Flopping Duck

megsjo

In the Brooder
Mar 22, 2018
27
14
36
I have a 13 week male Khaki Campbell that got in a fight with his brother and now can’t stand on one of his legs. He started out limping, then he stopped and walked regularly for a couple of days, and then one morning I went outside and he was flopping from place to place, using his wing like a crutch. I got him out of the coop and put him in a tote with water and food because the other guys were trampling him and he was just flopping the best he could. I checked out his leg to splint it and I have no idea what to splint. I compared it to his other leg and the best comparison I can come up with is his healthy leg is like a rigid open umbrella, and his injured leg is a floppy cold closed umbrella. I stroked both legs to check his reaction, and when I touched his healthy leg he started squirming and fighting, but I held his injured leg and moved it to try to find the problem for a good five minutes without him reacting at all. I could feel the blood moving in his healthy leg, but I couldn’t feel anything in the injured one. I’m afraid the leg is dead and I have no idea how to deal with that. It’s not swollen at all. He’s eating and drinking fine, and when I have to pick him up he flops around the tote trying to get away so he’s still frisky. If anyone can tell me what to do that would be great, I’ve called vets, park rangers, farm animal rescues, wildlife rescues, feed stores, tractor supply, and I haven’t found anyone who can help me. Every veterinarian I’ve called has turned me away, saying that they don’t deal with ducks. I’m afraid that he’ll get gangrene or another infection before I can help him. Please help me figure out what to do.
P.S. I made the mistake of naming him so I’m getting attached. My husband, whose favorite meal is roast duck, keeps saying “Goodnight, sleep well I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.” So I named him Westley.
 
Can you show a picture? Also try and see if the thigh or the joint is disconnected. Take him or her to the vet immediately and if the leg needs to be amputated then that's fine. You can make a Prostethic leg with a 3D printer or just buy one online. Hope they get well soon!
 
anatomy-of-duck-leg-backyard-chickens.jpg
@casportpony has a pic of the anatomy of a duck which may help you locate the injury better and know how to help. How long ago was this?
 
This is
Can you show a picture? Also try and see if the thigh or the joint is disconnected. Take him or her to the vet immediately and if the leg needs to be amputated then that's fine. You can make a Prostethic leg with a 3D printer or just buy one online. Hope they get well soon!
I’ve felt all the way up and there’s no cuts, no swelling, I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I’ve called all the vets in the area and they won’t treat him. There’s a farm animal rescue that I’m waiting on an answer from, hopefully they’ll know what to do but the woman who referred me said that they’re picky about what they treat so they may turn me away. I didn’t know it would be so hard to find someone who would even look at him, much less know how to treat him. My local vet took a look at a duckling of mine when he had pneumonia but his receptionist keeps turning me away.
 
Could this have been coming on gradual even before the fight and you just didn't notice it? thinking maybe a niacin deficiency? Which can be helped by Vitamin B Complex?
 
It’s possible, it’s kind of hard to tell the khakis apart right now and there’s six of them, he had a slight limp for a day and then was walking normally, and then his leg went completely out. When he sits his leg doesn’t go under him, it’s splayed to the side from the hip. If it’s dislocated, what do I do? I mix brewers yeast in with their food and I give them frozen peas in their water when it’s hot. I replaced the waterer and I’ve started to add raw apple cider vinegar to it. I did make the mistake of feeding them wild blackberries I pick in the mornings, I thought it would be a nice treat for them but I never researched to see if it was ok for them to eat berries. We recently moved the tractor to another patch of grass, I wonder if that’s what caused to injury. We tried to be gentle when we moved it but it did lurch a little when the lawn mower moved it. I’ve had really rotten luck with my ducks, my chickens are thriving but I feel like my ducks are having problems every other day.
 
Can you possibly get a video ? It would be good to see how he is laying and when he tries to walk. That is not normal for a duck to lay with it's leg out to the side out the back yes but not to the side. Sounds like maybe an injury but you know we can't be there to examine him. Does the other leg and the hurt one appear the same length when you pull them gently out from his body. length wise not from side to side of course. If his leg was out of it's socket I'd think the injured leg would be a bit longer. Flopping around really sounds like it could be. Let me see if I can get more help.
Black Berries Blue berries are fine for them to eat.
 
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