Controlling PAIN in ducks

[Duck Hill]

This is a new thread. Please post anything you know about controlling pain in ducks. All kinds of pain. For all kinds of reasons.

 

[casportpony]

Ibuprofen
I used to say it's not supposed to be used, but someone posted a link where I found this, so maybe it can be used?

The picture below says ibuprofen can be used and the max dose is 10 mg/kg (4.54 mg per pound 2-3 times a day:

If I were going to use ibuprofen I think I would use this children's formula:

The max dose would be 0.23 ml per pound 3 times a day.

---

Meloxicam

​

 

[danceswithronin]

I have read that DMSO can be effective (dimethyl sulfoxide). It can be found at Tractor Supply and other farm stores.

Aloe vera can be used as an analgesic for wounds.

I've read about aspirin being used on chickens, but I've heard conflicting things about dosing it on ducks because it can apparently cause kidney dysfunction.

 

[Jpat]

I have read that DMSO can be effective (dimethyl sulfoxide). It can be found at Tractor Supply and other farm stores.

Aloe vera can be used as an analgesic for wounds.

I've read about aspirin being used on chickens, but I've heard conflicting things about dosing it on ducks because it can apparently cause kidney dysfunction.

i read somewhere that the they almost use reverse osmosis on their drinking water and thats how they drink ocean water without dieing. Not that they drink ocean water but the way they eat they take in alot of salt water.

what i read was it filters out NSAIDs

i know its not reverse osmosive. i will do some research and report back haha

 

[Gerty0630]

Wonderful idea for a thread!!!

I purchased this via suggestion by someone on BYC for my duck with leg issues (link below). Works great for us! I am also going to be making a salve for him which is for achy joints. It's called Cottonwood Salve from the book Backyard Herbal Apothecary by Devon Young. I know someone who used this salve on her duck and also said it worked great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IE7DOU/?tag=backy-20

 

[Duck Hill]

I had a duck with a really bad case of bumblefoot. Unfortunately I only noticed when she was unable to walk and had a growth on the middle of one toe that looked a lot like a large wart. I did a lot of research and for a wide variety of reasons felt my best choice was to operate at home. I was extremely reluctant to make even this minor intervention at home, but I realized she could not walk well unless I removed the part of the growth that extended under her normal toe area.

To control her pain, this is what I did:
- I had some meloxicam left over and gave her a dose about 40 minutes before the operation.
- I gave her five drops of Valerian (from the health food store) about twelve minutes before the operation. Three drops is recommended human dose. With five drops she was woozy, which helped her stay calm. It may have been a little too much, as her heartbeat was quite slow as she relaxed. Next time I will use only four drops.
- Before operating, I dunked the foot in question in ice water for a good ten minutes.

I restrained the duck, and for my own peace of mind covered her eyes. I just didn't want her staring at me as I cut into her.

These were my results.

Before I started, she was calm and her heartbeat was slow.

When I did the first half of the cut, she did not move at all. She did not even twitch. I checked her heartbeat and it was still just as slow.

I finished the cut. She did not react.

There was some bleeding. I ripped a paper towel off the paper towel roll. The duck twitched and struggled when she heard the noise. Her heartbeat skyrocketed. I calmed her with my voice and in a minute or two she became relaxed again.

I believe the pain control was fully effective. It seems she did not feel any pain, as she neither twitched nor have an increased heart-rate. She did not move her foot nor try to withdraw it. She was clearly also alert enough to react when she had reason to do so, as she did in response to the noise.

In the future, I will prepare supplies like paper towels ahead of time. The paper towel noise was clearly traumatic for my duck!

By the way, with also a course of antibiotics, good dressings on the foot, etc, the duck has fully recovered in about a week. Her foot has healed and she now walks on it and swims. I expect the slight remaining limp will disappear soon.

 

[danceswithronin]

In the future, I will prepare supplies like paper towels ahead of time.

I use paper towels in my chick brooder and the chicks are TERRIFIED of this noise, I've learned to tear out the paper towel sheets in a separate room instead of right next to them because of it.

 

[Duck Hill]

Farnam Aloe Heal (for horses) works well for any surface wound. It seems to prevent infection and speeds healing.