Duck --- Broken Femur

[cuysaurus]

My duck has one of her femurs broken. I do not know what to do. Nor there are any veterinarian medic that deal with ducks on general, much with a case like this.

I have her alone with me. She eats and drinks.
What should I do? Will she heal? Should I put her down (eternal sleep)?

 

[alinas2010]

Welcome to the site, I’m so sorry about your duck. Vet care would definitely be best in this case, do you have access to even a far away vet that would be willing to treat her? I understand vet care may not be an option for you, though. I’m going to link an avian splinting manual, it may be helpful. But be careful sometimes splinting can cause more issues if done incorrectly or too tight.

https://theiwrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Duerr_Splinting_Manual_2010.pdf

I don’t have ducks myself, but let’s see if any other duck owners here have dealt with something similar.

 

[cuysaurus]

I did this for her, hoping it will help.

 

[cuysaurus]

Do you think making her swim will help. Or it is better not to.

 

[alinas2010]

I did this for her, hoping it will help.

It may help, I think it’ll depend on how her leg gets angled. How does she do in it? How is her behavior in general, eating, drinking?

Do you think making her swim will help. Or it is better not to.

im sorry I dont know much about ducks, let me tag some people with ducks and see what they have to say. Maybe they’ve seen something similar. I’ve seen chickens with broken legs heal up, but a break that far up, I’m not sure I’ve seen.

@Jenbirdee @ruthhope can you help?

 

[Jenbirdee]

My duck has one of her femurs broken. I do not know what to do. Nor there are any veterinarian medic that deal with ducks on general, much with a case like this.

I have her alone with me. She eats and drinks.
What should I do? Will she heal? Should I put her down (eternal sleep)?View attachment 4030156

let me show you my runner duck X-ray from three years ago, which she healed up from after six weeks of being inside in a crate and taking pain medicines three times a day and tube feedings that I did for her, no surgery

 

[alinas2010]

let me show you my runner duck X-ray from three years ago, which she healed up from after six weeks of being inside in a crate and taking pain medicines three times a day and tube feedings that I did for her, no surgery

Thank you so much @Jenbirdee, I had no idea you had a duck that went through something similar. So glad your duck healed

 

[ruthhope]

I'm glad we have first hand experience of a complete femur fracture healing, @Jenbirdee.

That femur needs immobilizing --important for the next few weeks until it has developed callus to hold the bone together, and then for a further 3 weeks until the bone has knitted together from the two sides.

It maybe that using vet wrap is all you can do -- splinting the femur would be difficult. But if you can wrap vet wrap round the thigh and then wrap the thigh in anatomical position against the body [as if the duck were sitting] that would be better than nothing, which depends on the duck voluntarily remaining immobile. Keep her quiet and warm in your house -- in a pet carrier when you aren't with her during the first three weeks. She could sit in a ducky princess bed or on a ducky wheelchair when you are with her, but don't hang the broken leg through the hole in the wheelchair sling for the first 3 weeks. AND after that be extra careful putting the injured leg through the hole if you do put that leg through

She should not swim for the first three weeks. Even if her feathers get pooped on, that femur needs to be immobile.

The first image is of a duck confined to a cardboard box inside a clear tote [the tote is to stop him trying to stand up

The second is the same duck in his "princess" bed. Both of these set ups have the disadvantage of the duck sitting in poop

The third image is two or three weeks later swimming in the tote. It's deep enough for the duck to swim [which wading pools aren't] but he didn't use his left leg.

The fourth image is of the duck in a ducky wheelchair which let his good leg hang down and had a midline split at the back so that the poop fell down on a puppy pad below. This was by far the most hygienic set up but is only good if the duck doesn't try and stand up and get out. My little one had stopped using both legs by the time he got his wheelchair [it turned out he had a pelvic tumor pressing on nerves but I didn't know that for certain until he died 6 months later, and the tumor was visible by his vent.]

 

[cuysaurus]

I thank you all for your replies! There is hope!

She drinks and eats like nothing has happened. She currently is in my house with her own space. She has a clean bed. She doesn't even poop on it. She takes some few steps in order to get food and water. She poops in the way between her bed and her food. Now, I should prevent her walking (not even use a wheel chair) for at least 3 weeks.

Please, correct me.

 

[cuysaurus]

When she was on the wheelchair, she went out back to her bed. I just set everything back it was before.