DUCK GOT ATACKED BY FOX

[ellend]

I am a prior vet assistant, and 43 year surgical scrub tech to RN. I can't tell from the photo which organ is outside the body, but any organ exposed is really bad. You don't have access to sterile saline, which is the only thing safe to use to keep the organ wet. The next best thing would be cooled boiled water. If you can't afford or justify the expense of a vet to DO the treatment (surgery and antibiotics for the inevitable infection) then yes, trying to close the wound with ANYTHING would be cruel. I would end her suffering immediately if veterinary treatment (not just vet advice) isn't an option. I can close wounds, and have stapled and sewn more than a few, and done some minor surgery at home, but I would refuse to close this wound on the grounds that the chances of recovery are so slim that trying would be cruel. I'm sorry. Skin tears can be closed (loosely, to allow for drainage) and even some wounds into the muscle. But when the membrane that encloses the organs (called the peritoneum) is torn, peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum from infection) follows. It is horribly painful, and without professional surgical intervention and the CORRECT antibiotics at the correct dosage and frequency, the patient will die. Think of untreated appendicitis. This injury is too serious. I urge you to do the kind thing for your duck, and as soon as physically possible.

 

[BugStalker]

It was amazing.

Oh, good. I was scared for a bit. Sometimes things look worse than they are when we're remembering troubles. Best wishes. ;-)

 

[ellend]

I'm so glad no perforation of the peritoneum, and the photo wasn't of organs!! As long as that is the case, good care will most likely do the job! That poor little thing has been through the mill, all right.
Please folks, if EVER you see actual organs, DO NOT attempt to save your pet without veterinary TREATment. If a torn peritoneum and organs were involved, the Alginate would only cause her further agony, and would be worse that letting her die untreated!!! Smaller peritoneal wounds can be closed if they are not very "dirty" (animal bites, dirt, etc.) but if the wound is dirty and organs exposed, do the compassionate thing. DON'T put substances not recommended by a VET or VET tech into an abdominal cavity!!!!!!

 

[ellend]

Agreed. Ducks / birds can't get or carry rabies. You would have to have had contact with the fox's saliva, and have a wound on your skin where you contacted the saliva. And it sounds like the fox's behavior was perfectly normal. If you are ever bitten directly by a wild fox who behaved abnormally (meaning the bite was purposeful and NOT in self-defense) you MUST receive immune globulin, because if you wait for symptoms treatment is unlikely to be successful.

 

[ellend]

But if i played in the ducks wound that would of had fox saliva that could of held rabies then id run a chance of catching it? Im going over board here lol. Ill just keep an eye if i get symptoms or i might call the heath unit if i get uncomfortable. Thanks everyone. Will keep posting her recovery!

The health unit will HAVE to tell you to get immune globulin. They can't take the risk of not recommending treatment. Did you have any cuts or sores on your hands? If so, then get the immune globulin promptly just to be assured of safety. Waiting for symptoms---only two humans, I believe, have survived an active case of rabies if symptoms were present. Personally I wouldn't be worried if my skin was intact, but I'm not you.

 

[cheekychick3]

Why always me!!!! :,( my favorite chicken got killed tonight by the fox..... it managed to bend wires get through the tiniest hole and kill my favorite hen,.. i shot it in the hind thighs and it had a verry hard time getting away. the second bullet got jamed and the third one was a little ti high. i went and checked and theres fox muscle meat here and there in the grass so i got it good ... im sad that i didnt kill it one shot.. now i wonder if it will live, if it died or id it will come back...... im trying to be a good duck/chicken mom but in one year of raising poultry one duck died of idk what, a chicken had wry neck and another got pecked on the head to hard when it was young and died as well..... plus my duck almost died 3 times now.... i feel like giving up...

Hi, I am so gutted, that you have gone through all this, believe it on not, we owned a farm, for many a year. Where every year i would take in loads of x battery hens. Plus
we bred our own, of other breeds. Truth is we not once had any fox problems. Yes we
lost chickens, either egg bound old age ect. Even our ducks horses ect with illness.
Broke our hearts, then my husband fell ill, so had to retire. We moved in a village, yes
i missed our farm way of life, we had a huge garden, and i brought our incubator with
us. Bought some fertile eggs and bred my own. As i missed my chickens loads. Also
missed my fresh eggs as i loved baking too. Anyway, my husband built a lovely coop
on top of garden fenced it off. They were free range in the day, and at night we would lock them in the coop. 16 beautiful hens also bred 3 of the most stunning roosters.
Had them for 3 years, not once did anyone complain, as neighbours, loved to hear them.
Then our next door neighbour moved out, and new people moved in, within 4 months
i was reported. 3 WARNINGS we had, no roosters allowed. I was fuming, so also very
lucky as i found a brilliant home, for the 3 of them, to stay together. Still broke my heart though. Everything was going fine, then in the morning, i looked out the door
and our lawn was plastered with feathers. Yes, one stupid night we had not locked the coop door. A fox came over and took all 16 of my girls. Even now i shudder at the
thought. What a sight, and like you i said THATS IT NO MORE. And yes, i gave up,
that was 5yrs ago, i am now a pensioner, my husband, son, and grandson, knew how
much i loved chickens, and missed them. So in March my husband said he will build a fox proof coop and run, like fort knox. lol First i said NO but they bulit it, and the boys
bought me 8 POL, and a few weeks later i bought another 4. Truth is i had something missing in my life. Yeh, we have dogs husband has parrots Aviary in the garden for
years. My husband also has a 6ft Marine fish tank in the lounge. All beautiful, but not
as beautiful as my girls. lol Since i had them, i also had 2 ill, and 2 weeks i nursed them
was the hardest. But seeing them recover makes it all worthwhile. What i am trying to
say, is yes, we can all understand you have had enough, and want to give up. But
you are a CHICKEN/DUCK =MAMA. AND BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH, you are also not on your own, either. Look at the following you have had,
up to now. Everyone on BYC is rooting for you, and care about you, and your girls.
All what has happened, especially with the fox, has hit you bad. But do not feel bad
about it. You know yourself he would have been back sooner or later. When the fox took ours, we were shocked, as there was no signs of any around here. Even now we
have our coop and run, like fort knox me and my son, are out locking them up, at
night. As for your darling duck, her face will soon heal, it looks sore, but like others have told you, bathe it with luke warm saline. Dry it off and when you see your vet,
ask if ointment or dry vet powder, would be best, to heal. Sorry this is a long message
and really hope and pray, you will not give up. Give yourself a few days, to see how you
feel. But we all understand how hard it has been, for you. Keep strong, and let us know.

 

[ellend]

I strongly recommend that you keep your duck indoors where there are NO flies until the wounds heal. Look for anything that looks like clusters of small thin grains of rice in / on the wound, and in the feathers around the wound. REMOVE THEM. Check the wounds and surrounding skin, especially if the skin is damp from drainage of blood or serous fluid, and look for maggots. If you find any, rinse them off IMMEDIATELY. If they have already had time to create holes into the tissues, get a pair of tweezers and some hydrogen peroxide, and a syringe or dropper of some kind. Put a drop of hydrogen peroxide into the maggot hole, and be ready with tweezers for the maggot to stick it's breathing apparatus out of the hole. Be patient--they're hard, but possible, to catch. You might have to work on the same hole over and over until you get the little bugger. If you get EVERY maggot out, their holes will heal quickly and cleanly. Except for dropping into maggot holes, when using hydrogen peroxide 10% on tissues, dilute it 1/2 & 1/2 (1:1) with saline, as it can be hard on cells. Yellow jackets will also feed on living animals. Orphaned mammals: check umbilicus, and where the legs meet the body, corners of the eyes, anus and genitals, and behind the ears for fly eggs, and do NOT keep the babies outdoors where flies can get to them. They will burrow deep into all those areas and kill the baby. That's why you see mother mammals constantly grooming their babies.

 

[ellend]

I let our chickens (bantams, until the current batch of chicks) free-range in our yard when we are home because it makes their lives wonderful. Our run is dirt, and not sunny enough. We live in the city, and have a 6 foot fence and dogs, but withwe still lose one to hawks in the early spring and late fall, as well as to medical issues. Even one to a poisonous mushroom she found. I've had to kill a number of them over the years to end their suffering. It sucks, big-time. They are our pets, and I try everything first, unless I strongly suspect it might just prolong their suffering. Unfortunately, chickens are prey animals, and in most yards there is simply not enough cover, and in the city we can't keep roos (by ordinance--they will confiscate.) Cats climb fences, foxes break into covered runs, weasels squeeze into hen houses. Raccoons drag them right through the wire, if they can fit their hands in. You can't blame them. Unlike us, they get to experience REAL hunger on a regular basis, and their babies need to eat or they starve. Having losses does NOT mean you are not a good caretaker. Predator-proof their area with poultry WIRE, 1/2 x 1" rectangular holes, sturdier than hardware "cloth"-- it's different than poultry NETTING, which has those oval holes, and is flimsy, easily bendable wire. Poultry netting will keep hawks out, but that's about all. Keep your girls' environment clean and dry, make sure their water is clean, feed them a good diet, and enjoy them while you have them. Birds in general don't die of old age. Unless you keep them securely locked up, which might not be an enjoyable life for them, you are going to lose some to predators, and in either case, you will lose some to medical issues. I, too, get very down when this happens, but the alternative is to not have the joy of their company, and to not give them the very best life that I can--sunshine, dustbaths, grass to nibble, bug chasing, and the occasional treat from my lunch. Even if they don't live as long as you hope, if you give them a good life and they have a swift death, you've done well by them. Pity the battery hen, and hug those chickens!

 

[NorthernChick1]

I am a prior vet assistant, and 43 year surgical scrub tech to RN. I can't tell from the photo which organ is outside the body, but any organ exposed is really bad. You don't have access to sterile saline, which is the only thing safe to use to keep the organ wet. The next best thing would be cooled boiled water. If you can't afford or justify the expense of a vet to DO the treatment (surgery and antibiotics for the inevitable infection) then yes, trying to close the wound with ANYTHING would be cruel. I would end her suffering immediately if veterinary treatment (not just vet advice) isn't an option. I can close wounds, and have stapled and sewn more than a few, and done some minor surgery at home, but I would refuse to close this wound on the grounds that the chances of recovery are so slim that trying would be cruel. I'm sorry. Skin tears can be closed (loosely, to allow for drainage) and even some wounds into the muscle. But when the membrane that encloses the organs (called the peritoneum) is torn, peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum from infection) follows. It is horribly painful, and without professional surgical intervention and the CORRECT antibiotics at the correct dosage and frequency, the patient will die. Think of untreated appendicitis. This injury is too serious. I urge you to do the kind thing for your duck, and as soon as physically possible.

thanks for the imput! i dont know if you read the rest of this thread but turns out she did a very good recovery! what looked like organs was only bloody muscle tissue, i had posted this after the furst time i looked at the wounds. After cleaning her with vet saline and bandaged her up its then where i noticed it wasnt as bad as i initialy thought it was. i had her prescribed pain killers and anti inflamatories with a correct dossage. now in going to get her antibiotics incase theres infection. But she is now acting like a duck eating drinking and back to enjoying life!

 

[cheekychick3]

Yes, that is brilliant news, and ain"t she the LUCKY ONE, that she had her Mama
nursing her. Told you you would cope, well done you. You should be proud of yourself,
(i mean that.)