Feeding injured duck

[mouse]

A week ago, Dumpling ( 1 year old Pekin) sustained serious head injuries in what could only have been a weasel attack. Her mate, Dagwood, was killed.

We are still feeding her using a large syringe to get food in her mouth. I am mixing baby cereal with fresh raw egg, and pureed green beans/pumpkin/sweet potato (varying the veggies from feeding to feeding). I use Pedialyte to thin the mixture just enough to get it into the syringe.

Is there anything else I could add to her food to maximize the nutritional value/calories?

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

earthworms aka "Canadian Night Crawlers"

 

[b.hromada]

Awwwww, I'm sorry about your duck.

Sounds like you are doing a super job caring for her. You are giving her all kinds of wonderful food. I hope all works out for her, and you. Keep us posted.

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

Dumpling get better soon!

 

[DuckLady]

I have tube fed ducks before, but not something that you should learn by reading.

It is important to learn hands on so you don't try to feed through the hole at the back of the tongue. That is the airway.


You might get layer feed and grind it to a powder in a coffee grinder. Add warm water to a consistency to get in the syringe. That will give her the nutrients she needs.

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

When my duck was not eating, we discovered it was from the pain medication. I would never withhold pain med if duck appeared to be hurting, but the vet assured me that ducks have an extraordinary pain threshold. The vet said if she did not start to eat we would have to start tube feeding and they would have me come in and teach me how to do it properly. Duck medication administration was stressful for me (and I am a nurse) due to the fact that ducks do not have an epiglottis (the flap over your airway). I had to use my finger as her "epiglottis". I can't imagine doing this without a helper (that is human). Do you have an avain vet nearby to help you?

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

Quote:
Spelled avian wrong, how silly, I best stop giving advice and go to bed. My thoughts are with you.

 

[DuckDuckGuinea]

The vet tech is teaching me how to give Nellie a liquid antibiotic.

 

[mouse]

Yes, she's been to the vet. When I found them, Dumpling was obviously in shock, so I put her in the bathtub in tepid water. We've been continuing that, several times every day, and it seems to provide her with comfort. At the time I found them, all the vets were closed, but fortunately, I have the home number of the vet I used before we moved up here, so she was able to tell me which of the antibiotics I had on hand I could give to Dumpling (I thought it was important to start her on antibiotics ASAP), and I also started her on some dissolved aspirin. I was able to find a vet about half an hour away who knows something about ducks. I had to wait a couple of days to take her, because it was really touch and go, and I was afraid the shock of a car ride and the vet visit would finish her off.

When the vet saw her, he was amazed that she was alive; her injuries were so severe. There's been no sign of infection, and I'm still giving her antibiotics. I also asked the vet about an anti inflammatory, and she's on a small dose of Metacam, and I have discontinued the aspirin.

She has not been eating on her own, so force feeding has been the only option - she wouldn't be alive if we hadn't done that. Even as it is, she has gotten thin in a week. Tonight, I ground up some of her duck food and dissolved it in Pedialyte to make a gruel. She ate that out of my hand, so that is a very positive sign. (We had tried the pellets, but she showed no interest in them. She sustained very severe injuries to the sides and back of her head, and was bitten further down on her neck, so I think that grinding up the pellets in her beak is more than she can manage.)

The layer feed - do you mean chicken layer feed? I have been told by several sources, including a vet, that it is bad for ducks.

Yes - I have a helper - my SO. He holds Dumpling so that I can use both hands in the feeding and giving of medication. I agree it's stressful, especially since she has obviously been so sore, and we have to be careful not to hurt her further. Fortunately, I have had many rescued animals in my household over the decades, so I have gotten used to everything from giving enemas to giving subcutaneous drips to animals suffering from renal failure.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Its sounds like she is in good hands. You a re doing a wonderful job taking care of her. Getting her to eat from your hand is great, maybe a sign she is starting to feel better.

Hope she pulls through and is back to her old self soon.