Brain Injured Duck

[duckmama1]

Hello. First time poster. I have a male Indian Runner Duck. His name is Lucky Duck as he was only one of 4 ducklings that survived hatching and the chickens he hatched under. Then, he got attacked by a hawk. I drove 200 miles to a vet who originally said I had to put him down. When I asked for a second opinion from an "exotics" vet, the Dr. said there was nothing wrong with the duck. I took him home, provided water therapy and intensive care until he healed. He healed perfectly with no issues. About 2 months later I risked letting the ducks out to forage for an hour. A hawk again got Lucky Duck. This time he damaged his eye but I caught it in time and again, provided care, etc. and he healed up nicely. HOWEVER, Lucky Duck has started spinning in circles. At first I thought it was just the inability to see clearly out of the damaged eye. His head would constantly drift left, over and over. But over the last several months it has been getting worse. He spends most of his time spinning in circles. I believe the 2nd hawk attack may have damaged his brain. He can eat and drink and he has a female companion that he loves and gets frisky with .

But, I'm worried about his quality of life. He doesn't seem to be aware of his surroundings, constantly gets surprised when I come up to him, even when I talk to him to be sure he knows I'm there. He spends most of his time spinning in circles--I put hay in his coop once and it actually got twisted around his leg and I had to cut the hay off. I LOVE this duck. But I'm wondering if I'm doing the right thing keeping him alive. His female companion loves him too but she yearns to be with the other ducks who can forage all day (they have a male duck that has kept the hawks at bay for 3 years). Thoughts?

Duckmama1

 

[ExoticPetOwner]

Does the eye seem to be going or does it look normal? Sometimes you can be blind but not "look" blind. If it was because of the attack though, I would think you would have some kind of scar or something on the eye. It's very possible and might be head trauma. If predators like the fox keep coming around, I suggest not letting them roam freely anymore and/or extra predator-proofing the area/coop the ducks live in and live around. I don't think you can trap or kill hawks but it might be different depending on where you live. Try keeping a very calm, cool but not freezing, and dark environment for the duck, plenty of friends / 5+ mating females, plenty of fresh water, fresh food, and give him lots of love! It's hard to tell unless you have a reliable avian vet to know if he'll heal with time or needs some kind of medication or surgery. I know when my duck fell and hit her head on a rock, she just needed time to rest and recover from the trauma and the seizures she was experiencing after the incident. It's all different for each individual.
Maybe try reading articles about head trauma in ducks? I'm not very knowledgeable about how much you can help because treatments can be pretty limited to potential head injuries. You can add extra electrolytes and vitamins to their water or food if you desire. However, it's unlikely to cure the problem. In general, ducks and birds heal fairly well from injuries to the head, but it's still necessary to ensure they're comfortable and okay.
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