Urgent! Please help! Graphic pics...

[tiffinimarie]

My mastiff got through our chicken fence and got one of my RIR's. As I got there, Red was still alive and still is. I have brought her in and have her with some egg and water. She won't eat or drink for the moment. She is just panting. I looked over her to see the damage, and there is a huge hole in her back. Is there anything I can do for her? I've attached pictures...

ETA: The hole in the back doesn't look as bad on the pictures as it does in person. Her skin is torn and I am not sure what I am looking at...The hole is probably about as bis as my palm.

 

[serendipityfarm]

I had almost exactly the same thing happen to one of my red sex-links. (Bad dog!) She had a huge hole under her wing and another on her back. A vet friend of mine recommended I give her antibiotics (I used Doxycycline which I had on hand) and some Metacam which I had for my dog. Put her under a heat lamp, and believe it or not, she did great. Looked like crap for the first couple days- not moving around or eating much, just kind of hovered under the lamp (it was of course WINTER at the time). She went on to heal completely!
My friend did caution me though that if the dog had shaken her (I didnt see what happened, I was at work and my husband was home), or if the internal injuries were bad, she might not make it. Still, they are incredible healers!
Best of luck to you and your girl!
~Terry

 

[bantyshanty]

I would get her to a vet for a check if you can. She may have punctured her lung, or have damage to her ribs, or something else you can't possibly see.
If you can't let her rest in low light and warmth, and offer a low-heat brooder lamp at one corner of her confines, unless it's terribly hot where she is.
Hope she's okay.

 

[nicoletm24]

oh no!

thats horrible. a mastiff can do so much damage. I hope everything turns out ok. I agree w/ giving her some meds if you can't get her to the vet. some antibiotics won't hurt.

 

[tiffinimarie]

There are no vets in the area that will see chickens

I also don't have any antibiotics on hand. how will the wound close without a vet?

 

[AlaskGirl]

Mine had the exact same injury this summer from stray dogs. I followed advice here and 1) doused it with hydrogen peroxide, 2) put bacitracin/neosporin on it to prevent a scab, and 3) kept her isolated til she healed/behaved normally. She took a long time to eat, I frequently fed her cream o wheat with vitamins/electrolytes and oral antibiotics via syringe. She's super fine now and laying again so don't give up on yours. I hope she recovers. My girl's injury was just two months ago and her feathers have grown in again, good as new.

 

[mama2many]

I had something similiar with happen with a guinea. I bathed him in warm water to clean the wound ( I had a hard time catching him). Then filled it full of rooster booster and kept him seperated. He was in the house for about 4 or 5 days. A week tops and healed completely. Best of luck keep it clean and free of flies. That is why I kept him in the house.

 

[SunnysideupstateNY]

I got some antibiotics at tractor supply. I put it in her water. She got torn open by my meaner hen (who will be relocated soon). I also got some powder wound stuff and she has been doing great a week later! If you have any antibiotic ointment for people in the house you can smear that on till you can get to tractor supply.

 

[tiffinimarie]

I found some antibiotic Omnicef that is for people. Can I give this to her until I can get to get her some chicken antibiotics tomorrow? The strength is 5mL/250mg. Any idea how much I can give her?


And honestly, I don't know how this wound is going to heal itself? It is spread apart from the other piece of skin...won't it heal with her internal organs showing?

 

[Wildsky]

I had a hen attacked by a dog last year, I took pictures of the healing process:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=254018&p=1

I cleaned the wound with the kids bandaid rinse, and put neosporin on only the first day, and then let her heal with good food and kept everything nice and clean.

I didn't mess with the wound other than to check on it and take a picture every couple of days.