Duck won't use leg

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Rainbow Mom

Rainbow Mom

Chirping
8 Years
Jul 29, 2011
9
3
62
Hi, back in May we got a 1 year old Welsh Harlequin drake duck. We named him Harley. We were told that he was underweight and the bottom of the pecking order. We also got a White drake Call Duck from the same person. We already had 4 call ducks (all drakes). Three of them (I call The 3 Musketeers) would pick on the Snowy Call Duck that our granddaughter named, Duck. So when we got Harley and Flucky we put Duck in with them and separated them from The 3 Musketeers, hoping they would all bond together. When we finally put the 6 together, we found that Harley was the police of the group...he would keep The 3 Musketeers from picking on Duck or Flucky. and The 3 Musketeers did not even think twice about picking on Harley...probably because Harley is 3 times bigger than they are. Last week I noticed that The 3 Musketeers were picking on Harley...which was a first. Here Harley would not put down his right leg, and was limping. We ended up taking Harley to an emergency vet 1 1/2 hours away. This is what was diagnosed... "Harley was evaluated for limping on the right leg. There are no signs of any broken bones, and he does not have any signs of joint infection. He is otherwise healthy on his exam. It appears that he either has a minor injury, or a condition called perosis which affects the tendons on the leg. Perosis usually affects the ankle joint, so this is less likely for Harley." We were given 5 doses of a pain medication, which we gave to Harley once a day...we have Harley and Duck in a dog crate in our bathroom. This allows Harley to have a lot of rest..and he goes swimming in our bathtub. It has been over a week now since we had Harley to the emergency vet. Harley is not putting his leg down at all...I have been keeping him in the tub for an hour hoping that would help his leg... Does anyone know what else I could do? Are there any Essential Oils that I could use on his leg? I just don't know what to do, I know Harley is in pain...I did try taking him out on the pond with The 3 Musketeers locked up in the coop/run, but Harley doesn't stay on the water for more than 3-5 minutes. He then goes under the coop/run and just lays. I'm afraid with all the flies around, they are going to lay eggs on him and he will have maggots, so I decided to keep him in the bathroom. I do have to admit that I am getting sick of the duck poop smell, even though I totally clean out the dog crate every day. Oh, when he lays down he keeps that foot out, he does not tuck it under like he does with his left leg.
 
Leg injuries can take quite a while to heal and sounds like that is probably what happened especially if the vet said nothing else is going on. I'd also supplement with some Nutritional yeast sprinkled on top of his feed.1 Tab per cup of feed. I have found if I have one with a limp from over doing etc that the Nutritional yeast really helps. Can you set him up outside away from the others except for Duck? that way you don't have to have him inside with the smell and he'll be safe from being picked on. Does he have a wound that would draw flies or just the poop smell your worried about? Get some DE and sprinkle around where he will be kept after raking it does help. @Amiga rec T relief for injuries I just bought some but thankfully haven't had to use it yet. Water therapy is also good for helping heal.
 
chickens really said:
Just thought of something....Feed Chickweed if you have that growing around outside ?...It has healing properties and highly nutritious .....Also Dandelion leaves....
Click to expand...
Oh my, I have sooo much chickweed growing in my perennial garden...looks like Harley is going to be well fed. Thank you so very much for telling me about it.
 
Miss Lydia said:
Leg injuries can take quite a while to heal and sounds like that is probably what happened especially if the vet said nothing else is going on. I'd also supplement with some Nutritional yeast sprinkled on top of his feed.1 Tab per cup of feed. I have found if I have one with a limp from over doing etc that the Nutritional yeast really helps. Can you set him up outside away from the others except for Duck? that way you don't have to have him inside with the smell and he'll be safe from being picked on. Does he have a wound that would draw flies or just the poop smell your worried about? Get some DE and sprinkle around where he will be kept after raking it does help. @Amiga rec T relief for injuries I just bought some but thankfully haven't had to use it yet. Water therapy is also good for helping heal.
Click to expand...
Would VSF Yeast Flakes by Red Star be the same as Nutritional yeast? Would Brewer's yeast be the same too? (I can't find Nutritional yeast in our small town.) The only way we can put Harley and Duck outside without The 3 Musketeers picking on them is to put The 3 Musketeers in the coop/run...they do have a tub of water that they can swim in, but it is nothing like the pond, and with the hot days I don't like keeping them in the coop/run very long...I guess I'll have to let the 2 groups take turns on the pond. I only wish I could get Harley to stay on the pond...do you have any ideas? No, he does not have any open wounds...I will sprinkle DE all around, thanks for the tip...now that you said that, I do remember doing that when we had chickens...this memory loss thing with getting old is hard to accept. I have a lot of Young Living Essential Oils, is there anything in their line that I could use on Harley? Thank you so very much for your information.
 
Last edited:
Update on Harley...it has been 2 weeks and 2 days after our visit with the emergency vet...we still have Harley and Duck in a dog crate in our bathroom (thank God for dog training pads) I have been putting Brewer's yeast on top of their food and feeding them chick weed too. I have been putting them in the bathtub for 2 hours hoping that Harley will exercise his leg. I have also been giving Harley 2 drops of a mixture of Copaiba, Helichrysum and Myrrh mixed with fractionated coconut oil internally...and rubbing a mixture of Copaiba, Helichrysum, Lavender, Palo Santo, Myrrh, Peppermint, Spruce, and Wintergreen mixed with fractionated coconut oil...rubbing it all over his leg. Today for the first time he is starting to put weight on his leg...oh how I hope he continues to do so...I want him out of my bathroom soon.
 

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