8 week old duckling with weak leg

[cymbaline]

Ok, the brace didn't help. I don't know if it hurt anything, but he's definitely worse now.
Now I can't hardly get his bad leg back under him at all, it just sticks out the back. I had taken the brace off yesterday because he got it twisted around again and when I went to put it back on last night I could barely get his ankle bent back into the right position. He had twisted the brace around again this morning so I took it off again. All the leg and foot muscles are so tensed up... his foot is all curled under. The worst part is he actually seems to be in pain now.

(the brown spots on top are from before the brace when he was trying to walk with his foot upside down and scraping it)
I made a sling for him to lay in for by stretching some cloth over a laundry basket and cutting leg holes. His other leg is still very strong - he can actually stand up on it if he can keep his balance - so I'm still inclined to think it's an injury. I'm thinking he's made it worse by flapping and trying to get around; it seemed so mean to keep him immobilized but maybe I should have from the start.
I'll try to reach the vet again tomorrow. I would just pop in but by the time I leave work, drive home to get him, and drive to the vet, it's almost an hour, and I hate to take the chance she won't even be there (there's only one that is knowledgeable about ducks at all).

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well you tried hopefully there is still something that can be done maybe pain meds or muscle relaxers to get the muscles relaxed so you can start hydrotherapy in warm water tub.

 

[cymbaline]

So I finally got through to the vet's office and, of course, the vet that is experienced with ducks is on vacation this week. I was going to take Big Al (I guess that's his name, lol) over since he's still not using his leg, despite giving it a rest in the sling for like a week now; and Blanche, because in yet another turn of bad luck, a dang dinner-plate-sized snapping turtle got a hold of her foot yesterday! I've never even seen or heard of turtles in my creek before! There aren't even really any minnows or fish, it's a very small, mostly shallow creek (like I jumped in to save her in a deeper spot and it wasn't even up to my knees). There are some punctures, and maybe the middle toe bone is broken, but I got it sprayed with antimicrobial spray, put Neosporin all over, and got a neoprene bootie on it to keep out the poo. Put some antibiotics in her water too, and of course she's inside, chilling on my couch, haha. So I've probably done all that can be done, right?
*sigh* now I've got to figure out how to keep them from getting in the creek again... given that it makes up nearly 350 feet of my property line, I'm at a loss so far, besides just letting all the grass and weeds grow up again, which I don't like, and honestly may still not deter them, lol.
7 years I've lived here and only in the past 3 months have I had any trouble with critters attacking my babies

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s a shame I don’t think snapping turtles need deep water when I lived in Florida they would be found in deep ditches. Poor Blanche glad you were there to save her. Sounds like you have done a good job cleaning the wound and more than likely she’ll be fine keep the flies away. As for big Al I just can’t imagine what could be going on unless it’s an injury and they can take quite a while to heal.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I'm pretty sure a shot gun will take care of that turtle!

 

[cymbaline]

I'm pretty sure a shot gun will take care of that turtle!

if I had been thinking clearly and hadn't been so anxious to check on Blanche, and eager to not get bitten myself, lol, I'd have held on to him...my neighbor that alerted me was on his way with a shovel to "take care of" the turtle. I just flung the stupid thing as fast I could away from my babies though. Hindsight is 20/20...

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's just the way we react.
There is always another chance but I'd keep them out until you get it. Boy they can even drown adult ducks.

 

[casportpony]

Can you take a video of the duck walking or standing and upload it to YouTube or Vimeo then copy and paste the link here?

 

[cymbaline]

Can you take a video of the duck walking or standing and upload it to YouTube or Vimeo then copy and paste the link here?

I did when it first started, on like the first page of this thread, but his issues have changed so much those videos probably aren't helpful. I'll try to get one this evening after work.
I let him swim and get cleaned up last night and as I was holding him to dry him off I swear I felt something moving - around where I would imagine his hip socket is - it moved as he breathed. I couldn't find anything similar on the good side...of course all that truly means is I'm not an avian vet, lol, but I wonder if there's something similar that can happen like the slipped tendon they can get lower in the leg, and what I'm feeling is a tendon or ligament that isn't where it's supposed to be? The leg wants to fly backward all the time, but if you can get it under him he can sort of stand for a few seconds, and he can definitely kick with it, just not really in the direction it needs to be going in.
Man, I wish the vet would hurry up and get back...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know having to wait makes it hard. Just keep him stable until you can get him to the vet. And hopefully with a new video @casportpony can help.