[Big T]

I have an injured bird from a hawk. The wounds are in the back and chest but luckily the wing or lung appears not damaged. This happened on Thursday so now we are in the healing process. I put antibiotic cream on the wounds but they are punctured wounds and seem deep. I kept him isolated the first 24 hours but his eating and drinking were good so I put him back in the loft with his mate. He is walking a little stiff and the left wing droops just a little but he can fly well and holds his own with the other cocks. All in all he is very lucky. He escaped by flying into the garage where my dog was. The lab scared the hawk away and got my attention. So now my questions are:
1 I put cream on the wounds twice daily, is this OK?
2 How long does it take for a bird to heal from wounds?
3 Is keeping him in the loft a good idea?
4 Is there anything else I can do to help him?

 

[Charis]

BigT...You bird is not out of the woods yet. The problem with puncture wounds is that they are deep. Putting antibiotic cream on the surface is good but it doesn't do any thing for infection that may be building deep inside. Please bring him inside and keep him for for a few more days. This will giove you the opportunity to keep a close eye on him.
Do you have any antibiotics for the birds or some left overs for your self?

 

[altgirl35]

i agree that he needs antibiotics, alot of people like clavomox, i like baytril, as a rule i always give them with animal attacks, certainly a hawk, those talons are so strong and can go very very deep.
i also agree with bringing him in, if you think his mate will help reduce his stress, bring her in also.
twice a day is fine, but i wouldn't use it more than week depending onwhat kind it is, read the insert.
also petroleum based ones shouldn't be used on birds, it gunks up thier feathers, try to find the lotion kind instead and only use enough for a thin film.
it might be too late to flush the wound if it's starting to heal, but if it ever happens again it's a good idea to flush the wound well with dilute betadine

 

[RodSD]

If it stopped bleeding, you are partly clear. It will heal in a couple of weeks and they will look good as new unless there was a broken wing. When my pigeon got hit by hawk as well and got injured, he still defended his perch with determination even injured. If you can provide less stressful situation for example, then so much the better. You will notice that they will heal quick. I would guess less than or equal to a month.

 

[Big T]

Do you have any antibiotics for the birds or some left overs for your self?

Good idea and yes I gave him antibiotics today, but I can give my birds human left overs? Since I hate wasteing anything and I do throw away old drugs I have to ask.

I move My hurt bird and his mate back into the house. He still has some swelling but is eating, drinking, bathing, flying, and struting like the cock that he is.

Thank you for your help any any other info ya'll may have.