Duck attacked by fisher. No skin on neck.

[Sarahhutch]

My ducks were attacked by a fisher on Monday. The one survivor has no skin on her neck. The muscle and veins are fully exposed. She’s drinking, but not eating. A few bouts of diarrhea. I’ve been spraying vetericyn several times a day and putting electrolytes in her water. Is this injury survivable? No local vets will see birds. The emergency vet will see her (over an hour away). But I’m afraid of the stress the car ride will put on her. Please give me all the advice you have. TIA

 

[Alexandra Runner]

@ruthhope @Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ducks are amazing what they can recover from if given time and care.Keep her inside and away from flies so they don't lay eggs in the wound and then you'll have maggots to deal with. Is this on the throat side of her neck? she is going to need to eat try to make her feed soupy with warm water sometimes if they will drink they will take their food like this. Do you have any antibiotics human or animal also she is most likely in pain so you can give her children's ibuprophen or baby aspirin I will have to look up doses for you. Unless you happen to have some Meloxicam.
I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[Sarahhutch]

Ducks are amazing what they can recover from if given time and care.Keep her inside and away from flies so they don't lay eggs in the wound and then you'll have maggots to deal with. Is this on the throat side of her neck? she is going to need to eat try to make her feed soupy with warm water sometimes if they will drink they will take their food like this. Do you have any antibiotics human or animal also she is most likely in pain so you can give her children's ibuprophen or baby aspirin I will have to look up doses for you. Unless you happen to have some Meloxicam.
I am so sorry for your loss.

Thank you so much. The wound is her entire neck, front and back. I’m going to take every bit of this advice. I felt so lost. Daisy and I thank you for taking the time to message me back.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You'll want to keep the wound moist Veterycin is a good way to kill off bacteria and after you spray it and it dries I would then use some kind of wound ointment I bought this spray on line to have on hand just in case it's called Silver Honey wound care it has Natural manuka Honey and Micro silver its a gel so it would keep the wound moist while it's healing. Brand name is Absorbine Silver Honey. Do you have any pain relief? If she was having less pain she may begin to eat. With her neck being where the wound is I don't think Tube feeding would work. But she really needs to start eating.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ibuprofen-dose-for-ducks.1308956/#post-21335983
Here is the wound spray Please keep us updated on how she is doing.

 

[Sarahhutch]

You'll want to keep the wound moist Veterycin is a good way to kill off bacteria and after you spray it and it dries I would then use some kind of wound ointment I bought this spray on line to have on hand just in case it's called Silver Honey wound care it has Natural manuka Honey and Micro silver its a gel so it would keep the wound moist while it's healing. Brand name is Absorbine Silver Honey. Do you have any pain relief? If she was having less pain she may begin to eat. With her neck being where the wound is I don't think Tube feeding would work. But she really needs to start eating.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ibuprofen-dose-for-ducks.1308956/#post-21335983
Here is the wound spray Please keep us updated on how she is doing.
View attachment 3855644

Thank you! I just ordered it. I’m so happy you added the dosage for ibuprofen. I agree that once the pain subsides her appetite will hopefully return. Tonight when I applied neosporin and she didn’t seem to mind. Almost like it provided some relief (no pain relief in the ointment). She’s loud and feisty again. Thanks again for your reply.

 

[ruthhope]

My ducks were attacked by a fisher on Monday. The one survivor has no skin on her neck. The muscle and veins are fully exposed. She’s drinking, but not eating. A few bouts of diarrhea. I’ve been spraying vetericyn several times a day and putting electrolytes in her water. Is this injury survivable? No local vets will see birds. The emergency vet will see her (over an hour away). But I’m afraid of the stress the car ride will put on her. Please give me all the advice you have. TIA

I am sorry but if she has lost large amounts of full thickness skin, this wound is probably not survivable.

That being said, I would certainly be giving her full care in the hopes the wound will granulate and heal from the bottom. That needs there to be no infection and for the duck to be calm and quiet.

You are doing right to use vetericyn. You need to give her meloxicam for pain and oral rehydration solution -Pedialyte or Liquid IV not plain water and not just electrolytes -- to tide her over until she is eating. You can put Rooster Booster Poultry Cell in the oral rehydration solution. Please make her pellets into runny porridge with warm water as that is easier to eat than dry pellets. She would likely need tube feeding if she doesn't eat for a couple of days, but that would be very difficult without further injuring the neck. I think I would just give meloxicam in that situation to keep her last hours as pain-free as possible

I would get enrofloxacin 10% from: https://allbirdproducts.com/products/baytril-10 and give that as soon as possible for 5 days.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you! I just ordered it. I’m so happy you added the dosage for ibuprofen. I agree that once the pain subsides her appetite will hopefully return. Tonight when I applied neosporin and she didn’t seem to mind. Almost like it provided some relief (no pain relief in the ointment). She’s loud and feisty again. Thanks again for your reply.

I hope you see her begin to want to eat she needs nourishment to keep going. That’s great she didn’t mind you putting the neo on her.
I sure wouldn’t give up on her as long as she has the will to live and it sounds like she does. Just take it a day at a time. We’re pulling for her and you! I would def order the Baytril just in case. It is always have it on hand instead of trying to get it when you need it. Thanks for updating and maybe when you get a chance you could post some pictures of her wounds?

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Sarahhutch hows your duck doing?