Yikes, I have no idea what happened! graphic

[dlaciv12]

I just got out of the shower when I heard a chicken screaming out back. I ran out to find my dog sniffing the girl pictured.
She is alive (to my horror).
She is a few inches from the the pen that is open on top. There is also a mess of feathers a few inches away from the scene.
I doubt my 8 month old dog has a chance of actually catching a chicken so I am wondering if it was a hawk since we have several that frequent the area. I feel like if my dog had magically gotten her out of the pen there would have been a lot more carnage.

OMG, she is up and walking.



I've never had to dispatch a girl of this age, best methods?

Updated pics so you can see where she is in relation to the pen. She actually walked about a foo to get to where she is now.


And here is a close up of the wound (sorry for the graphic nature)

 

[leadwolf1]

If she is up and walking, I would bring her in and really assess the damage. Clean it up with a 50% peroxide solution and liberally smear it with neosporin. Keep her in a safe cage when no flies can get to her. Give her food and water..maybe some antibiotics or electrolytes/vitamins in it. Put the cage in a warm, darkened area where she can relax. If she is up and walking, she just might pull through.

 

[dlaciv12]

On it. But "up and walking" and overstatement.
Any opinion on the culprit.

 

[leadwolf1]

It really doesn't look like a hawk attack to me. That bird is too big for a hawk to get out of the pen, also. Sorry, but something was chewing on her...my first thought is, in fact, your dog.

It does look terrible but, it looks all surface..no organ involvement. If you can ward off infection, I think she has a great chance.

 

[dlaciv12]

Thanks again, for the good and bad news. She's inside resting and covered in neosporin. I have to push her beak into the water for her to drink though. What kind of antibiotics can I get? I am shamefully under-equipped for this. (Emotionally too)

The first thing I checked was my dogs mouth and there isn't a drop of blood on her anywhere. I guess I can't assume much though, she might have been screaming for ten minutes while I couldn't hear anything in the shower.

 

[leadwolf1]

One of the first things I did was put together a chicken first aid kit and boy am I glad that I did. I think that I have used just about everything in it at one time or another.

You can get Duramycin at most feed stores and you can also get Tylan 50. Duramycin is mixed in the water and Tylan can be given orally with a syringe.

I'm not a predator expert...so, don't be too hard on your dog. It looks like she was tasting her...you know, like when they are chewing at an itching spot. I just don't know of anything else that could get her out over the fence. If your dog was outside, it is highly unlikely that a raccoon or a fox would have gotten to her. I would think that the dog would have gone nuts had this happened. Without the dog barking, to me, indicates it was the culprit.