Fox attack? :(

[owleyes22]

Hi I am new to backyard chickens and I know you guys are specifically focused on chickens but I'm sure ducks are very similar so any suggestions or help would be great thanks!
1) What type of bird , age and weight
Duck, 4 years old
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Cautious
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
Since the attack
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? N/a
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Yes. Blood around craw. No known broken bones. In shock.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Possible predator attack
The family thinks a fox did it. We leave Bubby (the duck) out at night and he sleeps in the back yard but last night he was attacked.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
He eats wheat seeds like grains. Have not fed or watered him yet.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Pale green
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
I put bubby in a box with rags in it. He is currently in the house.
10 ) What is your intent as far as medical treatment?
I just want to make sure he stops bleeding and doesn't get an infection by myself if possible.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Cardboard box lined with plastic bags and old rags.

 

[Amiga]

Good to have him in. He will need to be in for a while, and then he needs a predator-proof shelter from here on. That fox - or whatever it was - will be back.

Give Bubby a lukewarm bath, no soap. Make the water deep enough to float in. Look him over very carefully. The water will help him feel better and help you see where the wounds are. It will wash some of the blood off.

Find the wounds. Trim the feathers away from the wounds. Get some Vetericyn spray, or make some saline solution, and rinse, rinse, rinse the wounds. Some people use hydrogen peroxide for the first rinse, but do not use it after the first time, it slows down healing.

He may well be in shock, so he needs to be kept warm. He may or may not want to eat or drink for several hours. Don't force it at this point.

After the wounds are rinsed off, you may want to dab around them with antibiotic cream (no pain relief since that stuff is toxic to ducks, I am told).

Give him as much gentle attention as you can, assure him.

Start thinking about what kind of oral antibiotics you can get if it appears he is having trouble with infection.

Rinse the wounds three or four times a day, followed with the topical antibiotic. Get him some poultry vitamins with electrolytes, and put that in his water every two or three days for a week.

Keep him away from flies - they will lay their eggs in the wound and it gets really nasty from there.

 

[gander007]

You are receiving great medical advice so fair, I am only responding because I have one white duck
from one night of four bobcats getting in the yard and now out of twenty white ducks I now have one
Aflack is her name due to her injuries inflicted by the bobcats and yes the shotgun got hot that night
and more then two days later I got the forth one but the damage was dune ...... 1. you need a safe
lock up for the birds 2. plastic will just amaze a bird duck goose chicken but never let them play with
the stuff as it will cause more damage....... So here is a little on my thoughts for a safe pet lock up
at night and always have a fenced in area for the day time rooming this will cut down on attacks not
stop... I have a 6 foot fence around the 1 acre I have and cages but I still get attacked from time to
time it is part of having pets with feathers... My pets are now 9 Geese, 3 Genies, 19 Chickens 1 Duck
Good luck and if no serious damage your Duck will live a long time ..........

gander007

 

[cosbackyard]

Good to have him in. He will need to be in for a while, and then he needs a predator-proof shelter from here on. That fox - or whatever it was - will be back.

Give Bubby a lukewarm bath, no soap. Make the water deep enough to float in. Look him over very carefully. The water will help him feel better and help you see where the wounds are. It will wash some of the blood off.

Find the wounds. Trim the feathers away from the wounds. Get some Vetericyn spray, or make some saline solution, and rinse, rinse, rinse the wounds. Some people use hydrogen peroxide for the first rinse, but do not use it after the first time, it slows down healing.

He may well be in shock, so he needs to be kept warm. He may or may not want to eat or drink for several hours. Don't force it at this point.

After the wounds are rinsed off, you may want to dab around them with antibiotic cream (no pain relief since that stuff is toxic to ducks, I am told).

Give him as much gentle attention as you can, assure him.

Start thinking about what kind of oral antibiotics you can get if it appears he is having trouble with infection.

Rinse the wounds three or four times a day, followed with the topical antibiotic. Get him some poultry vitamins with electrolytes, and put that in his water every two or three days for a week.

Keep him away from flies - they will lay their eggs in the wound and it gets really nasty from there.

Saving this for later. Attacks happen, even in the daytime sadly.

Owl - consider locking him up at night when he gets better. As Amiga mentioned whatever the predator was will be back. And keep coming back most likely. I don't know about other people's ducks but mine still quack at night. Which makes them an even bigger target.

 

[gander007]

owleyes22, I just had to stop by and check on this one as buddy was in my thoughts all night and I have been reading
all the feed back you have been receiving from yesterday all good stuff and buddy to hear he is quacking great
sign to recovery now remember a duck is much more resultant then a chicken they are a tuff little animal and I
have had a lot of them over the years the kaki Campbell and the Peking Ducks are my favorite to raise as they
are so hardy all around... Now when mine are hurt as all will in the back yard from time to time I always put them
in the wash room as my boys and others wont go in there ( something to do with work I think ) and this laves it
the quietest and come room and it is always warm due to the water heater so this why I put the hurt animals in
that room and I always put a little sugar in the water but to each his own and some medicated chick starter but
never do I let them out before a seven days have passed due to fly's or other unforeseen circumstances like a
injury I had not noticed, Time to recover is very important and full recovery massive importance.... And please
no more plucking of feathers this is like some one puling out your hair always cut one at a time easy.....
I will be checking back to see how buddy is recovering as we all hope for .... Keep up updated ......
Enjoy your weekend God bless .......

gander007
Death Valley California

 

[gander007]

I haven't seen anything on here about Bubby (I hope I got his name correct )
for over a day now so how is he recovering let us know when he gets his
bill under his wing as this will be telling us all he is recovering just fine ...

gander007

 

[gander007]

You should have all the maggots out by now and have the wounds clean
this is very important or you are going to have one big problem down the
road as I am sure you would not want to be treated like this I hope Bubby
is your baby yes will treat Bubby as such and give him a nice dry place to
sleep inside for a few days if possible ..... How is he sleeping is the beak
going under the feathers yet as this is a great sign to recovery ......
owleyes22 enjoy your time with Bubby .......

gander007

 

[Miss Lydia]

All the maggots are gone I think... He seems very happy and he's having a bath.

He's itching the maggot spot xD

What a cutie, glad to hear they are all gone but you know as long as his wound is open and he's outside this can get out of hand again. you maybe able to find something at the feed store to put on his wounds that will keep the flies off of him while he is healing, they have stuff here.

 

[Amiga]

Please keep us updated. Is it early or late where you are? It is 4:23 p.m. here.

 

[owleyes22]

Yes i will keep you updated.

He was attacked at 4:00am and i haven't slept since then. it is now 8:00am.
So tired