Duck wing amputation - signs of infection?

[Miss Lydia]

The gel Vetricyn spray is better than the regular one by the way. Hydrogel it's called I believe. It keeps the wound moist longer.

Thanks for clarifying I like the Hydrogel much better than the Reg spray too.

 

[Fawkes]

Wow, I never heard of the hydrogel one! I used Veterycin spray years ago but somehow have never run across the gel one. I think I'll always keep both in my duckie first aid kit

I have a small spray bottle of the sterile water and povidone iodine mix, how long does that last before I need to make a new batch?

 

[Miss Lydia]

How’s your duck doing? Is the wing still heal well?

 

[Fawkes]

How’s your duck doing? Is the wing still heal well?

That's funny, I was just taking pics of her surgical wound today to ask what you all thought of it now!

It's 11 days after surgery now and I think she's supposed to be back at the vets in 3 days to remove the sutures.

It looks good except those 2 dark areas? Do you know why it's darker there?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Not sure, could it be dried blood or is it something that just started what are you using on it?

 

[Fawkes]

I noticed it 3 days ago. I thought maybe it could just be feathers coming in. Or maybe it's staining from the iodine. I'm using diluted povidone iodine and also the regular vetericyn spray.

It's also been a struggle with food, which wasn't something I was expecting before the surgery. I figured she'd be eating normally within a day or two. She started actually showing an interest in food on day 6, but I think she's still not eating as she should.

I guess it was painful for the first 6 days despite the pain medication she was on (she stopped that medication after 5 days, and she just finished her antibiotics yesterday). And it's also been quite cold here in Florida, so possibly she's been stressed. This week is going to be warm so hopefully the nice weather will be good for her appetite.

 

[MGG]

I noticed it 3 days ago. I thought maybe it could just be feathers coming in. Or maybe it's staining from the iodine. I'm using diluted povidone iodine and also the regular vetericyn spray.

It's also been a struggle with food, which wasn't something I was expecting before the surgery. I figured she'd be eating normally within a day or two. She started actually showing an interest in food on day 6, but I think she's still not eating as she should.

I guess it was painful for the first 6 days despite the pain medication she was on (she stopped that medication after 5 days, and she just finished her antibiotics yesterday). And it's also been quite cold here in Florida, so possibly she's been stressed. This week is going to be warm so hopefully the nice weather will be good for her appetite.

I was going to say it could be feathers coming back in. Either that or downy feathers stuck to the wound.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If she isn't eating you might want to tube feed her they can go downhill pretty fast if they aren't eating. You can try making a soupy feed a lot of times when they don't want to eat their reg feed making it soup may entice them to eat. If she still isn't eating much by the time you take her back to have her stitches out talk to the vet about tuber feeding they may have the supplies you need.

 

[Fawkes]

Yeah I've been worried it would come to that. I've done tube feeding before and it's not much fun lol. Although they do take it ok.

I think I have all the supplies except for the formula (one of my vets previously gave me a baby bird formula to use) but I last used them on a duck with a throat infection, so I'm not sure I want to reuse the supplies. Even disinfecting it, I'd feel safer just getting a new tube.

I feel like she's slowly getting better with eating now but it's hard to monitor the food intake and her poop because she's outdoors on sand and with 2 other ducks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The other 2 don't mess with her? That is surprising since it is so obvious something isn't right.
I keep baby bird food in my freezer you just never know when you might have to tube feed.

What I was going to say is my birds [the ducks] love soupy feed even if they are not ailing . You might be able to get her to eat some especially if the other 2 will eat it. And you are sure they won't hog it.