My chicken has an open wound. How can I treat it safely at home?

Hi there. So sorry this happened to Floppy. The treatment you are doing so far is great. However, do not use the peroxide anymore. Peroxide is fine to use once after the initial injury but if you keep using it, it will kill all the tissue present in the wound including any new tissue trying to grow in so it will end up delaying healing. You should, from now on, flush the wounds with dilute Betadine or dilute Chlorhexidine solution twice a day as far inside the wound as you can get it. Also, be sure to keep her warm and dry. The SSD is my favorite and I'm glad you are using it. I am unable, by law, to provide any dosing information over the internet so I cannot help you with the Oxytetracycline dose. I can tell you that I have treated quite a few chickens for injuries like this and oxytetracycline is not the first choice for an antibiotic in this situation. I strongly suggest you take her to a vet for an exam. Many small animal hospitals will have a vet that will treat a chicken. If you don't want to do that then just keep doing what you are doing and hopefully she will respond. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Just hold pressure for a few minutes using a clean cloth or gauze. you may have to hold him for a bit to prevent him from shaking his head in order to give the wound time to clot. If a deep wound or you can't stop the bleeding then veterinary attention may be needed. Depending on how open the wound is, you may need to keep the chicken indoors to prevent fly strike and maggots. Good luck and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. I do not think you need to make a neck brace. It will probably just stress her out further. Just clean the wound with some hydrogen peroxide & apply a triple antibiotic to the wounds. You may need to do this twice a day for a week or so. Watch out for flies around the wounds so you do not wind up with maggots in the wound. You can spray a little fly spray made for pets to help. Most wounds on birds heal pretty quickly. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Keep it clean and dry. You can dab it with diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) daily. If it doesn't begin to heal in a few days or is actively bleeding, see your veterinarian or an experienced avian vet. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or loose droppings. These are also symptoms that should be addressed by your vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It seems like you have done about everything you can to get her to improve at home. At this point, she really needs to see a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can check what the extent of the injuries may be to try to get her to improve. Keep in mind that dog on bird attacks can result in a lot of trauma. Best of luck!

There is really not anything you can give a chicken for pain that is over the counter. Even if there was, you would never be able to get a dosage small enough for a 3 month old chicken. You will have to take her to a vet if you think she is pain and needs medication. They are tough so as long as she is eating and drinking and active I would not be overly worried about pain. Just continue to keep the wounds clean as you have been doing. Hope this helps.

Hello. If you can keep her indoors, that would be best. You could also start her on an antibiotic made for poultry available at your feed coop. Other than that, make sure she eats & drinks, & if the foot gets worse or does not seem to be healing, please consider having her seen by your veterinarian. This can cause your hen quite a bit of pain & she may need medication to help. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.