Anyone successfully healed a broken leg on a duck?

[TJAnonymous]

I'm at church now so can't get a picture until I get home.

I've been gone for a week and DS has been caring for my animals. Got home after midnight last night. Went out this morning to feed and found one of my Welsh Harlequin hens flopping around on the ground. Her leg is clearly broken (exposed bone) at the tarsometatarsus. I can have DD take her to a vet tomorrow but I'm wondering if there's any point? Can she even be healed? Can a duck survive an amputated foot?

 

[TJAnonymous]

@MGG
@Eggcessive
@Miss Lydia

Anyone?

 

[Eggcessive]

That is one of the better places for a break to happen in poultry, since it can be splinted. Do you have splinting supplies or any antibiotics? I would try and see the vet if possible since it is a compound fracture and the bone can become infected. How I would treat it is to clean the open skin with Betadine. Then apply clean non-adherent (Telfa pad.) Then padding, something stiff, and then wrap it with vet wrap or tape. Make sure to check circulation so it doesn’t get too tight. A good antibiotic for open breaks is cephalexin.

 

[HippieChickRN]

We recently had a rooster limping. We checked him for bumblefoot and determined he either injured himself jumping down from the roost or possibly got underneath one of our goats. My 11 yr old granddaughter did some research and basically splinted his leg. She used a small twig and some coban to wrap his leg to provide his leg some support. He is fine now. He looked silly for a bit but it worked. Im not sure about the bone being exposed though...it may be possible since the skin is broken to straighten the leg and try to set the skin back as close as possible. Then wrap it. Hoping this may be a bit of help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a splinting manual for birds, and the bone you are treating is on page 23:
https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

These are Telfa pads, and do not stick to wounds. They can be cut to fit the size needed. https://pics.walgreens.com/prodimg/605397/900.jpg

 

[TJAnonymous]

I do have non-stick gauze pads. Is that the same thing? I also have popcicle sticks and vet wrap. As for antibiotics, I have Metronidazole and maybe some Amoxicillin. I can't take off work tomorrow so I'll have to have my daughter take her to the vet for me.

I couldn't get good pictures because there's no one to help me and she won't hold still. It's broken in the middle of the tarsometatarsus. It looks like the bone came through the skin on the inside of the leg although it is scabbed over right now. She still has blood on her belly feathers from the break.

 

[MGG]

I'm at church now so can't get a picture until I get home.

I've been gone for a week and DS has been caring for my animals. Got home after midnight last night. Went out this morning to feed and found one of my Welsh Harlequin hens flopping around on the ground. Her leg is clearly broken (exposed bone) at the tarsometatarsus. I can have DD take her to a vet tomorrow but I'm wondering if there's any point? Can she even be healed? Can a duck survive an amputated foot?

The vet is going to be expensive, but if the duck is worth it to you that would be the best bet. They'd be able to prescribe pain meds and antibiotics. You'll have to keep her separated and very clean for a while until it is healed over. If the bone is exposed it's probably broken pretty badly so there's no way of knowing if it can fully heal or not.
Also how long it's been broken will affect whether it can fully heal.
I've never had decent luck with healing broken bones, even with using a vet. Wing bones are all I've been able to deal with broken and I just tie them off and amputate them if they break in an ok spot.

Amputating feet really doesn't work for any domestic ducks since they're just too heavy.

 

[TJAnonymous]

The vet is going to be expensive, but if the duck is worth it to you that would be the best bet. They'd be able to prescribe pain meds and antibiotics. You'll have to keep her separated and very clean for a while until it is healed over. If the bone is exposed it's probably broken pretty badly so there's no way of knowing if it can fully heal or not.
Also how long it's been broken will affect whether it can fully heal.
I've never had decent luck with healing broken bones, even with using a vet. Wing bones are all I've been able to deal with broken and I just tie them off and amputate them if they break in an ok spot.

Amputating feet really doesn't work for any domestic ducks since they're just too heavy.

Thanks... That's what I needed to know. If it's not likely to have a good outcome, I'd rather not put her through more suffering. We have too many ducks anyway. DH is griping about shelling out $$$ for a duck we don't really need and whose chances aren't good even if we try. I'm trying to be realistic but since I've never dealt with this kind of issue on a duck, I wanted more knowledgeable opinions.

 

[Galaxy_rules]

I'm at church now so can't get a picture until I get home.

I've been gone for a week and DS has been caring for my animals. Got home after midnight last night. Went out this morning to feed and found one of my Welsh Harlequin hens flopping around on the ground. Her leg is clearly broken (exposed bone) at the tarsometatarsus. I can have DD take her to a vet tomorrow but I'm wondering if there's any point? Can she even be healed? Can a duck survive an amputated foot?

Yes, my friend has a duck with a broken leg and he is doing great now!

 

[TJAnonymous]

This is also what I'm concerned with... Her foot feels both hot and cold at the same time.