Tom Turkey attacked by neighbors dog. Help!

[zwiggles]

Hi,
My Bourbon Red Tom was attacked by my neighbors dog on Sunday afternoon. He has a large bite wound on his back which is about the size of a fist, and is very deep. He also has a few other small wounds, but the back wound is my major concern. We purchased Blue Kote, and have been applying that, but the last two days he has taken a turn for the worse. He roosted with all the other birds the first night, but Monday morning I separated him, and he also rossted by himself that night and was eating and drinking.

The last two nights he hasn't roosted, and haven't seen him eating or drinking. He is now lethargic, and his nostril vents appear to be blocked and his breathing is labored. This morning he has not gotten up to even leave the coop. I bought some vitamins to put in his water, and he has access to fresh greens and clean water. The wound does not look infected, but should I be concerned about an infection? I was hopeful the Blue Kote would work, but I am thinking now I should at least try to do anything else to help.

I have no idea what else I should do. I realize that unfortunately ending his misery is now on the table, but I really want him to make it. We have two hens and were hopeful for poult's in the spring, but right now I am just concerned about doing whats right for the bird. Any advice/ help would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance.

 

[campingshaws]

Hi zwiggles. I don't know much about turkeys, but my reply will hopefully give your post a bump.

How cold is it where you are? I always bring wounded birds to a warm, quiet place. That way their body can focus on healing instead of staying warm.

I've heard that the blu kote isn't the best to use as a first line of defense, and the vetricyn wound spray is better. That said, I used the blu kote on a pullet that had been attacked by a coyote, and it worked fine. Her would was pretty shallow, though.

Did you clean out the wounds with anything? I use a saline spray, especially for bites. Dogs have lots of bad bacterica in their mouths, so it is important to clean the wounds thoroughly.

 

[zwiggles]

Thanks for the reply. Cleaned the wounds initially and applied Bag Balm. The monday we applied to Blue Kote, and then again yesterday. It is about anywhere from 20-40 degrees at night here. I will try to put in a heater of some sort tonight. My biggest concern is that he is not eating or drinking. Is there a way to force them nutrition, or is it better just to let nature take its course?

Should I attempt to reclean the wound? I am concerned that the trauma this will cause him may be worse for him considering he is in a weakened state.

Thank you for the reply!

 

[campingshaws]

Disclaimer: I don't know anything about turkeys. Assuming that maybe they're similar to peacocks, here we go...

First, watch for signs of fly strike. That can make everything just so much worse. I'm not sure if the temperature will affect the chances of that happening, but it's always my biggest fear. When my pullet was attacked it was hours later before I found her. She was absolutely covered in larvae, and I had to give her several baths to get rid of them all.

Second, are you familiar with crop or tube feeding? There are some excellent threads and tutorials on this site. I've had to do it several times for various reasons, and it's super easy. Kathy (@casportpony) has the best knowledge of tube feeding.

Do you have any vitamins in the water? Have you tried wetting the feed? With chickens I'll try to tempt them with goodies: scrambled egg, warm feed mash, rice in stock, anything I think will help them get something in their bellies.

Do you have a way to check his weight? Getting a baseline now will help you know if he's eating or drinking enough.

 

[campingshaws]

If the wound seems clean, I would leave it alone for now. Definitely give it a good check, though.

 

[zwiggles]

The wound seems clean. I have a heater I will put in his pen tonight to help with the cold. My brother called with a status update a few minutes ago, and he is still not moving. Sitting down in a corner. To say I am losing my mind over this is an understatement,

 

[campingshaws]

The wound seems clean. I have a heater I will put in his pen tonight to help with the cold. My brother called with a status update a few minutes ago, and he is still not moving. Sitting down in a corner. To say I am losing my mind over this is an understatement,

What's the temp right now? He may need heat sooner. When I have a sick chicken I bring her to the bathroom and turn on the regular heater to warm the room. It seems like I was told that even temps in the 60s can make a sick bird hypothermic.

Could you put him in a dog crate in a warm room or garage?

Don't give up yet.

 

[campingshaws]

I just realized that this was posted in the Turkeys thread. You may get a better response if you take your original post and make a new thread in the emergencies section.

Edit: I see that you already did! Good. Kathy is the best and walked me through crop feeding my hens. You're in good hands now.