When my neighbour added a Polish hen to her little mixed flock, things did not start off well. Whether it was the jauntiness of her personality or the fluffy crest we don't know, but it took almost two weeks before the Bantams and Cream Legbar would let Chickadee join them in the bedroom.
Her luck did not hold. Last week, their Cavalier King Charles spaniel attacked the free-ranging flock. One Bantam was killed outright, the Miss Pepperpot was in the coop at the time (and has since not come out), the Legbar legged it into the hedge and Chickadee bore the full brunt of the onslaught.
When I was called (I used to be an ER doc) she was alive and just standing there with a drooped head. Her injuries were extensive, but mostly skin and feather loss and she had not broken any bones or seemed to have any deep, penetrating wounds.
I cleaned out her wounds by irrigating them with saline solution (A Neti pot, sterilised in the microwave, with a salt solution made up with the Neti pot spoon-measure and boiled, cooled water. I then dressed the wounds with Neosporin ointment and for the abdominal wound, put a sterile dressing from the first aid kit on top and bandaged her so that her wings were free.
A vet friend told me that Meloxicam (same as for dogs) was a good pain reliever (1mg/kg) and I started her on antibiotics too. BYC was hugely helpful to show me the right way to squirt the meds - I learned that small volumes are best! (I had to open antibiotic capsules and mix with water).
We cleaned the wounds and refreshed the dressings every 12 hours for the first week. On the 6th day, we put up a netted grow tunnel on the front lawn - this is Chickadee's rehab and Physical Therapy unit - so that she can move and stretch the areas that will scar. Hopefully this will prevent her getting scar tissue buildup that will impede her movement!
We're not out of the woods yet, but are starting to feel quite optimistic that she will recover!
Her luck did not hold. Last week, their Cavalier King Charles spaniel attacked the free-ranging flock. One Bantam was killed outright, the Miss Pepperpot was in the coop at the time (and has since not come out), the Legbar legged it into the hedge and Chickadee bore the full brunt of the onslaught.
When I was called (I used to be an ER doc) she was alive and just standing there with a drooped head. Her injuries were extensive, but mostly skin and feather loss and she had not broken any bones or seemed to have any deep, penetrating wounds.
I cleaned out her wounds by irrigating them with saline solution (A Neti pot, sterilised in the microwave, with a salt solution made up with the Neti pot spoon-measure and boiled, cooled water. I then dressed the wounds with Neosporin ointment and for the abdominal wound, put a sterile dressing from the first aid kit on top and bandaged her so that her wings were free.
A vet friend told me that Meloxicam (same as for dogs) was a good pain reliever (1mg/kg) and I started her on antibiotics too. BYC was hugely helpful to show me the right way to squirt the meds - I learned that small volumes are best! (I had to open antibiotic capsules and mix with water).
We cleaned the wounds and refreshed the dressings every 12 hours for the first week. On the 6th day, we put up a netted grow tunnel on the front lawn - this is Chickadee's rehab and Physical Therapy unit - so that she can move and stretch the areas that will scar. Hopefully this will prevent her getting scar tissue buildup that will impede her movement!
We're not out of the woods yet, but are starting to feel quite optimistic that she will recover!
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