We need advice, our rooster was attacked by a dog

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

Yesterday afternoon a dog attacked our small rooster. We discovered it about an hour after it happened. He was limping, No obvious punctures we can see. He's missing some feathers on both sides under the wing area like the dog had him flipped on his back and tore feathers out that way. My husband brought him in the house and gently wrapped him in a towel to keep warm and Sammy slept on his chest for several hours. We put him in the coupe but it was obvious he was in shock and shivering, so my husband brought him back inside and wrapped him in a towel again for a few more hours. We put him in a dog carrier with shavings under a towel and he slept in our room for the night. He seemed a tiny bit better today, so my husband took him out in the yard for some fresh air and sunshine twice. He did eat some bread crumbs and drank a little but he still isn't well, he's been inside resting and we're keeping him as comfortable as we can. We took him out to the coupe tonight to see if he would eat and drink, he drank but wouldn't eat. He cant stand well on one leg and fell off his perch twice (poor sammy) so we brought him back inside and he's resting. There are no signs of broken bones in his legs, maybe it's muscular and skin soreness from basically being plucked alive. Is it normal that he doesn't eat much? How do we know if we should take him to the vet? He's a cutie and we don't want to lose him.
Thanks

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[fancbrd4me02]

He might be bruised and stressed. Keep him somewhere safe and warm. Make sure he has food and water availible. You might want to try hiving him some scrambled egg. If vet care is an option, you should take him if he doesn't eat or drink, or is he gets worse over time as oppsed to better. Can he stand and walk around on the leg?

 

[sune42]

First off,

Secondly, I am not 100% a pro at chicken 911, but I am going to give it a shot. From what I have read here you want to clean him up to make sure his injuries aren't worse than what they appear. Keep him in the house in a warm darkened place, but the dark may just be for hens so they don't try to lay. At the very least a warm comfortable, quite place. Fresh water, maybe with vitamins in it if you have some. Regular food, and if that doesn't peak his interest in eating, a scrambled egg might do the trick. Give him a day or two to get over the shock. If his injuries are bad, he may need some sort of medical treatment, the leg worries me. Hopefully you won't have to cull. That's the best I have, perhaps someone with more experience will chime in.

Good Luck and

 

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

Thank you for your input and advice. I don't know much about chickens....horses are my thing, everything else is my husbands, but this little guy "Sammy Davis Jr." (we call him that because he's small, black and crows a musical tune unlike other roosters, lol) hope that doesn't offend anyone...He thinks he's part human part guard dog, always investigating and making his presence known, especially to guests on the property. He's a funny little bird and pretty. Anyways, he's rests mostly when my husband holds him or when they both go to sleep (his carrier is next to our bed..eye level for him. I know birds like to be up higher. It doesn't get anymore hillbilly than having a rooster in your bedroom

He can walk but he limps, I wasn't there when he took him out to the coupe, he said he tried to join his hen up on the roost but fell off, twice...poor sammy. I'm sure that didn't help him any with pain. He started to shiver again, and we're not sure if that's from pain or still kind of being in shock/stress. I'm sure it's a stress being inside with us too, even though he's safe and warm, it's more change, which is why I'm not quick to rush him to the vet, that would be even more stress, and maybe not even necessary. I just don't want to be missing an injury. I'm afraid to look/poke more at him because he's very sore. He doesn't seem to want to eat while in his "kennel" but seems to rest. He'll eat a bit and drink more if he takes him over to my moms next door...odd, I know, he frequents my moms house, greets her every morning by sitting on the planter in front of her kitchen window, they love him too. He's a petite bird, so he gets away with doing stuff like that. He's my husbands buddy, so he trusts him, and me a bit too I guess. Both hubby and rooster are sleeping as I type I can't imagine what went thru that poor little guys mind as he was being attacked and needless to say there is a new rule STRICTLY enforced on our property...NO OTHER dogs allowed or tolerated. I don't understand people who take their dogs everywhere they go and just expect everyone else to put up with it. It completely disrupts our whole place, they chase our chickens, chase our cat, upset our little dog so he poops all over in my house, and fights with our outside dog, not to mention the poop factor. I have never liked other dogs "coming over to play" at our house but didn't speak up, and now our little Sammy is hurt. I want to kick that dogs A-- and his owners. People need to keep their dogs at their OWN home. Our animals have the right to be safe in their own atmosphere, it's their home for pete's sake. Sorry, I'm just really ticked because this shouldn't have happened, and people need to get a clue.
Is there any ointments we should put on him where his feathers were ripped out? It oozed a little bit yesterday, but isn't anymore. Is there anything you give chickens for pain or soreness? I hope there isn't any puncture wounds we missed that could get infected? Maybe we should take him to the vet in the morning. Will that stress him more?? We're just keeping him warm, clean and comfy as we can. 20 questions, I know....Thanks for your help.

 

[Kittymomma]

I think you're doing pretty good. It sounds like he's mostly sore and a bit shocky, but he's hanging in there so I think he has a good chance.

I've had good luck with scrambled eggs for hurt/sick chickens (like prev. poster suggested) and when that doesn't tempt them I've never had one turn up its beak at canned cat food. The canned cat food has more salt then is good for them, but it's high in protien and the salt won't hurt for a day or so to get them eating. Keeping him warm and quiet along with getting some fluid and food into him are the most important things, time will take care of the rest.

As far as pain relief goes I know you can put some asprin in their water, but I don't remember the dosage and am not sure if the taste would keep him from drinking as much as he should.

ETA: Dosage is 1 1/4 reg. 325mg asprin dissolved in a quart of water. Maybe a teaspoon or so of sugar added to that would keep him interested in the water...

 

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

Thank you for your tips. I'll copy & paste these for my husband to read in the morning. I'll have to show him your site so he can check it out. All kinds of goodies on here I think he'll be interested in!
Have a good evening

and thanks again.
Kim

 

[SkyWarrior]

I don't know about dog bites on birds, but I do know about dog bites, being a canine expert and having been bit enough times.

Dog bites produce a massive amount of internal trauma. The teeth bear down at 300 to 500 lbs per inch, which is bone crushing. Even if your roo didn't get a puncture wound, the crushing could easily cause internal trauma. One thing that people don't realize is that the puncture wounds don't bleed a lot unless there's a large amount of tearing of skin. Look for puncture wounds.

If you do find puncture wounds, you won't be able to clean them easily and they will become infected without antibiotics. Dog wounds will often cause swelling and infections because of enzymes in the saliva. You will have to probably administer some sort of antibiotics to keep him healthy.

If you have a veterinarian who will look at your chicken, go ahead and take your roo to him or her. Just to be on the safe side. Good luck!

 

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

I think you may be right, better safe than sorry.
Thanks,
K

 

[cmsjr57]

If he's not drinking much and you think an asprin might help the pain how about poking a baby asprin down his throat(all the way down with your finger) or just a 1/4 of an adult size. he is probally very sore from being crushed while the dog attacked him hopefully there are no internal injuries. I would watch his droppings for possible signs of blood. I know you don't want too poke around on him much but if there are puncture wounds about 1/4 cc LA 200 you probally have some for your horses, but don't use the big horse needle Tractor Supply will have a small gauge. That should kill infection.It confuses me a bit he can't roost does his equilibrium appear off? sometimes in severe crushing or puncture a nerve can be severed but that doesn't mean he will die he will more than likely recover 100% in time. I feed boiled eggs to my chicks and the grown birds love them to, just crumble them up real good shell and all with your hand. what he doesn't eat feed it to your hens the egg shells are full of calcium and they need it especially during the time they are laying.(a little off the subject) to the vet idea I really doubt he can do more than treat with an antibiotic and you can do that without his bill. His leg if not broken could possibly be nerved, or very sore. If it is nerved the only cure I know for that is to take his foot with his toes flat in your palm and gentally press it to his breast then gentally bring it to a fully straight position, sort of in a slow pumping motion..... now you can try this to if you want to, while working with his leg .....apply warm breath along the length of his back and neck( from tail to head so you can get the warm breath under his feathers). it might sound silly but it can help the nerve reatach if indeed it is severed, but this is more than likely to late to do any good. If he was mine and I wanted to help him get back on his feet I would try. I have seen it work before.
In a nut shell you won't harm him by giving him an antibiotic shot in the MUSCLE but you might save him from a serious infection. Hopefully he is just real sore and can't walk well or roost just yet..Does he try to wrap his toes around the his roost pole? or maybe a stick while you still have him in the house? Maybe try to work with his toes a little 2 or 3 times a day. His toes are not curled up are they?

 

[Sammy Davis Jr.]

Good call on the scrambled eggs

He crowed this morning and woke us up, hasn't done that in a day or so. He's eating and drinking now too. Thanks for all your input. I think the only thing that might be a threat is any infections from the dog biting him, if he did break the skin. I can't give shots to animals...eeewww.