our vet rushing over in the middle of the night to fix this. My dog's vet (granted, it was 6am, but they are a 24hr hospital) gave EVERY FREAKIN' EXCUSE why the dog should wait (most of it seemed to have to do with $100 fees, and more $100 fees, and more $100 fees...). I kept telling her we would pay it, but she kept putting me off. Finally, I gave up, asked how to remove them myself. We got them out but it was awful. Our dog was fantastic but dh and I were shaky. Anyway, I'm sure there are still great vets out there, who truly love animals. But I admit to being somewhat cynical about it these days.

Meghan

 

[65browneyes]

The only situation like this that I've dealth with was my very first chicken. Our dog got hold of her, tore the skin under one of her wings. She healed fine, with not a lot of help from me (first timer that I was).

But, my MIL tells a story about a chicken whose entire back was 'scalped' so to speak by a dog. She says she cleaned the wound, laid the skin, feathers and all back over the opening, seperated her from the rest of the flock, and over time, healed wonderfully. The dog's owner felt terrible about the incident (still does.....he married my MIL's daughter), and offered to put the hen down. MIL refused his offer, and was grateful she did.

Guess I'm saying it's worth trying to save her. Chickens, I'm told are pretty resilient. With careful treatment, she may be good as new in due time.

 

[dlhunicorn]

scratch and bite wounds often recquire a systemic antibiotic... I would suggest you do as the following article from AVIAN WOUND MANAGEMENT advises and find a vet to give you an RX for it (I suggest you contact Peter Brown at FirstStateVet)

http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2003/august/Cousquer/Avian-Wound-Assessment.html
excerpt summary on TREATMENT measures:
First aid
Traumatised birds often have multiple injuries and may be further compromised by dehydration, malnutrition and other problems, especially if there has been a delay (hours or days) between injury and presentation [1]. Fluid and nutritional therapy and treatment for shock are critical in the early management of all traumatised birds. Overzealous wound and fracture treatment before stabilisation of the bird may prove fatal [1]. Some first aid of the wound, however, will inevitably be required.

Wound first aid will usually be performed at the time of the initial or subsequent clinical examination. It need not be high tech but should fulfil a number of basic objectives:

Cleaning - The wound should be cleaned quickly to remove as much contamination as possible. A more thorough cleaning should await veterinary examination of the wound. This is usually performed under general anaesthetic to help minimise stress . Sterile isotonic saline (0.9%) or a solution of 0.05% chlorhexidine may be used. Care should be taken not to wet the bird excessively as this is likely to increase the risks of hypothermia.

Haemostasis - veterinary attention should be requested if there is excessive bleeding. Bleeding from most small wounds will stop following the application of a wound dressing.

Protection from dehydration - the use of a hydrogel (e.g. Intrasite) will help protect a wound. This can be covered by a vapour permeable film dressing (e.g. Opsite) to provide further protection.

Immobilisation - certain wounds may benefit from immobilisation or splinting. A figure of eight dressing can be used to immobilise the lower wing, for example, or the limb can be strapped to the body.

Analgesia and antibiotics - broad spectrum antibiotics can be provided in the first instance: clavulanic acid potentiated amoxycillin (150mg/kg orally or subcutaneously) will provide cover against most aerobes and anaerobes. Analgesia can be provided with NSAIDs (e.g. carprofen (Rimadyl)) 5mg/kg subcutaneously or intravenously. Local anaesthetics should not be used in birds due to the suggested sensitivity of birds to drugs of the procaine group "."

http://www.ronsvetsupply.com/granulexv.html
supplier of a difficult to find component described in the wound management articles (thinking specifically on bumblefoot):
A "must have" product for advanced wound care. This is an over the counter, veterinary version of a prescription human product that has been used for many years to treat bed sores, deep abrasions and thermal burns. The active ingredient, Trypsin, is an enzyme that digests necrotic (dead) tissue, enabling it to be removed while at the same time, stimulating healthy epithelial cells to develop so that they can cover open or slow healing wounds. Can be used with or without bandaging. Use twice daily, washing debris away between applications. Labeled for use on dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Manufactured by Bertek Pharmaceuticals for Pfizer Animal Health."

my articles on WOUND MANAGEMENT:
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=practical&action=display&num=1158141893