Duck attacked by fox!

[thehenhouseinpa]

Warning do have some gross pictures. I have more experience with chicken wounds and problems then ducks.

Artie my 6 year old mallard was what I thought a casualty of a fox that has been roaming around. The fox took a baby chick too. I looked that night and couldn’t find him or the next morning. He ended up somehow finding his way home by 5ish the following day.

He seemed exhausted obviously hurt and didn’t want me anywhere near him. I put him in a pen in the basement with food and water and to give him some time to relax. When I checked on him the next morning he was in better spirits. I decided to examine him. I found a lot of bruising near his wings and a puncture wound on his chest and small ones on his back. Maggots had already set in as he had been gone 24+ hours before he came back.

I immediately flushed out all wounds with chlorhexadine and water and applied ivermectin to kill the maggots. Started him on Baytril and a dose of metacam for pain.

Today he is much better all maggots are gone, found two but flushed +++ and they were dead anyway.

I don’t know whether to wrap his wound or not?

Advice would be much appreciated as I’ve never had an injured duck before.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Sorry to hear that. Are you applying any ointment?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd say no but with wounds I always refer to @casportpony she is more up to date on medical treatments.
What all you have done is right on track though good work and probably saved Arties life. Keep the wound clean.
Is Artie breathing okay and eating and drinking?

 

[thehenhouseinpa]

Sorry to hear that. Are you applying any ointment?

I am putting triple antibiotic ointment on everything!

I'd say no but with wounds I always refer to @casportpony she is more up to date on medical treatments.
What all you have done is right on track though good work and probably saved Arties life. Keep the wound clean.
Is Artie breathing okay and eating and drinking?

Yes he is breathing fine, eating and drinking well. His poops look normal also.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good just thinking with that bite wound to the chest it could have bitten into an air sac. I'd say that lil one was very lucky. Sounds like he will recover just fine as long as the wound doesn't get infected and sounds like your on top of it all.

 

[thehenhouseinpa]

Thanks @misslydia I’ll keep it updated.