Help my duck has a droopy wing

Stipenvlerk

Crowing
5 Years
May 22, 2020
2,301
4,064
436
The Netherlands
Hi Everyone,
Who knows all about duck wings and how they work mechanically? Long story, hopefully I can learn something from you!

One of my oldest duck had an accident.
She was resting in a duckhive, which ducks love to do and is a very common thing to use where I live, for centuries...
Screenshot 2025-08-24 at 18.31.20.png

Apparently she got startled or disturbed by something and got stuck with the longest feathers of the left wing in an opening between the willow wicker. We found her hours later, dehydrated and really tired as she couldn't get out and couldn't lay down because of the stuck feather.

After a day she was her old self again, except for a droopy wing. It's 4 days later now and in the mean time i've wrapped the wing in a bandage and took her inside at night for her safety. I've seen her make all movement you expect from a duck symmetrically with both wings when I remove the bandage.

- She flaps both wings full width
- You know the movement where the make all the feathers stand right up and shake them. She does it like normal.

If I follow the track of the bones from the attachment to the wingtip, it feels exactly the same left and right.
If I put pressure on the bones to see if she feels any pain, no reaction of pain from her, no pulling back the wing or whatever.

The only symptom she has is that the wing won't lay on top of her back like the other one, it droops and she keeps pulling it up, and it droops again. If she pulls it up, she pulls it up like normal.

When I stretch the wing manually for her, I feel less resistance in the left side compared to the right side that's all. She is not in any visible pain, first days she was timid and tired but now she is back to her happy self. Tail in the air, happy steps, good apetite.

My question: could this be a ripped tendon? And therefore the bandage will not make a difference for the outcome? Or do I have to think about another type of injury. Vet is not an option unfortunately.

Kind regards, also from my sweet old lady duck (who also is starting to mold, don't mind her feathers)

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I had a duck holding its wing the same way. I also could not feel any broken bones. Fortunately. I had a student in class whose dad was an alcoholic exotic vet. He treated my duck at a great discount. Turned out, I had missed a small cut on the inside of the wing, under the feathers. The injury was yellow, if that helps. Anyway, he cleaned the wound and put him on antibiotics and pain killers (gabapentin). He was good as new in a few days. So, I would examine the underside of the wing really carefully. If you do not find anything, I would wrap the wing like a sling. I used to have a website, let me know if you need it. Good luck!
 

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