update!!! 2 dead RIR's and one is missing a wing now, what to do?

[bonescrub]

well sad day here lost 2 RIR's ( 3 .5 weeks old) think they may have gotten out of their cage not quite sure what actually happened but the dog (mini schnauzer) probably ate/ killed one. the other is MIA

of the 2 i have left 1 is fine and they other is now missing a wing those 2 where still in their cage.

Question is what can i do for the one missing the wing? My wife and i both work in surgery and have extensive medical knowledge.
The wing seems to be disarticulated , torn off at the joint. It didn't seem to bleed much and she seems to be fine all things considered. I plan on irrigating the wound with some saline tomorrow and further assessing it. I feel the greatest threat is going to be infection. Wife and i have plenty of antibiotics at our disposal. and idea what course of treatment is recommended?
She is 3.5 weeks old and was eating great tonight. I separated her from the other chickens plus the other 3 i bought today ( my kids where very worried i needed a plan b) she is eating the chick starter feed with antibiotics in it.

thanks

update: the hen that lost a wing is still doing great, her wound seems to be healing fine.

 

[ChicknThief]

Sounds like the work of a raccoon. I am so sorry about your loss.

 

[WrenAli]

I would say irrigate it, then pad with gauze and bandage around the body. That is what I would do. The change the bandage 2x or so a day. Keeping it clean and watching for infection. As long as she is eating and it is healing i don't think there would be an issue. Other than that you will have a flightless chicken.

Maybe putting her on some Antibiotics. But I would avoid this unless you see an infection developing or she slows down on eating.

Good Luck.

 

[bonescrub]

thanks for replies and thoughts.

would there be any issues when she is ready to lay? or will she even do that ?

 

[ChicknThief]

I wouldn't think that it would interfere with laying at all. As long as there is no internal damage that we cannot see. If she is of laying age already, the shock may prevent her from laying for a while, but if she is still an adolescent, then she will probably begin laying on schedule.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

Man I am so sorry. Can she have asprin or something? It can't feel very good. :aww
Keep us posted.

 

[Cetawin]

I would try half a baby aspirin in some yogurt or something. I do not know if it is safe or recommended but I agree ... she must feel pretty bad and the aspirin will help any feverish pain she may have. Check on the recoomended dose for a newborn and cut it in half or calculate by her weight and say a 7 lb newborn.

Hopefully someone will know for sure. I am going to google it now for you and see about aspirin and chickens.

PS: sounds like a dang coon to me too.

EDIT: From all I have read on aspirin being given to dogs and cats the answer is no. It can cause serious issues because they cannot break it down as quick as we can and it can result in overdosing and gastrointestinal problems.

Maybe just some warm snuggles with you will help.

 

[RayP]

Aspirin is a blood thinner and you do not want the chicken bleeding any more I would not medicate the chicken for pain unless I was more obviously in pain.

 

[silkiechicken]

If you give pain meds, I believe it's something like "dissolve 5 regular (325mg?)aspirin in 1 gallon water" No substitutes.

Once she heals up she'll be fine and like nothing happened. There is more than one one winged bird that have been through the board due to things such as injury. Treat it like an amputated limb, just no need for crafting the stump to fit a prosthetic socket.

Guess is coon is what did the damage. They will pull bids through wire as small as one inch square.

Best of luck, hope she pulls though.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Have a look at the AVIAN WOUND MANAGEMENT site:
(this is the cached URL as the other one I have is outdated):
http://cache.search.yahoo-ht2.akadn...nagement+manage&d=KIlGo5zfQwYx&icp=1&.intl=us
(excerpt below specifically on meds at the very bottom:
"....Wound assessment
Any injuries or wounds found during the clinical examination must be assessed carefully before an action plan can be developed. This assessment procedure must take into account a number of important considerations including some that are specific to the avian casualty.

Where possible the age of the wound should be established, as well as its likely cause. The extent of any associated tissue trauma should also be accurately established. Careful consideration should be given to likely complications where key structures such as joints, tendon sheaths or body cavities have been penetrated. A good understanding of avian anatomy is essential. The following checklist may prove useful:

Age of the wound

Cause of the wound

Location of the wound

Extent of any contamination

Extent of any infection

Extent of any associated trauma

Involvement of key structures

Extent of any neurological damage

Extent of any vascular damage

Extent of any complications

The avian epidermis has developed only a thin horny layer, since the physical protection in plumage-covered sites is well provided by the keratinized feathers[2]. Once this defensive barrier is breached, however, there is little to protect the exposed underlying tissues, which become prone to dessication. Old wounds may have suffered considerable dessication and the extent of any such complications needs to be assessed. Where fresh wounds are identified, they must be adequately protected to prevent dessication.

The assessment of old, chronic wounds and injuries requires an understanding of the avian response to injury and infection. Unlike mammals, birds and reptiles do not have lymph nodes that can filter lymph draining from a focus of inflammation [10]. Instead fibrin exudes into the inflamed area and immobilises both pathogens and inflammatory cells. If the acute cellular and immune responses are able to eliminate the pathogens, the exudate will be reabsorbed slowly by the surrounding granulation tissue. Where pathogens are not eliminated, a state of chronic inflammation can develop in which the exudation of further fibrin is stimulated. The resulting encapsulated abscess is described as a fibriscess [10]. A fibriscess is defined as a localised chronic inflammatory process characterised by the incomplete elimination of pathogens and the continued exudation of fibrin. Where function is impaired by the presence of a fibriscess, as in bumblefoot in waterfowl and birds of prey, surgical intervention is often necessary.

Triage
The treatment of the wild avian casualty has, as its ultimate objective, the return of a fit, healthy bird back to the wild. This must not be forgotten when formulating guidelines for patient triage. Only those birds with a good chance of making a speedy recovery should be treated. This is only a guideline, however, and every case should be assessed on its merits. Euthanasia should be seriously considered for the following types of wounds and injuries:

Wounds associated with compound fractures

Wounds associated with extensive tissue trauma

Wounds associated with significant infection

Wounds in very sick and debilitated birds

Wounds arising as a result of other significant conditions

Wounds involving joints

Wounds with significant tendon involvement

Wounds with large skin deficits

Wounds likely to result in significant debilitation/loss of function.

This may not be an exhaustive list but, if followed, it will facilitate the selection of the right cases for treatment. Where it is unclear whether a wound is likely to respond to treatment, a day-by-day approach can be taken in which progress is reviewed as more information (radiography results, culture and sensitivity results, repeat leucocyte counts, etc) becomes available.

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 [8].