Terrible head injury - is there any hope? (WARNING: GRAPHIC/SAD PHOTOS)

[BeccaSmith]

Poor girl! Please keep us updated!

 

[sevenbabychicks]

Oh wow, thanks for all the help and advice! I'll head out first thing tomorrow and grab some gauze, bandages, and betadine. As of now, she's resting and has drunk a bit of water with sugar and electrolytes. Tipping her head back works so well! The biggest immediate problem seems to be her tendency to put her head down, feet out, and snagging the wounded area with her claws I've tried to separate her feet from her head and restrain her movements as much as possible, but she seems to writhe her way around everything. Gah. Will keep y'all updated. Thanks again!

 

[bugglesmommy]

Hmmm..... perhaps if you made a leg hobble like you would with spraddle legged chicks? She should still be able to stand, and walk but maybe with a little less range of motion in her legs she can't do that?

 

[ten chicks]

Oh wow, thanks for all the help and advice! I'll head out first thing tomorrow and grab some gauze, bandages, and betadine. As of now, she's resting and has drunk a bit of water with sugar and electrolytes. Tipping her head back works so well! The biggest immediate problem seems to be her tendency to put her head down, feet out, and snagging the wounded area with her claws I've tried to separate her feet from her head and restrain her movements as much as possible, but she seems to writhe her way around everything. Gah. Will keep y'all updated. Thanks again!

Apply antibiotic ointment to the sterile gauze that way it will not stick to skin. For the issue with her claws you can either place a collar around her neck(like you would with a cat/dog)or place small socks on her feet to prevent injury to wounds.

For pain,you can give her a baby aspirin(81mg)dose is 25mg per lb of body weight,place in water or sprinkle over feed,may make her sleepy.

Watch out for infection,signs of infection are:redness,swelling,foul smell from wounds,chicken lethargic,not responsive,etc.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Poor girl. I would syringe in the fluids/electrolyte as you've been doing. The food can wait for a day or two. fluids more important as others have said. cleanse the area well with syringe of saline solution or water & betadine mixed. Hibiclens (pink soap) is a nice effective soap that even surgeons use to prep and clean areas. Vetericyn spray all around the wound after the cleaning/rinsing. (well worth the $20 for a spray bottle--will last forever) Then Neosporin gobbed on the wound. Non stick dressing. Stretch gauze to hold non-stick pad in place. Separate kennel or cage for a bit so others won't pick on her. I would do 1/5 or 1/6 of the baby aspirin to get an appropriate dose for her weight. She is worn out from her ordeal today, no doubt and why she's droopy....you might be surprised what a night in a kennel and tlc will bring in the morning. Bless her and you, too. I hope she pulls through for you.

 

[Mr Gamecock]

Any Updates I would love to know how she is doing?

 

[boskelli1571]

OK - the betadine thing. Everybody seems to love slathering it on a wound. Around the wound is fine, but research shows that it really doesn't promote healing and in fact can damage tissue. This research has been done with humans, but I don't think it would be different for animals/birds. As far as cleaning out the wound, gentle soap & warm water will do fine followed by antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin as already suggested.

 

[chickensval]

Any updates?? I really wanna know how she's doing! Please keep posted! I'm keeping you and Chickie in my prayers! Best wishes to the both of you! So sorry ! Sometimes we just can't control those frisky little coons! Even with the best top of the line security :/

 

[sevenbabychicks]

She's still alive! I cleaned and lightly bandaged the area (sans betadine - thanks, boskelli

), and she seems a little better - standing up, and accepting liquids more readily (still going the syringe route).

I am worried there are more serious issues. Her lower bill seems a little misaligned, and I opened the eyelid on the "good" side of her head to find the eyeball sorta sunken and covered by a layer of pus or something. Too scared to try the eye on the bad side. Maybe the raccoon squeezed her head in its jaws and she has structural/neurological damage? I'll be super sad if she pulls through only to be blind, deaf, or brain damaged. But right now, I'm focusing on keeping her alive - and her eggs, too. Three are wiggling when I test them in water!

 

[Mr Gamecock]

She is Laying eggs?