Predator attack - injured chicken Help!!

[kendallann]

Last night something (either a fox or raccoon) tried to snag one of our girls from the run. One was in the run frozen in terror and unharmed but another was screaming in terror and was missing bunch of feathers. We scooped them up and tucked them away in the coop for the night. This morning my husband let the girls out to the run but the injured one stayed in the coop all day. When I checked on her this afternoon she was just standing in the coop, eyes swollen shut, a little dried blood coming out of one nostril. Apparently some hungry beasty tried to pull her out by her neck.
I've put her in a large Rubbermaid container with towels. She's responsive and will avoid me and my attempts at nursing. She'll allow me to hold her and will sort of tolerate me syringing her water and food mixed with water (which she will swallow). She will walk if necessary and will do a weak perch.
I'm obviously concerned for many reasons - one being she probably has a brain injury. Is she in a "catatonic" state (not sure if that's the proper descriptor) because her eyes are swollen shut and she can't see? Is there anything I can do other than try to nurse her with water and food? Not to sound insensitive but I don't feel that I should take her to the vet. If its a matter of waiting on a fatality (fingers crossed its not) I just want her to be comfortable. I'm not sure what else to do to help the poor girl

 

[Stiggy]

sounds like she is in shock. she will need to be kept warm with lots of food/water. some birds that go into shock come right and others just start to shut down. its an unfortunate thing. its possible that she has a head injury and the swelling doesn't surprise me. try to keep the eyes moist but not crusty and stuck together, some eye ointment might be a good idea. shutting them in safely at night is a good idea, and setting traps for the predator is also a good idea if where you are allows it

 

[kendallann]

Thanks Stiggy! She survived the night and her swelling seems to have gone down just a tad. She has her food and water but I don't think she can tell where it is. She literally stands in the same spot unless I move her or she's avoiding my attempts at syringe watering her. She definitely doesn't appear to be uncomfortable, just blind. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that she makes it out my the chicken ICU alive!

 

[SampyArctica]

Don't give any food or water to an animal in shock! When an animal goes into shock, their body temperature goes right down as their blood flow is restricted to mainly around the heart and brain - and their digestive system will basically shut down. But keeping her warm is definitely a great idea - the only three things you need to remember for shock treatment are: warm, dark, quiet. Birds have a higher body temperature than mammals (about 41 degrees Celsius/107 Fahrenheit) so maybe place a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel in with her and cover her container with a towel to both keep the heat in and keep the light out. She's also probably in a fair amount of pain, so once her body temp. is as normal - give 1/4 to 1/2 a pill of baby aspirin every four to six hours. With shock usually also comes a varying level of dehydration, so once she's warm then you can offer her some water - a Glucodin/water mix works well, but make sure it's offered lukewarm. NO cold fluids.

Where exactly did the animal bite her? Is there any puncture wounds, or is she bleeding from an internal injury from the pressure of the bite alone? If there are puncture wounds, she'll need some form of antibiotic as the mouth of a carnivorous animal is host is numerous bacteria that you don't want under the skin of another creature. Without an antibiotic, it may lead to a fatal infection.

 

[ten chicks]

The term "shock" refers to changes in the body when body tries to compensate for limited heart function,blood volume or circulation. The treatment for shock is to deliver blood/oxygen/nutrients to tissue,this is to replace what has been lost,so yes an animal in shock needs fluid(electrolytes).

 

[kendallann]

SampyArtica thank you for responding! Like I said, the option for food and water are there but she is not interested at all, I'm guessing due to the fact that shes in shock and can't see.

As far as injuries, she doesn't have a single scratch on her - thankfully. Her neck is just about completely defeathered but no open wounds. I'm guessing the bleeding from her nose and the swelling in her eyes is internal from being choked. Whatever grabbed her with their little paws didn't have a good grip or got scared off by her screams. Perhaps I will try the baby aspirin tonight. Thanks again!

 

[SampyArctica]

It does sound like there's internal damage and bleeding from anywhere is usually a bad sign too...I'm involved with a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group as well as volunteering at a wildlife hospital, and the number one warning sign drilled into us that an animal needs immediate vet attention is bleeding from anywhere, especially from the ears, nose and mouth. Same with humans, bleeding from any of those places after a physical trauma can be considered as dangerous. I know you said that wouldn't take her to a vet, but there could be anything going on within her body that a visual assessment just wouldn't be able to pick up, so I guess it otherwise comes down to a "wait-and-see" sort of thing at the moment...being involved with wildlife though, and especially working so close with vets, I'm a firm believer in a sick or injured animal getting professional attention ASAP, but I do understand that this is an opinion that varies amongst people, especially when it comes to the cost of vet bills, treating animals such as poultry or even people who live in the country with no access to a vet.

 

[kendallann]

GOOD NEWS! I've been giving the chicken half a baby aspirin twice a day and the swelling has gone down and she is finally opening her eyes! I haven't witnessed if she's eating or drinking on her own but she seems to be a little more active. Along with opening her eyes she has been putting up a fight (squawking included) when I try to feed her food and water through a syringe! I'm not sure if she'll ever be the same but she is making progress!

Thank you everyone for your advice and I'll keep you all updated!

 

[kendallann]

Better news! She's back in the run with her sisters! I let her free range for about an hour and she ate a ton of worms!