Duck with broke leg and wry neck becoming stiffer/can’t use good leg anymore

[brandilaine89]

I am thinking the same thing and needs tube feeding.

Hi!

I am thinking the same thing and needs tube feeding.

I am thinking tube feeding might be the way to go to get some nourishment into him.
I have seen lately advise on using just Liquid B complex and vitamin E 400iu for treating wry neck. Liquid B complex TSC carries that would be 1ml daily. Possibly lack of nutrients from not being able to eat has caused the other leg muscles to get weak.
one nice thing about tube feeding is you can medicate along with feeding him just add it to the baby bird food before tubing.
What is being done for the broken leg?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/tube-feeding-ducks-updated-5-7-2020.1211994/

Hi! He is improving a lot.

I suspected possible worms because he was kept in horrible conditions and one of my other rescues (last summer)couldn’t walk and I saw a worm come out of her poop in the pool. Then dewormed her and she gained lots of strength and now runs around happily also I’ve seen several places that worms can cause lameness …. He’s started eating hardy food portions multiple times /day and drinking water regularly …I’m actually leaning more towards botulism now.. he has a lot of the symptoms and it’s almost 100 and sultry where I live. I’m trying sooo hard to keep his space clean and fresh but I’ve got a feeling that’s what happened for his downhill after showing so much improvement. Symptoms Including stiff neck, leg paralysis, one eye 3rd eyelid keeps showing when he blinks.. But he has improved a lot since I wrote the post, it’s been about 4 days, still can’t walk though.I’m trying everything I can think of to help him. The poor guy was so mistreated it breaks my heart. He wants to live so much it’s easy to see, I wish we could get him straightened out to whatever his lost healthy self is, even if he wheelchairs forever
••for the broke leg we have been doing lots of niacin, vitamins, Epson salt swims (until he lost both leg control) now we hold him in Epson salt baths and move his legs around a couple times a day and blow dry him
••I’m looking into using colloidal silver for his eyes, they are running and one seems really odd like the eye lid doesn’t return to the eyeball if you super gentle wipe the tears.. any suggestions on how to care for that ?

 

[Quatie]

I suspect possible worms because he was kept in horrible conditions and one of my other rescues (last summer)couldn’t walk and I saw a worm come out of her poop in the pool. Then dewormed her and she gained lots of strength and now runs around happily…. He’s started eating food portions multiple times /day and drinking water regularly …I’m actually leaning more towards botulism now.. he has a lot of the symptoms. Including stiff neck. But he has improved a lot since I wrote the post, still can’t walk though.
••I’m looking into using colloidal silver for his eyes, they are running and one seems really odd like the eye lid doesn’t return to the eyeball if you super gentle wipe the tears.. any suggestions on how to care for that ?

I can understand with the previous experience why you would want to treat for worms. I haven't had to do any deworming, but usually people don't recommend deworming unless you see signs of worms like with your last duck. @Miss Lydia or @Kiki would more likely know about deworming.

For the eye can you take a picture of it. I would recommend cleaning it with saline solution a few times a day. This will help clean out whatever is going on in the eye and help treat infection. Since your little was in such a horrible situation and can't move it's head well to clean it's eye and nares well, it is likely infected. I would treat with terramycin, an antibiotic for the eye. Depending on where you live you may need to order it online.

I would also still recommend getting supplies for tube feeding if you don't have them. Like miss Lydia, they have saved one of my ducks life, and once I was unable to get the supplies in time and lost one of my ducks because of dehydration. They are great supplies to have on hand even if you don't use them.

You also may want to try and make a sling for your duck to sit in while it heals.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-sling-a-ducks-leg.1450307/

 

[Miss Lydia]

He should be wormed if the conditions he was kept in were not good.
Water therapy is an excellent way to take pressure off and give them a chance to work those legs. Can he float and move his legs in water? I know you mentioned giving him niacin but when one has already got issues with the legs we have found liquid B complex works better and faster than niacin by itself. TSC carries one durvet liquid b complex it will say injectable but we use it orally over a treat so they get full amount which is 1 ml daily.
Bless you for taking these ducks in and caring for them.