Bone infection

[Dani loves ducks]

Hello. I ended up taking my duck, Sally, to the vet yesterday after battling an (inherited) leg infection for over a month. She came to me this way and I had treated with surgeries, Epson salt baths, ointments and disinfection, and oral antibiotics. I struggled getting ahead of this infection, which lead me to the vet. (I wish now that I had taken her right away, right upon receiving her, but I was discouraged to go that route immediately and to try to treat it on my own.)
Anyway, the incredibly sad prognosis from this vet is that the infection has gone into her bone, that it is extremely aggresive, and untreatable. She has recommended euthanizing Sally in order to avoid death by sepsis.
I made the appointment to do so on Tuesday with sadness in my heavy heart. She's a great duck!! I have her on antiinflamatories in the meantime, and she continues to swim, eat and drink.
Anyway, now I'm looking stuff up on the internet and I'm wondering about amputation, but the vet said it would have to be the entire leg and that this is a hard life for a duck, who needs both feet.
Is there anyone out there with experience with either aggressive bone infection/ and or amputation? Thank you.

 

[Weeg]

I'm so sorry, that is hard.
I wish I could give advice on how to save her, but I don't have many ideas. I hope experts will chime in with options for you, but I don't know if they will.
Remember you did everything you could. Its very possible that the infection had already spread to her bone when you got her, and there was nothing you could have done.

I've heard of chickens doing okay with one leg, they have to walk in a chicken walker their whole lives, but someone on here even made a prosthetic leg for hers which is working alright. I've never heard about it for a duck though. Since ducks are build to swim, I don't know how happy she would be. You could make her a walker for land and water, but it wouldn't be the same. Whatever you decide will be the right decision, and she knows she is so loved.

My only suggestion is were you euthanize her. Are you planning on taking her to the vet to be euthanized? That will be very stressful for her, and its not the loving place she will want to go. She'll be scared and nervous, I think it would be better to do it at your own farm if you aren't planning to do that already. She will be calm there, and much happier.
I'm so sorry this happened, but its so amazing that you took a duck that was so injured in the first place. You took her and treated her, and tried SO hard to save her.
You loved her and cared for her until the very end. You made that difference.
I'm so sorry, *hugs and more hugs*.

 

[Dani loves ducks]

I'm so sorry, that is hard.
I wish I could give advice on how to save her, but I don't have many ideas. I hope experts will chime in with options for you, but I don't know if they will.
Remember you did everything you could. Its very possible that the infection had already spread to her bone when you got her, and there was nothing you could have done.

I've heard of chickens doing okay with one leg, they have to walk in a chicken walker their whole lives, but someone on here even made a prosthetic leg for hers which is working alright. I've never heard about it for a duck though. Since ducks are build to swim, I don't know how happy she would be. You could make her a walker for land and water, but it wouldn't be the same. Whatever you decide will be the right decision, and she knows she is so loved.

My only suggestion is were you euthanize her. Are you planning on taking her to the vet to be euthanized? That will be very stressful for her, and its not the loving place she will want to go. She'll be scared and nervous, I think it would be better to do it at your own farm if you aren't planning to do that already. She will be calm there, and much happier.
I'm so sorry this happened, but its so amazing that you took a duck that was so injured in the first place. You took her and treated her, and tried SO hard to save her.
You loved her and cared for her until the very end. You made that difference.
I'm so sorry, *hugs and more hugs*.

Thank you for the reply. There is no vet who will come here to euthanize Sally. I have to go to the vet. There are many farmers here who know how to "euthanize" them (for meat, not my thing and the whole idea horrifies me). And I wonder if that's the way to go, but that idea upsets me too. I can take her mate, Harry, along with her to the vet like I did yesterday. But then there is bringing Harry back alone (Sally's body is coming back too, to be buried). This all just breaks my heart. Harry and Sally are so bonded!

 

[Weeg]

I personally think that decapitation at home may be the better thing for her. She will only he stressed and scared at the vet, and she can go with her mate Harry if she stays home. I'm so sorry.

I thought I'de share this thread though, I don't want to give you false hope, but, thought I'de post it anyway.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/one-legged-duck.394541/
I'll tag some experts and see if there is anything they think you can do for her. I'm sorry this had to happen.
@Isaac 0 @Miss Lydia @KaleIAm

 

[Dani loves ducks]

Thanks for the feed. I understand that amputation will be a painful recovery for her to go through and that can lead to problems in the future too. I guess I still don't want to give up hope, but there is the reality to accept, and that's very hard. It seems so unfair to me that she wasn't treated earlier, when this was treatable. But that line of thinking gets me more upset. I'm really sad. Thank you again. I appreciate it very much!

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm so sorry to hear about your duck. I've lost three of my ducks by euthanasia at the vet when their illnesses had progressed to the point of being untreatable. They were able to pass away gently, on my lap, with no pain. It is always a very hard choice. I feel like the pain I spared them was my gift to them.

I don't have experience with bone infections, but my duck almost needed part of her foot amputated so I almost bought her a wheel chair. If you aren't sure the best thing is to let her go yet you might consider amputation and a wheel chair for ducks.

https://www.handicappedpets.com/blog/duck-wheelchair/

In my experience with mammals they do a lot better than humans with amputations. But I was horrified when my vets suggested amputating part of my duck's foot, so I understand the reluctance.

*hugs*

 

[Weeg]

I don't have experience with bone infections, but my duck almost needed part of her foot amputated so I almost bought her a wheel chair. If you aren't sure the best thing is to let her go yet you might consider amputation and a wheel chair for ducks.

https://www.handicappedpets.com/blog/duck-wheelchair/

In my experience with mammals they do a lot better than humans with amputations.

I did see a lot of google stories on wild ducks surviving with one foot as well. Its remarkable how they can adapt.
I also read a story about a goose who got fishing line wrapped tightly around its leg. People tried to catch it to get it off, but they never succeeded. Eventually, the leg fell off and the goose only had a stump from just below the knee joint.
He adjusted to live in the ild with only one leg. It can happen.

 

[Dani loves ducks]

Thank you for the hugs. I'll check out the site.
I just went through this with my dog a few weeks ago, so the pain is still fresh and now it's being refreshed with Sally. I'm not sure if it will comfort her to be on my lap as she's so used to me having to "do something" to her in treating this infection. I will hold her if that is something that might help her, but I'm not sure if it will.

 

[KaleIAm]

Thank you for the hugs. I'll check out the site.
I just went through this with my dog a few weeks ago, so the pain is still fresh and now it's being refreshed with Sally. I'm not sure if it will comfort her to be on my lap as she's so used to me having to "do something" to her in treating this infection. I will hold her if that is something that might help her, but I'm not sure if it will.

I'm so sorry about your dog.

I understand, everytime one of my ducks passes away I cry about all my other ducks that I have lost, too. It is so very hard.

You sound like a wonderful duck owner. I know you'll do what is best for her.

 

[Dani loves ducks]

I'm so sorry to hear about your duck. I've lost three of my ducks by euthanasia at the vet when their illnesses had progressed to the point of being untreatable. They were able to pass away gently, on my lap, with no pain. It is always a very hard choice. I feel like the pain I spared them was my gift to them.

I don't have experience with bone infections, but my duck almost needed part of her foot amputated so I almost bought her a wheel chair. If you aren't sure the best thing is to let her go yet you might consider amputation and a wheel chair for ducks.

https://www.handicappedpets.com/blog/duck-wheelchair/

In my experience with mammals they do a lot better than humans with amputations. But I was horrified when my vets suggested amputating part of my duck's foot, so I understand the reluctance.

*hugs*

It’s always so hard to say goodbye to these lovely, beautiful creatures in our lives. I’m sorry you had to go through that and I totally understand. I do want to ask you how did you know that they were approaching the end. I’m watching Sally like a hawk (excuse the pun) because the second I see her get lethargic or listless, I’m going to have to get her put down quickly. Because then she would be showing signs of going into sepsis, which is not how I want her to die. I don’t want her to die at all, but there’s only so much I can do. Is that what you were faced with? Or was it better planned?