Hello, yesterday I brought home a Pekin duckling (we think she is 2 months old?) whose right leg has a slipped tendon. The right foot has rotated inward so the bottom of her foot naturally points to her left when her legs hang down, rather than the bottom of her foot point backward with her feet hanging. The joint seems swollen.
She was going to be put down so we decided to take her. Apparently she may have been this way for two weeks. She was unable to move around much so we have taken the weight off her legs (sling) so her legs can have a rest while we try to rotate the leg and get the tendon back in place. She's not too fond of the sling situation.
We have started a good nutrition program - scratch and peck turkey feed, vitamins and electrolytes in water, and some chopped veggies and beet kvass. We are also applying castor oil packs to try to relieve the swelling. We've given her a few opportunities to swim, which she loves and I think will help improve her range of motion with the leg, as well as stretch the tendon which seems very tight. She hangs all the time for now, and we are also applying a small weight to the affected leg at night so it naturally stretches the leg and tendon (helps to rotate it to the natural position).
We tried to set the tendon in place yesterday and splint the leg (it was in an extended position to do this), but her circulation failed. The webbing of the foot darkened to a reddish/purple, so we had to release it.
Does anyone have any experience with this in a chicken or duck? Does she have any hope of walking on this leg? We don't expect her to ever be normal, however, we will need her to be able to get herself around eventually, otherwise I don't see this as a good quality of life. I would take any suggestions since I have no duck experience (only chickens until now).
She is watching Gordy for this morning's entertainment. Poor girl, she just wants to be out and about !
Thank you for your input.
She was going to be put down so we decided to take her. Apparently she may have been this way for two weeks. She was unable to move around much so we have taken the weight off her legs (sling) so her legs can have a rest while we try to rotate the leg and get the tendon back in place. She's not too fond of the sling situation.
We have started a good nutrition program - scratch and peck turkey feed, vitamins and electrolytes in water, and some chopped veggies and beet kvass. We are also applying castor oil packs to try to relieve the swelling. We've given her a few opportunities to swim, which she loves and I think will help improve her range of motion with the leg, as well as stretch the tendon which seems very tight. She hangs all the time for now, and we are also applying a small weight to the affected leg at night so it naturally stretches the leg and tendon (helps to rotate it to the natural position).
We tried to set the tendon in place yesterday and splint the leg (it was in an extended position to do this), but her circulation failed. The webbing of the foot darkened to a reddish/purple, so we had to release it.
Does anyone have any experience with this in a chicken or duck? Does she have any hope of walking on this leg? We don't expect her to ever be normal, however, we will need her to be able to get herself around eventually, otherwise I don't see this as a good quality of life. I would take any suggestions since I have no duck experience (only chickens until now).
She is watching Gordy for this morning's entertainment. Poor girl, she just wants to be out and about !
Thank you for your input.
