Duck with swelling on foot--help please!!

[CarrieM]

Amiga--thanks for your input also! I didn't see your comment till just now. What do you recommend for vitamins and where do you get them? We did give her some herbs in her water that are supposed to help with swelling--figured it couldn't hurt.

 

[Amiga]

I use poultry vitamins I got from Meyer Hatchery - feed stores carry them, probably Tractor Supply and similar stores as well, and you can order them online. But if you have a feed store nearby that probably would be the fastest.

Mine also have electrolytes and probiotics.

 

[chickensioux]

I agree that vitamins is a very good idea. I use Nutri-drench from TSC. But any vitamins will suffice. Good treats too like peas, yogurt, etc. to keep up her appetite.

Poultry Nutri-Drench is formulated for all poultry to boost their immune system. This drench shunts directly through the stomach wall to the bloodstream, eliminating the hours it takes for digestion. Each fluid ounce contains 22,400 I.U. of Vitamin A, 5,600 I.U. of Vitamin D, 95 I.U. of Vitamin E plus thiamine, niacin, choline, trace minerals, lysine, methionine and high levels of glucose.

 

[CarrieM]

I gave her some yogurt today and she ate a little but didn't seem to care for it too much . . . her foot looks about the same. I felt both feet/legs a little while ago and they are both warm, but not overly hot. The swollen one still feels about the same warmth as the other one. One thing I have noticed this afternoon is that she is trembling a bit and opening/closing her bill constantly--kind of like "chattering teeth." Could that be a sign of infection, or just due to being hot (like chickens keep their beaks open more when it's hot out)? Just wondering, because the male isn't doing this. She is still eating and drinking, but not as much this afternoon. She doesn't seem lethargic, but the trembling was kind of worrying me. Whenever she does try to move around, she is still limping a lot.

Thanks for the info about vitamins--we will look for some!

 

[chickensioux]

The trembling could mean she is in some pain. Have you given her a baby aspirin. Plus it is hot out. Where are you located?

 

[CarrieM]

Yes, we put baby aspirin in her water. We are in NH and it was quite hot today. She's stopped the whole trembling thing now, so I think it was just the heat. It's just funny how the male doesn't do it.

She was back to eating and drinking better again after it cooled off outside. She's seeming to get a little more feisty too and trying to walk around more--hopefully she is on the mend. This is just my first time to deal with a bird injury and I think I'm a little paranoid!

 

[CarrieM]

Well, we have now had our duck in "confinement" for almost a week. Her toe is a lot less swollen but still looks kinda knobby and she is still limping (although much less than a week ago). So I was wondering, at what point do you think you would put her back in the pond/duck pen? I'm thinking she may always have a bit of a limp . . . and both ducks are obviously getting pretty bored with being cooped up. We've been letting them have a little bath in a shallow tub on our deck for the past several days (a couple times a day) and they love that--and I think they're getting antsy to get back in the pond, but I don't want to rush it if we should wait a while longer. We are leaving on vacation at the end of this week and a friend is going to watch our birds--so hopefully she is good enough to go back in the pen by then, at least!

 

[chickensioux]

Hi! If that toe was broken or disslocated, the total healing process will or can take a very long time. She may always have some swelling, it could be scar tissue depending on the nature of the injury. Since we don't know exactly what had happened to cause it. If she is eating and drinking normally, feeling good, I would see how she does back in their normal environment before you go out of town. This way, if she does need to be re-confined you have plenty of time to catch her again.

 

[runningkaren]

I had a runner with a similar swelling and no sign of injury in her "ankle". I kept her enclosed where she could walk, eat and drink but not travel the proprty for several weeks. She is fine now, and the limping has stopped, the swelling is down. It did take longer than I thought it would though. I did not give her any meds, I just treated it like a sprained ankle!

 

[CarrieM]

I just realized I meant to update again about my duck, and life has been so busy that I forgot! Anyway . . . she is doing MUCH better now. Just a little tiny bit of a limp left, but she is getting around just fine and her toe looks so much better. We kept her penned up while we were gone on vacation and our friend was watching her . . . now we're letting her roam the yard again, but she seems to kind of "pace" herself and doesn't wander too far, or too often. Thanks again for all your help, ladies! I really appreciate it.