So, I take care of my sister's chicks and ducklings over the weekend while she's at work. I brought the ducklings outside, as I do every day, and into the pond. As I was watching them, they were all playing in the pond and having fun, except one. He was starting to tilt sideways. So, I picked him up and brought him back inside to his brooder and under the light. He was almost acting like he was in shock at first, barely moving, just blinking. Now he's acting fine other than he can't get up. He's frantically moving one of his legs and barely moving the other. I think its leg must be broken, but he was acting fine before he went outside. Any advice?
How old is he? What do they eat? Wondering if he could have been hypothermic? Or starting to show a niacin deficiency? Another possibility is eating something toxic...almost sounds like a nervous system problem.
My daughter successfully rehabilitated a duckling with a broken leg. You don't want to let it get tightened all crunched up as it heals, so you can make a splint and spread the foot. She used a popsicle stick and cardboard. She carried the ducking around in a fanny pack. After a few days she started re-hab with water therapy - they take to it naturally! It gradually strengthened and he could walk again. Grew up just fine. Good Luck!
I have used paper tape (the kind used with gauze pads) and layered it in order to make a cast and it worked very well. The duck's leg was broken clean through and splintered but it healed up nicely. Make sure you feel for a break and set the bones. They need to be joined to heal but also rub slightly to stimulate calcification. Make sure it is not too tight by checking the toes for proper coloring (purple is too tight). If you do not feel a break, check the tendon down the back of the leg and make sure it is not out of place at the knee. This is a more common injury than broken legs and it can also be taped if treated soon enough. If this is the case you tape above and below the joint while holding the tendon in place. I use paper tape for this too. The joint needs to bend without the tendon rolling to the side.
