Please Help!! My rooster was attacked by a raccoon or fox!!! Sorry graphic pics enclosed! (had

[lindaguilfoose]

Ok this happened Saturday, there was an attack on my hens... one was left dead...dug under my coop... (predators have not been an issue as we have dogs) I was away and the sitter failed to get the rooster back in his cage, ( he freaked out and broke the locking device...) failed to notify me so I could tell her what to do... so when the predator came back (thinking raccoon or gray fox) it attacked the rooster... So now I feel like I am stuck in an episode of the walking dead!... He however is a resilient guy... and eating ( mixing water with his feed ) and drinking ( put acv with the mother organic in water ) cleaned wounds with peroxide..(I know can cause tissue damage but the wounds needed it) and applied topical mucoporin cream (triple antibiotic hospital grade... Yea I am a RN.) So he now lives in my sunroom pearching on my favorite chair (removed the cushion and applied news paper) he is crowing as well... pics enclosed... here is is on the day of the attack...here he is today... the only thing that is off is that he is doing this weird lip smacking when he eats and drinks... I know that there will probably be some brain damage but please help... I have not started oral antibiotics... but have amoxicillian if needed...

Any ideas?? do you think he will make it?? I hate to cull him as he made it this far and deserves a shot!!

 

[sourland]

If he has no internal injuries, it is very likely that he will survive. In the pictures he does not look to be neurologically impaired. Keep slathering the wound with antibiotic ointment, and it will gradually heal from the 'outside in'. I have had several chickens and pigeons 'scalped' in such a fashion, and they have recovered.

 

[lindaguilfoose]

thanks for the quick reply... what about the weird lip smacking? Like I said, he is acting mostly normal. I think the vision is impaired in that eye as well...

 

[sourland]

Not sure about the 'lip smacking'

I'm guessing that as he eats or drinks the movement of his beak may be causing some pain or 'different' feeling causing him to click his beak. If you have some ophthalmic drops, it will not hurt to moisten his injured eye with them.

 

[lindaguilfoose]

Thank you!! I really was thinking that if he made it through the first night and as long as we could keep infection at bay we would be fine... I read how chickens were resilient and that they can recover from injuries, but am horrified...(even being a nurse I tell you...) I just needed reassurance that I was doing the right thing and that he would maybe recover...

 

[lindaguilfoose]

We are a week out, and there is some signs of healing and the wound is clean but moist... using peroxide with saline mix now to clean, and triple antiboitic ointment. He is eating and drinking acv in food with water mixed and hard boiled eggs, shell, fruit etc... he loves the attention but misses his peeps.. (ha) How long should I leave it moist? Should I be letting it dry? ( he doesn't hold still well for the camera

 

[sourland]

I'd back off on the peroxide if he were mine at this point. I'd be afraid that it would do more harm to granulating tissue than good. Looks as if his healing is right on track.

 

[sourland]

I'd keep on applying antibiotic ointment until the healing is complete - it can take a long time.

 

[lindaguilfoose]

Thanks again for replying! If you didn't I would be going it alone

I am shocked that of all the people who have seen this post noone else has chimed in. It is a very unwelcoming feeling. It is a very stressful situation and was hoping for support. I feel bad even asking you one other question, but you are all I have so here it goes. There is part of his face that was the waddle which is just hanging there. It has turned black and we are wondering if we should remove it or let it fall off? We were thinking leave it alone but I had his girlfriend in the sunroom for a visit and she wanted to grab at it...(so the visit was cut short...)

 

[sourland]

If the blackened part is completely dried up, you might remove it. I would tend to leave things alone. Can you see healthy tissue forming around the edges?