Help duck injury!

[Salley]

Just came home, to find my favorite duck has been injured by something or other....she has a fairly large cut on her chest, that seems to have stopped bleeding, however is breathing heavily. She's drinking and when I just went to check on her was standing in her water dish, but sounds horrible. When I carried her in there was some sort of almost clicking in her chest as she was breathing. What would you guess her chances of survival are? I don't want to torture her by keeping her alive, however she's my favorite duck and am sick about it...is there anything I can do?

 

[Amiga]

Get her into a lukewarm tub of water. That may help her calm down, and rinse some of the blood off. You need to look closely. She may have blood or fluid in her lungs, some puncture wounds. Check around her vent under her wings, on her belly and tail.

Clip feathers away from the wounds so you can see what you are dealing with.

Get a vet's help if you can, or perhaps a waterfowl rehabber if you can find one.

Her throat may have been grabbed, and be partly crushed or swollen.

Ducks can live through and recover from awful attacks, so don't throw in the towel yet.

Keep her in, away from flies so they won't lay eggs in the wound.

Rinse wounds with saline solution, and do that again about four times a day for a while.

You may need oral antibiotics, or not. Just think about where you might get some.

She is likely in shock, and needs to be kept reasonably warm, I'd say at least 60F, 75 might be better, that's a bit of a guess. If she's drinking, that's good, I would add some electrolytes to her water.

If you have other ducks get them in where it is safe. Whatever came by will be back.

 

[Salley]

I live where it's cold, and was told not to let her get to warm... Is that the case? I have her in the dog crate in the garage with a towel and a big thing of water. I'm scared to death to look at it

. There's another female that got it too she won't stand up but I can't really see where she's injured...where would I find antibiotics? Are they over the counter for ducks or a vet thing

 

[Amiga]

If she is in shock, she cannot warm herself and could get hypothermic - that can be fatal.

Salley, the ducks need some care right now. I understand if it is difficult for you, but if you cannot do it you need to get help. Their lives depend on you either helping them or finding someone who will.

What is the temperature in the garage?

Antibiotics can be found at feed stores and online.

 

[duckmom14]

sorry for ur loss

and try to keep her calm put her on a pillow then put some soothing music on that'll calm her down the take her to the vet to get some x-ray visions on her chest then find out whats wrong by the x-rays

i found this on a website

 

[duckmom14]

u can get ointment at a feed store

 

[duckmom14]

try to kinda pick her up a little to see the injury and get it at a feed store