EMERGENCY!! DUCK BIT BY SNAKE!

[lillyrosesmum]

I came out to feed this morning and found one of my ducks sagging her head. One side of her face is swollen and it looks like she's missing a eye! i know shes in pain and all she wants to do is hide and hang her head. What should I do? They are free range so anything could have happened.my husband thinks it's a snake bite. I have given her 1\2 ml of children's benadryl and put her in a warm dark place and have been giving her water every hour or so with a dropper.

 

[lillyrosesmum]

I agree that it's a snake bite and sadly I'm pretty sure it bit her eye. If she ever recovers from this I doubt she will have both eyes.

 

[Spyderk117]

I agree that it's a snake bite and sadly I'm pretty sure it bit her eye. If she ever recovers from this I doubt she will have both eyes.

A snake wouldn't bite a duck that size. If a snake did bite her she would still have her eye.
She probably ran into something and poked her eye out, sorry if that sounds a little grim.
I hope she gets better!

 

[NanaKat]

Try to lubricate her eye with ointment like Neosporen (without pain formula). You should see the eyeball unless it is punctured.
Hopefully there is no permanent damage to her eye.
I have had birds stung by a scorpion before. The face swells and it is painful for several days.

 

[lillyrosesmum]

Her entire face is swollen to almost baseball size. I doubt its just damage to her eye unless it's seriously infected but I found her before all the swelling so would infection swell that quickly? Why would a snake leave a duck alone? Are they scared of ducks? Could it be a yellow jacket sting instead? We have a nest nearby.the picture I posted was before the swelling. I will post a new picture when I get home of how bad her swelling is.

 

[lillyrosesmum]

Try to lubricate her eye with ointment like Neosporen (without pain formula). You should see the eyeball unless it is punctured.
Hopefully there is no permanent damage to her eye.
I have had birds stung by a scorpion before. The face swells and it is painful for several days.

I can't find her eye ball at all. I hope she pulls through this. She is my daughters favorite of all our chickens and ducks.

 

[Spyderk117]

Her entire face is swollen to almost baseball size. I doubt its just damage to her eye unless it's seriously infected but I found her before all the swelling so would infection swell that quickly? Why would a snake leave a duck alone? Are they scared of ducks? Could it be a yellow jacket sting instead? We have a nest nearby.the picture I posted was before the swelling. I will post a new picture when I get home of how bad her swelling is.

Sorry I am not sure about the swelling.
Snakes eat frogs, toads, mice, and other things. Your duck or any other animal would have to smell like their food source, for them to bite. Some snakes do eat birds, but ducks are to big for them to eat. It probably wasn't a yellow jacket, how would a yellow jacket poke her eye out.

 

[NanaKat]

A snake will strike to protect itself not to eat the duck.

What poisonous snakes are in your area? Probably similar to central Oklahoma.
Pygmy rattler, copperhead, rattlers?

Even young snakes have the venom of an adult.
If your duck thought she was getting a nice big worm, a small poisonous snake could inflict a serious bite to soft tissue around the eye. Swelling would increase over a 24 hour period.

A bird can live without one eye.
I would be concerned about how her breathing is affected by the swelling. Keep her calm, in a quiet place. Continue to give her water with electrolytes if you have it. Feed store has a powdered form in a packet.

 

[Spyderk117]

A snake will strike to protect itself not to eat the duck.

What poisonous snakes are in your area? Probably similar to central Oklahoma.
Pygmy rattler, copperhead, rattlers?

Even young snakes have the venom of an adult.
If your duck thought she was getting a nice big worm, a small poisonous snake could inflict a serious bite to soft tissue around the eye. Swelling would increase over a 24 hour period.

A bird can live without one eye.
I would be concerned about how her breathing is affected by the swelling. Keep her calm, in a quiet place. Continue to give her water with electrolytes if you have it. Feed store has a powdered form in a packet.

X2! Rattlers will defend themselves and strike.

 

[lillyrosesmum]

A snake will strike to protect itself not to eat the duck.

What poisonous snakes are in your area? Probably similar to central Oklahoma.
Pygmy rattler, copperhead, rattlers?

Even young snakes have the venom of an adult.
If your duck thought she was getting a nice big worm, a small poisonous snake could inflict a serious bite to soft tissue around the eye. Swelling would increase over a 24 hour period.

A bird can live without one eye.
I would be concerned about how her breathing is affected by the swelling. Keep her calm, in a quiet place. Continue to give her water with electrolytes if you have it. Feed store has a powdered form in a packet.

That's what I thought! We have copperheads, water moccasins, and a few timber rattlers. I will update if she makes it through the night.