Anyone successfully healed a broken leg on a duck?

[TJAnonymous]

After checking her again this morning (no change in her setback), I feel pretty sure it's a dislocation in the hip or knee. Whenever I touch her between the knee and hip area, she reacts as if it hurts. Oh, and her foot on the injured leg is noticeably colder today and doesn't react to touch at all, even poking with a needle.

I called the vet. She doesn't think it's necessarily a dislocation but maybe she re-broke the healing bone. Her concern is the cold foot and lack of response which could indicate nerve damage.

I'm picking up some Meloxicam today for her pain. I'm going to watch her over the weekend. If there's no improvement (leg stays limp & cold), then I will probably have to put her down. The vet said if it is a dislocation, that would be incredibly hard to fix in a duck because you'd have to sedate her, set it, and then figure out a way to bandage it so it doesn't pop out again. She certainly wouldn't be able to walk or move at all which leads to care and sanitary concerns.

To make matters worse, we are leaving for vacation on the 17th so my daughter would have to take care of her. I think that would be a little much for her to handle.

 

[Luv Ducks]

After checking her again this morning (no change in her setback), I feel pretty sure it's a dislocation in the hip or knee. Whenever I touch her between the knee and hip area, she reacts as if it hurts. Oh, and her foot on the injured leg is noticeably colder today and doesn't react to touch at all, even poking with a needle.

I called the vet. She doesn't think it's necessarily a dislocation but maybe she re-broke the healing bone. Her concern is the cold foot and lack of response which could indicate nerve damage.

I'm picking up some Meloxicam today for her pain. I'm going to watch her over the weekend. If there's no improvement (leg stays limp & cold), then I will probably have to put her down. The vet said if it is a dislocation, that would be incredibly hard to fix in a duck because you'd have to sedate her, set it, and then figure out a way to bandage it so it doesn't pop out again. She certainly wouldn't be able to walk or move at all which leads to care and sanitary concerns.

To make matters worse, we are leaving for vacation on the 17th so my daughter would have to take care of her. I think that would be a little much for her to handle.

So sorry to hear this. You did your very best and a lot more than some others would have tried. There is someone on here that has a Duck that cannot walk and she even got a wheel chair from a friend for it. The Duck seems to not mind being the way it is but each person has to decide what quality of life they are willing to tolerate for the sake of still having their birds. I recently rehomed a drake that was in drake jail all of the time and was brutal on one of my hens. He was so unhappy and I could not stand to see his life be like that anymore. I had watched him hatch out of the shell in my living room and had him for 3 years. I miss him but in my heart I felt it was unfair to him to keep him in that situation all of mating season which to him was March thru September. To me that was too long to isolate him. I hope that it ends well for your Hen and sorry you are having to go through this.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Monday update. I didn't go pick up the Meloxicam because I couldn't get to the vet before they closed. Likewise, because I had some other business going on all weekend, I didn't get around to culling Miss Pissy Pants either. This morning when I went to clean her cage and feed her, I noticed that she is standing a bit on the injured leg. When I picked her up, she also weakly tried to kick me with the injured leg.

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!

That means that it probably isn't dislocated... She has clearly re-injured something but since we are showing positive progress, I want to give her a fighting chance.

So... I'm going on vacation at the end of the week. In order to prevent any potential setbacks again, I moved her to an outdoor cage that's 18" x 6 ft. It gives her more room to move around which means my daughter can feed & water her without having to pick her up. If we don't pick her up, she won't be thrashing around which is how she re-injured herself.

Anyway, fingers crossed

She can also see & call to her flockmates from the outdoor cage. Hoping that doesn't stress her too much.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Monday update. I didn't go pick up the Meloxicam because I couldn't get to the vet before they closed. Likewise, because I had some other business going on all weekend, I didn't get around to culling Miss Pissy Pants either. This morning when I went to clean her cage and feed her, I noticed that she is standing a bit on the injured leg. When I picked her up, she also weakly tried to kick me with the injured leg.

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!

That means that it probably isn't dislocated... She has clearly re-injured something but since we are showing positive progress, I want to give her a fighting chance.

So... I'm going on vacation at the end of the week. In order to prevent any potential setbacks again, I moved her to an outdoor cage that's 18" x 6 ft. It gives her more room to move around which means my daughter can feed & water her without having to pick her up. If we don't pick her up, she won't be thrashing around which is how she re-injured herself.

Anyway, fingers crossed

She can also see & call to her flockmates from the outdoor cage. Hoping that doesn't stress her too much.

This sounds like a great plan. So happy to hear that you can see some improvement with her. I pray that she continues to get better. They can fool us sometimes and bounce back when we think they are a goner for sure. Keep us posted as I would love to hear how this turns out.

 

[TJAnonymous]

New update... It's been 7 1/2 weeks since I discovered Bubble's broken leg. Since the setback a few weeks ago, she's been doing great. Putting her full weight on it and walking/running. Tonight I went ahead and removed the splint. I still have her contained in the small pen (2 ft x 6 ft) just to keep her from running around too much and potentially snapping that new bone. I'm keeping her confined for another 2 - 3 weeks, I think. If she continues to do well and shows no sign of limping or pain, then I will try to reintroduce her to the flock. Little nervous about it because I know my drake will probably chase her around some... Maybe I should put him in the small pen for a week or so after I reintroduce her...just to give her a chance to rebond with her sisters.

 

[Luv Ducks]

New update... It's been 7 1/2 weeks since I discovered Bubble's broken leg. Since the setback a few weeks ago, she's been doing great. Putting her full weight on it and walking/running. Tonight I went ahead and removed the splint. I still have her contained in the small pen (2 ft x 6 ft) just to keep her from running around too much and potentially snapping that new bone. I'm keeping her confined for another 2 - 3 weeks, I think. If she continues to do well and shows no sign of limping or pain, then I will try to reintroduce her to the flock. Little nervous about it because I know my drake will probably chase her around some... Maybe I should put him in the small pen for a week or so after I reintroduce her...just to give her a chance to rebond with her sisters.

Yes putting the drake in a small pen sounds like a good idea. If he would try to mate her his weight might reinjure that leg I would think. Years ago I had one that was not even huge make one of my Muscovy ducks go lame by mating her. She recovered once mating season was over and he left her alone. Good luck with your decision, thanks for the update and I am sooooo happy that your duck is doing so well!!!!