Emergency-- Wounded Peking (PICS) Update, new question

[ladyfeather]

Last night our ducks were attacked and this girl managed to find her way to me this morning.

She's tore up on the back of her neck. I can see tissue and there is a very large, dark clot on the edge of the wound. Here are some pictures.

So far I've seen advice to clean thoroughly with warm saline, coat with Blue Kote or a silver spray (name escapes me right now), and give some oral antibiotics as the first stage of treatment.

I've got a medium sized cage she's staying in and we'll be putting her in a warmer, calm place while she heals. So far she's lethargic (I was actually able to catch her) and hoarse.

Any other advice? I've mixed some chick saver into some water but she won't drink or eat. Her buddies aren't eating or drinking either, just huddled in the back yard.








They weren't terribly tame before and now they aren't making a single sound.

 

[Judy]

It seems everyone has their own formula for wound care, just as they do for their own wounds; nothing wrong with that. Personally I think the biggest factor is common sense nursing type care --- rest, good nutrition and so forth. I believe ducks are as sensitive to "caine" drugs (benzocaine, cetacaine, etc.) as chickens are, so really the only thing is to avoid these ingredients in antibiotic ointments or wound cleansers. My personal preference is mild soapy water and Neosporin. A systemic antibiotic might help, or it might be unnecessary; there are always side effects to these drugs.

Hopefully she will begin to eat and drink as she recovers from the shock of the attack; of course that's the biggest factor. This can easily take 24 hours.

 

[ladyfeather]

Thanks for your reply!

I've taken a few buckets of warm water to her in the cage and rinsed the dirt and blood off but the wound is still seeping a bit. She's got fresh water in a bowl and a bit of food. Her flockmates keep drifting around her quaking softly or croaking. The other female called her all morning until she wandered back out in a daze. She seems to be a little less lethargic but she can't quack (or won't), just opens her mouth and fans out her tail feathers.

I'll get out our Neosporin and see if someone can give me a hand applying it.

 

[ladyfeather]

She is doing better today- more alert, wanting out of her sick cage, preening or quaking when she is peeked at.

How long should she be in isolation? She's not happy and there isn't a great place to keep her that is much warmer than outside (It will get low 40s). The wound just looks like a lot of skin missing and no feathers.

Thank you.