Few weeks old duckling with a broken leg/foot

[domikin]

I found her outside the nesting area and she looked bad and I wasn't sure if she would survive. I isolated her by herself and noticed she wasn't putting any weight on one leg.

She was standing on the lame foot with her healthy foot. Now she keeps it mostly tucked behind her. I noticed that she moves the hock of the bad foot when I pick her up.

I have added nutri-drench to her water and her health seems to be better, but still not even attempting to use the foot.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Keep her warm and offer food an water of course. If it’s a break it’s going to take time to heal. I think @Isaac 0 knew some links on how to treat breaks. Hopefully he’s on today. Is a vet an option?

 

[Isaac 0]

If a vet is an option, definitely take her there. If not, we can try to help.

How you splint her foot, and go about treating it depends where it broke. Could you gently, pick her up, not bending the joints too much, try to pinpoint where you think the break was?

 

[Isaac 0]

This link shows how to splint most fractures in birds.

https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

You may also find these links helpful.

http://avianmedicine.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/34_orthopedic.pdf
https://lafeber.com/vet/external-coaptation-birds-bandages-splints/

 

[domikin]

Thank you for the links and information. She has lost use of both feet and just shuffles. I'm thinking botulism now from reading online. Start adding charcoal to her feed?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Any idea what it could have gotten into? Here is info. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/flushes-for-aiding-in-toxin-removal.700526/. Sure hope she gets over this

 

[domikin]

No idea. She seems to have plenty of energy just can't walk. Put her into a container of water to try and strengthen her legs and she moves her hocks but both feet are all curled up and doesn't move so no more hydro therapy it seems.

From the link alot like the Epsom salt treatment

 

[domikin]

She has been on nutri-drench for almost a week and her legs seem to be getting worse

 

[Isaac 0]

No idea. She seems to have plenty of energy just can't walk. Put her into a container of water to try and strengthen her legs and she moves her hocks but both feet are all curled up and doesn't move so no more hydro therapy it seems.

From the link alot like the Epsom salt treatment

If you're going to try any of those treatments, do the activated charcoal flush. The rest of them will cause slight to moderate dehydration, which in her state of health, could be detrimental.

 

[domikin]

So take off from nutri-drench then?