Hi! So, something attacked my year old muscovy and I need some advice about what to do. I'm guessing it was a raccoon because his wings look chewed.. I've seen that sort of chewing on a pet pond turtle I had.. Anyway, both his wings are a little chewed up. Several of his flight feathers got pulled out and he's a little bloody, but not bleeding anymore. He definitely got bit on the head There's a cut covered over in clotted blood, so it's not bleeding anymore either. Could be a bite puncture, but it's hard to say. Doesn't look too bad. However, one side of his head/face is swollen! I'm guessing it's swollen from a bite. This only happened, like, 5 hours ago so I'm wondering if it could get that infected so quickly? He's scared, and walking a little slowly, but the rest of his body seems unhurt. I'm hesitant to catch him and put saline on him because it is 24* here and snowing a little. I don't want to get him all wet and cold. I would bring him in the garage, but he gets super stressed if separated from the flock. They have a nice, roomy, insulated house inside a really secure aviary. He's resting and, besides being scared, is acting pretty normally. I put them all in their aviary, actually, because now I'm worried about that raccoon! He must be sick or desperate because this happened in the daytime! Am I doing the right thing?
If mine I'd catch and get a good look at his face and also treat his other wounds, raccoons can have some nasty bacteria in their mouths. Can you get some Veterycin spray? TSC carries it, spray him even on his wounds on his face very safe but it is made for wounds and infections. That coon will be back so keep them up till you get the raccoon. We had rabies epidemic around here several years ago and it affected the raccoon the worst of all, They would come out during the day it was very scary. If you can find a place for him to be for a day or so where it's not quite so cold but not real warm, but where you could treat him if need be. Even bring in a friend for him. enclosed Porch, garage, basement would all work, Dog crates make great hospital cages. Veterycin spray, saline wash[spray] watered down betadine. but nothing with pain relief in it.
