Duck with a broken wing....help please

This morning one of my 3 month old BEIs escaped from his cage and was alone in the house with my Pomapoo. When I came back in and found the duck, its wing was broken, but no other injuries. Its wing is totally snapped in half at the first bend up from the flight feathers. I guess she was trying to play with it and got too rough.

Do you think this will this heal?

I only found one site that showed how to wrap it with Vet wrap around the body, is that the best course of action for this sort of break? We have no affordable vets around here, let alone any that deal with farm animals, so I am on my own. I don't have anyone here right now to hold the duck for me, so I can't wrap it up or anything else til later today. The duck just refuses to hold still.

I feel so bad Little stinker ducks, they are always finding a way to get their cage open, but this is the first time any of them decided to leave the cage. I am on my 3rd item used to keep it closed, next is going to be a padlock I guess!

My first advice is take it to a vet but if this is not in the budget or none available, binding it is best. Just make sure the wing is in its normal position (as best as possible) up against the body. Vetwrap is fine just don't get it too tight. If at all possible, keep the duck out of water for a week to keep this bandage dry. If it swims you will want to change its bandage. I would not let a wet bandage stay on too long. Change the bandage only when absolutely necessary. The less you manipulate the wing, the better. Don't be surprised if the end of the wing dies and falls off since we are not sure what kind of damage is on the inside. If this happens you will need to watch very closely for infection. I hope it does not. Keep a bandage on it for at least 2-3 weeks and then observe. I would not let this duck in with other ducks unbandaged for at least that long too. I would keep it seperated with perhaps one other duck for company. If it is with others while bandaged, keep a close eye on it to be sure they are not picking on it. Good luck.

Oh and the wing will be ok until you have help wrapping it (as soon as possible tho'). For best results you should have someone hold the duck while you get its wing into the best position. I can't remember the dosage, but aspirin can be given for pain. I think (please double check) you can dissolve an 81mg. baby aspirin in a cup of water and let him drink that.

Thank you so much for your help!! I will give a try and hope for the best.

Keep us posted!

I know you said a Vet was not an affordable option, but just to give you some insight. I just went to the Vet 3 weeks ago and had my chickens' wing set and the cost was $100.00. My Vet is not a farm vet, but she is an avian vet. After watching my vet wrap the wing, I'm glad I it. Everything chickensioux told you, my vet did and told me.

Good luck

I wanted to chime in and offer some encouragement. One of my runner ducks got her wing broken last November. It was a very bad break with a chunk of skin also missing. We took her to a local vet who was wiling to treat a "farm" animal - as you probably know - many won't. He wanted 800.00 to amputate it and far more to try and set it! I told him that was out of the question - bought some baytril from him for infection - brought her home and taped her up. We used vet wrap and just wrapped the wing to her body trying to make sure it didn't interfere with her walking. After a few days she had it off. We wrapped her again. Same thing a few days later. By then it seemed the flock had decided this was a game and would go to pulling it off soon as they saw her - so we gave up and left it off from that point on. I thought for sure she would have it heal deformed, if at all. But within a few weeks you couldn't tell her from the others. It was amazing really.

Same duck now has a broken leg. She is just way accident prone I guess. I'd be a lot more worried if her wing hadn't done so well. As it is, I think she has a good chance of healing up tolerably well.

Thank you everyone!

I have her separated from the other 3 ducklings and she is staying pretty calm. I got Vetwrap and will just have to keep putting it on. She works at taking the bandage off as soon as I put it on. Pretty sure its a girl now, she was fussing up a storm at being alone I guess lol. I will keep her alone for 3-4 weeks and hopefully it will heal up and be ok by then. Thanks again!

Wondering how this worked out for you......I just had a hen get hit by a car and has a broken wing. Her bone is exposed though. I think I will clamp it there and let the rest of the wing sluff off.

I was wondering what happened did it heal