Help, my duck is hurt

[Dill]

Sometime within the last 2 hrs my duck, Dill, got hurt. It looks like a dog might have got her. She has a bleeding wound near one of her legs, the back of her neck is bald and a little bloody, and her bill is punctured. My dad is going to mix up a salt and peroxide (I think he said peroxide) mixture to put on the wound to keep infection out. He says its not life threatening but I'm still really worried... she's not acting herself (I guess that's to be expected after getting attacked though)...what do you guys suggest I do? Is putting salt on her wound ok?

I think what possibly happened is since Will was out of his pen (Will & Dill are "indoor" ducks and I always put Will in a pen because he runs off, Dill hardly leaves the porch/area around the porch so she isn't penned. My cat, I think, knocked the top off the pen and Will got out.) Will went to the pond so Dill probably followed and maybe the other ducks tried to mate her and so she got up on the bank over where the neighbors hhouse is and the neighbors had their dogs out and they attacked her. Those stupid dogs have attacked our ducks twice before and one died.

I've always thought it was cruel how some people here shoot animals when they attack their pets because it isn't the dogs fault, its the OWNERS but I'm just about ready to go and strangle those dogs when the neighbors let them out again.

 

[DuckLady]

Tell your dad to use a saline wash. Lukewarm water, just a little salt. Peroxide will kill healthy tissue, especially in the tender bill area. Too much salt will sting and burn and cause pain.

Keep Dill in a pen with straw and out of drafts. She will be in shock.

Keep an eye on her, as most injuries from dogs are internal, caiused when the dog clamped on to the body.

Make sure she has plenty of fresh water. Put Vitamin and Electrolytes in the water to help with shock.

Keep us posted. I will move this to the emergency forum for better response.

 

[Dill]

She's inside, in my bedroom right now (this isn;t stressing her or anything because she's only outdoors in the daytime, otherwise she's in my room). I have food andwater out but she hasn't touched it yet. She's standing and partly resting (her eyes are closed at times but she is responsive. she still walks away if I go to touch her, which is a good sign).

Where can I get saline from? Alright, I'll tell him no peroxide and only a little salt with lukewarm water.

Oh, I forgot to mention, it looks like the dog may have grabbed her near her neck, there's no wound or bleeding there but you can tell her feathers are messed up in that spot.

 

[Dill]

SHould I wash her wounds with the mixture now? Or should I let her settle... messing with teh wounds so soon might be bad I was thinking.

 

[DuckLady]

You need to get the dirt and saliva off as much as possible.

Saline is very mild salt water. Maybe a teaspoon well dissolved in a quart of water.

Keep her confined and quiet and don't let her bathe. Poop will get in her wounds because as you know, ducks poo as soon as they hit the water.

 

[Dill]

Alright thanks.

Dill is doing better now.

At on point I thought she was dead because I made loud noises and she didn't moove at all and her head was in a lop sided position. but I touched her and she thankfullly got up and went and ate and drank for the first time since getting hurt. Shes starting to walk around now, at first she was just laying with her eyes closed. Right now she's eating again and I gave her 2 pieces of cat food (I know that stuff isnt exactly good for her but I was trying to cheer her up, she loves cat food). She seemed to have trouble swallowing it though, which is wierd because she never had before. maybe its because of the wounds on her bill.

 

[DuckLady]

Probably the wounds on her throat are making it hard to eat as well.
I would not give her anything hard for a few days. I am glad she is doing better.