Hawk attack, skin missing on breast

[minicoopers]

A hawk just attacked my silkie. She's warm and breathing, not a lot of blood. Upon further inspection she has a hole in her skin that opens up her breast. It looks as though some may have been eaten.

I cleaned with betadine and have her inside warm in a dark place, giving her water and will offer food.

It's hard for me to see any injuries other than her skin being opened.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Oh no! Poor little girl! From what I can see, that looks pretty deep! I hope I'm wrong though. Any internal organs affected?

If it's just a deep laceration, she may be able to heal by second intention as it's too late to suture that up. You are going to be looking out for infection now too.

Keeping her separated, clean and calm is very important. Maybe some extra good food like scrambled eggs are in store!

Best of luck to you both, I sincerely hope she pulls through!

 

[007Sean]

I had a juvenile male Yellow Golden pheasant have it's breast skin torn open by a raccoon. I thought it had gotten into it's crop but it did not, I was going to euthanized it but didn't get around to it. It regrew the skin over the wound without any intervention from me....no antibiotics, didn't even clean the wound.
Birds are pretty resilient, if not injured as bad as it looks, they can heal and recover.

 

[maewest]

A hawk just attacked my silkie. She's warm and breathing, not a lot of blood. Upon further inspection she has a hole in her skin that opens up her breast. It looks as though some may have been eaten.

I cleaned with betadine and have her inside warm in a dark place, giving her water and will offer food.

It's hard for me to see any injuries other than her skin being opened.

Sounds like you did so good basic first aid. We have homing pigeons. They get attacked by hawks occasionally. I sew them up with a needle and bright colored thread. Most survive. Good luck.

 

[minicoopers]

Oh no! Poor little girl! From what I can see, that looks pretty deep! I hope I'm wrong though. Any internal organs affected?

If it's just a deep laceration, she may be able to heal by second intention as it's too late to suture that up. You are going to be looking out for infection now too.

Keeping her separated, clean and calm is very important. Maybe some extra good food like scrambled eggs are in store!

Best of luck to you both, I sincerely hope she pulls through!

Thank you, yes very deep. No internal organs from what I can tell. I just cleaned her, unsure if she should have a soak in warm water or continue with just cleaning with betadine. She's interested in food and drinking some. I'll scramble some eggs now.

There is an odor when I was cleaning her. How do I stop this? I don't have blue coat spray but can get it tomorrow am.

 

[minicoopers]

Sounds like you did so good basic first aid. We have homing pigeons. They get attacked by hawks occasionally. I sew them up with a needle and bright colored thread. Most survive. Good luck.

Thank you. I don't know if there's enough skin left to sew together...

 

[minicoopers]

I had a juvenile male Yellow Golden pheasant have it's breast skin torn open by a raccoon. I thought it had gotten into it's crop but it did not, I was going to euthanized it but didn't get around to it. It regrew the skin over the wound without any intervention from me....no antibiotics, didn't even clean the wound.
Birds are pretty resilient, if not injured as bad as it looks, they can heal and recover.

Thank you. I am hopeful.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Thank you, yes very deep. No internal organs from what I can tell. I just cleaned her, unsure if she should have a soak in warm water or continue with just cleaning with betadine. She's interested in food and drinking some. I'll scramble some eggs now.

There is an odor when I was cleaning her. How do I stop this? I don't have blue coat spray but can get it tomorrow am.

I'm wondering if you should get some chlorhexidine solution and syringe lavage into this wound. Odor is usually from dead tissue.

Small bowl, warm water, splash of chlorhexidine and 12 cc syringe.

Flushing twice daily is what I'm thinking is best for now.

As for topicals--I'm not sure. I'm trying to think if Manuka honey would be good, but it can get really sticky (and messy) and that would be a nightmare with Silkie feathers. There's always trusty neosporin (triple antibiotic ointment).

Keeping her eating is very important. Lots of tasty food if you can--she's going to need it.

Good luck!

 

[Shadrach]

chlorhexidine solution and syringe lavage into this wound. Odor is usually from dead tissue.

This ^^. and the rest of the post come to that.
The thing that is most likely to be a problem is infection and believe it or not, stress driven depression if she's away from the rest of the chickens.
A few days confinement is usually okay, this hen for example who had a 4 inch by one inch strip of flesh torn off her back by a Goshawk, seriously wanted out after a week and started to eat less and less.

Infection prevention is a matter of keeping the wound clean and disinfected.
Antibiotic anything would help but I've had a few hens survive some very unplesant looking puncture wounds without.

 

[minicoopers]

I'm wondering if you should get some chlorhexidine solution and syringe lavage into this wound. Odor is usually from dead tissue.

Small bowl, warm water, splash of chlorhexidine and 12 cc syringe.

Flushing twice daily is what I'm thinking is best for now.

As for topicals--I'm not sure. I'm trying to think if Manuka honey would be good, but it can get really sticky (and messy) and that would be a nightmare with Silkie feathers. There's always trusty neosporin (triple antibiotic ointment).

Keeping her eating is very important. Lots of tasty food if you can--she's going to need it.

Good luck!

Thank you! I have been using chlohexidine, have been saying betadine instead and putting it straight on, light gauze to clean up the extra. I will start start using it with water for a lovage. I do have manuka honey, will need to get neosporin.

Thank you again