Help! My duck has leg issues!

[JustinD88]

Hi everyone just signed up to this site because I don’t know what else to do. I bought my girlfriend a pekin duckling and another duckling (mallard colors) back in September. We kept them inside until they got their feathers and now they live in my garage in their coop with fresh bedding on the ground. the pekin always seemed to have leg issues which we thought was a niacin deficiency so we always gave her brewers yeast in her food. I’m in New Jersey and it’s been very cold up here lately. The pekin started to not walk at all during the extreme cold. Once it slightly warmed up she seemed to be walking better but won’t put weight on her right leg. We brought her to the vet today and the vet said her tendons are messed up and there’s nothing they can do. She said it doesn’t seem as if the duck is in pain but they said if it gets worse bring her back to have her put down and my girlfriend has been crying her eyes out all day. Before we resort to that option is there any way we can make a homemade splint to see if that helps at all? I’m at a loss for what to do and any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! Did the vet say what was wrong with her tendons or suggest trying an anti-inflammatory/pain killer like meloxicam?

Can you post some pictures of her bad leg?

 

[JustinD88]

My girlfriend also said the vet told her that it’s the tendons in our ducks “knee” they said that instead of only moving how it should the knee can move in all directions

 

[JustinD88]

All she said was that the vet said they don’t know what they can do and if it gets worse to put the duck down.

 

[DuckyDonna]

You've come to the right place! Welcome and please know that there are a lot of people on here that really know their duck stuff!

 

[JustinD88]

Also I can post pictures as soon as I get home from work

 

[JustinD88]

Welcome to BYC! Did the vet say what was wrong with her tendons or suggest trying an anti-inflammatory/pain killer like meloxicam?

Can you post some pictures of her bad leg?

 

[JustinD88]

I’m thinking I will go with a splint for some time as well as water therapy. I’m just confused as to how I should wrap the splint. Should I wrap from above the hock and go all the way down? I was also going to do two pieces of cloth on top and bottom of her foot to keep her foot level

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

I’m thinking I will go with a splint for some time as well as water therapy. I’m just confused as to how I should wrap the splint. Should I wrap from above the hock and go all the way down? I was also going to do two pieces of cloth on top and bottom of her foot to keep her foot level

Wrap at the top of the hock and figure 8 it around the other hock. No need to wrap is all the way down the leg. Looks like it is just slipped but an X-ray would tell you. The deformity of rickets is easy to see and most competent vets will find it. Hope all works out.

 

[JustinD88]

Wrap at the top of the hock and figure 8 it around the other hock. No need to wrap is all the way down the leg. Looks like it is just slipped but an X-ray would tell you. The deformity of rickets is easy to see and most competent vets will find it. Hope all works out.

They did do an x ray so they ruled out anything broken. I think the tendon is slipped too. Sorry for asking so many dumb questions haha but when you say from one hock to the other do you mean on the other leg? Or just above and below with the figure 8 pattern