Any advice? Snake bit duck..hope I can save her!!

[PlumTuckered]

Cocoa one of my Muscovy Hens didn't come to the yard for supper, I went to the pond and found her sitting under the shade of a tree with a swollen face and weezing. Bit of blood by her nares and diluted blood lightly dripping ..no blood in her mouth, tongue is clean, airway looks ok from what I can see. We have cottonmouth snakes and copperheads and rattlesnakes here and she looks like my dogs when they've been bit. Can I treat her? Any idea how ? Will she come out of it like my dogs do? I need to get back outside with her but will check in as much as I can.

Michelle

 

[Miss Lydia]

Cocoa one of my Muscovy Hens didn't come to the yard for supper, I went to the pond and found her sitting under the shade of a tree with a swollen face and weezing. Bit of blood by her nares and diluted blood lightly dripping ..no blood in her mouth, tongue is clean, airway looks ok from what I can see. We have cottonmouth snakes and copperheads and rattlesnakes here and she looks like my dogs when they've been bit. Can I treat her? Any idea how ? Will she come out of it like my dogs do? I need to get back outside with her but will check in as much as I can.

Michelle

Poor thing, that looks bad but I sure hope she pulls through. I have no idea what you would do other than clean the wound with salt water or betadine/water real good. and keep her quiet. Hopefully someone else will know something.

 

[PlumTuckered]

Thank you Miss Lydia, I've cleaned her all up..no open wounds anywhere at all..she is drinking bits of water from my hand but making no attempt to stand up or walk or do anything else for that matter.

Michelle

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you Miss Lydia, I've cleaned her all up..no open wounds anywhere at all..she is drinking bits of water from my hand but making no attempt to stand up or walk or do anything else for that matter.

Michelle

Seems if she was bit by a snake you'd see where the fangs went in?

 

[PlumTuckered]

I'm assuming it was a snake, the spot on her neck that the feathers have fallen off is grey and it was quite large and felt like it was full of liquid..that spot is now mostly loose skin. her face is still mighty swollen and she is still weezing. I don't see any evidence of snake bite however there are no cuts anywhere on her and my dogs have been snake bit quite a few times at the pond. We killed a 5 foot snake last week that got into the duck pen and killed one of my turkey babies. I was at the pond giving treats to my ducks 3 hours ago and all was fine with Cocoa at that point.

Michelle

 

[PlumTuckered]

I believe I found the site of the bite..close to her bill ..I was cleaning the feathers around her mouth a little better and found dry blood as well.

 

[Amiga]

From what I have read, keeping her quiet is important, and really, a vet could help especially if they have some anti-venom.

Can ducks be given antihistamines? I would think about it.

A forum discussion of field treatment for snake bites in humans mentioned benedryl and ice and elevation.

 

[PlumTuckered]

We don't have a vet close to us and no bird vet at all. I did read about benadryl, don't have but do have antihistamine so gave it a try ..have her resting quietly in a dark dog crate, I will try ice on the swelling and see if it helps at all. Thank you

Michelle

 

[Amiga]

 

[Miss Lydia]

How's Cocoa this morning Michelle?