Any idea what is wrong with my duck's leg?

[boxermizer]

The pictures in order are:
Pic1 - hurt foot, see blood vessels/bruising
Pic2 - hurt foot, different angle
Pic3 - underside of hurt foot, see swelling and discoloration
Pic4 - underside of good foot for comparison
Pic5 - both feet for comparison
Pic6 - both feet, including the whole duck

She'd been limping, so I confined her for a couple weeks, she seemed ok, so I turned her back out with the other ducks. A few weeks later she was limping again. She hurt one of her legs last year, but only swelling was visible then and she seemed to heal fine, it took several weeks. She's been confined now for at least 2 weeks, probably 3 or more, I've lost track. I hadn't been messing with her because she doesn't like it, but I had her in an area where she could see the other ducks, hoping that would help, but it seems she's gotten worse. She doesn't get up very often when I feed and water her and she can barely walk on the bad leg now. Plus, the blue spots weren't there when I confined her. Her area wasn't ideal for freaking out, which she likes to do when I come around, so she could have hurt it more because of that.

Any idea what the blue is? Broken blood vessels? Do you think the ankle is broken or just sprained? Or is something else wrong? I put her in a tub of water today, but she didn't even swim or try to clean herself. She definitely seems to be in pain. But she is eating and drinking well and quacks up a storm when the other ducks are near and seems plenty strong, tries hard to get away, when I catch her. I put her back in a dog kennel in the barn to keep her warmer and limit her movement even more, but I know she doesn't like it there, dark and away from the other ducks. Last time she quit eating very well, which is why I put her in the confined area outside.

I hadn't been giving her anything because I hoped it would heal on its own, but I put some Rescue Remedy cream on it today and put an arnica tablet in her water. After reading some other posts, I have some arnica cream I can put on it as well. I didn't think about Epsom salt for ducks, but I can try that tomorrow.

I have been giving her nutritional yeast and a vitamin supplement in her water, hoping that and rest would be enough. Is nutritional yeast as good as brewer's yeast for ducks? I ran out of brewer's yeast and haven't been able to find it locally.

Sorry so long, but I'm tired of dealing with this as I know she is, so I wanted to cover everything hoping for the best responses.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looks like an injury and bruising. Any chance taking her to a vet they can give her Meloxicam for pain and check for broken bones. I am sure she is in pain. Could she have been stepped on?

 

[boxermizer]

She hasn't been stepped on by a human, only possibly by another duck or chicken. I'm guessing the initial injury happened while mating. The last 2 summers I've had male ducklings hatch then it gets competitive. I found a home for last year's male, but haven't for this one yet. But I haven't seen this one try to mate yet as the older male chases him off, he's pretty much ostracized from the other ducks. But this is the only thing that I can figure that's causing these duck leg injuries. As another duck went lame last year too. This one's just had it worse, 3 times now.

As for the vet, I'd have to sneak that one past my husband. I'd also need to see if I can find one that knows anything about ducks. What would they do if there was a broken bone? I taped one up last year because of how she was/wasn't using it (pretty sure this was the other duck), but this girl is keeping her foot under her and positioned properly. I guess that's why I didn't think about it being broken.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It may not be broken but just a bad bruising and sprain hard to tell but I’d like for @casportpony to have a look she’s a good one to talk about wrapping. Drakes can be awfully rough on females and injure them when mating especially if she’s being singled out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d make a boot you can use a cozy you might have stuffed in a drawer cut to shape of foot then use vet wrap to wrap around her foot going up the leg to support and keep it on. If she is holding her foot an leg normally this may give her some support while it’s healing but I think @casportpony would have more advise.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Definitely start with Epsom salts. That’ll help with pain. I have a duck with a permanent bad leg. When it’s worse I use vet wrap to give it a stif support. That’s close to the webbing so you’d want to cut the vet wrap so it can go between. Those strips need to be looser. If you can’t find vet wrap, it’s like the stuff they sell for people for sprains that clings to itself. Ducks get depressed when confined alone, especially for long periods. So I would recommend putting a mirror in their and maybe a stuffed animal for her to cuddle. I’ve done it and it helps. Not sure what kind of Vit supplement you’re putting in the water. Vit b complex from TS has helped my ducks so much it’s crazy! Its in the cattle section..you give one mm over a treat like peas or meal worms...don’t inject the duck. Sprains..strains take a long time to heal. Make sure she is eating and drinking...washing her head. Keeping her spirits up with the mirror might help..hopefully. That makes a big difference in healing. Keep us posted..ps..my hubby isn’t crazy about taking ducks to the vet either if that makes you feel better so I have to rely on these people!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you use ES make sure she doesn’t drink the water it is also a laxative. Good idea on the liquid BComplex it is a good one for leg muscle support. And if you can’t do the mirror maybe set her up where she can be with her flock but still separated? I have a Runner female who has been in a dog X pen going on 3 weeks for a sprain to heal. She wasn’t limping on Friday so I let her out last night I saw the limp again so now she’s back in but I have her set up where she is with everyone. She goes into the coop with everyone before dark. No mating going on here right now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@casportpony

 

[casportpony]

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

 

[Miss Lydia]

@boxermizer