Disabled duck

[Duckeen]

Hi I have a young duck that was attacked by a predator just after Christmas. She survived, but had a bite wound under her wing and was left lame. Her wound is healed now, and the vet says she has a soft tissue injury to her leg. She still cannot walk and we have her in a box inside, as she has lost weight and would not cope with the cold being outside with the other ducks. We put her in a paddling pool for a swim most days. She has lost the waterproofing on her feathers and has a bald patch on her belly from dragging herself around. We blow dry her after swimming. My question is how long does it take for an injury like this to heal and are we doing the right thing? Vets around here ( I live in rural Ireland) know very little about healing ducks as most people would have them put down in a case like this. I really want to give her a good chance to make it as she has survived this far, and is a fighter. But I don't want to prolong her suffering if she is never going to get better. I would appreciate any advice, thank you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Welcome to BYC @Duckeen I am sorry about your duck, leg injuries can take quite a while to heal. Giving her time daily to swim can help her build muscle back that she has lost recuperating and from the injury. When she is in the pool can she move her leg? can she stand with the water supporting her? I wonder if you made her a sling that she could stand in just so her feet touched the floor if she would use her leg to lift herself up sorta like leg pushes. [exercise]If you go to You Tube you'd probably see all kinds of things people have made to help an injured duck/goose.

Give her some extra protein along with her reg feed to help with feathers. Wet feather can be caused by dietary def. She may have to molt before you see a significant change in feather quality and of course if she is preening and using her oil gland to help water proof her feathers. Is she able to preen at all? Protein like salmon oil over her feed Or dry cat kibble [good quality] meal worms are another good source of protein.

 

[Duckeen]

Thank you for your advice. Will try protein as she is not keen on eating too much at the moment, mainly duck treats, not much else. I don' have a sling, but hold her up myself in a standing position. She can tolerate this for a while but gets quite cross after a bit. It is a relief to know that leg injuries take a while, I was worried that she would never recover. When she is in the water or picked up, she waggle her legs so there is movement, she just can't balance or take weight on them. Thanks again

 

[chickens really]

Hello..Sorry your dealing with an injured Duck. My best advise is to take a few moments to think about her quality of life. It's never easy to Cull them. Although if in pain and suffering, its best to help them go peacefully.
Only you know if she is suffering.
Best wishes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You could try a sling out of an old blanket or towel that way she may not get upset by having you hold her. Anyway, Keep up with the swims and maybe try some massage too even while she is in the water. Or out when blow drying her.

My birds love dry dog kibble [small pieces]since I don't have a cat and buy large bags of dog food. It's grain free high protein and it's a great snack along with Blk oil sunflower seeds & mealworms.

If she will drink water real good you might try buying some baby bird food and mixing some into water like a gruel. small amount at first to see if she'll drink it. But baby bird food is what most use to tube feed birds to get them back to health it's loaded with good nutrients. We do have good information on tube feeding also if your interested. She needs to put on weight to help recover.

I have seen birds recover from some horrific attacks since I have been on BYC They are amazing what they can recover from.

 

[Duckeen]

Thank you all for your replies. I will try making a sling as she does get upset by being held sometimes. Will up her protein too and try meal worms and cat biscuits. It is hard to know whether she is suffering or not, she is not in pain, but I know she needs to be with the flock. Once the weather gets warmer I will put her out with the other ducks for a while. Thank you all again for your help.