Help! Cayuga Drake Limping - Randomly?

[User353335]

Does this look like bumblefoot? A sprain? We're going to try epsom salt baths for now... does anyone else have recommendations? We found him like this after sleeping last night. Woke up and immediately noticed he was limping. Please help!

 

[Orca5094]

I don't see any sign of bumblefoot or swelling, and that's a pretty minor limp. Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much. It's probably just a little strain/sprain and should heal up on it's own in the next couple of days. Just keep an eye on him and maybe limit his movement a bit (maybe keep him penned instead of out free-ranging all day if you do that), just to help him rest the leg a little.

If it doesn't get better after a couple of days, or gets worse, then I'd suggest a vet. But otherwise, I really think he'll be ok.

 

[quackingdom]

I don't see any sign of bumblefoot or swelling, and that's a pretty minor limp. Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much. It's probably just a little strain/sprain and should heal up on it's own in the next couple of days. Just keep an eye on him and maybe limit his movement a bit (maybe keep him penned instead of out free-ranging all day if you do that), just to help him rest the leg a little.

If it doesn't get better after a couple of days, or gets worse, then I'd suggest a vet. But otherwise, I really think he'll be ok.

I agree. Every few months I find one of my ducks limping slightly. In every case, it's just a short-lived thing, and they're fine within a day or two. I don't think this is anything serious. Just wait a few days and it should heal on its own. If it doesn't, then maybe it should be attended to.

 

[User353335]

Thanks for your replies. We've kept him penned up for the day, and put the flock to bed early last night. He seems better this morning. We let the other ducks roam the property today (they wanted out!) but took our gimpy drake for another warm bath. He seems to like that. I'm thinking you guys might be spot on and it's just a sprain of some type. I'll continue to update.

 

[Orca5094]

Glad he was a little better today! Swimming is great therapy for these problems, so good job with that! I totally forgot to mention he should be allowed to swim/float for awhile as often as you can. Takes the weight off the leg.