Help with beaten up/ infested Pekin duck!

[HollyDuckFarmer]

BH- if you're not interested in using a tried and true Tx, then don't. But nowhere that I have found is it written that the use of turpentine oil is contraindicated on skin... In fact, it seems to me that skin is the primary place of application. I know that when I ask for questions, I always like to hear as many possible solutions, then I choose the one that works best for me.


"Turpentine and petroleum distillates such as coal oil and kerosene have been used medicinally since ancient times, as topical and sometimes internal home remedies. Topically it has been used for abrasions and wounds, as a treatment for lice, and when mixed with animal fat it has been used as a chest rub, or inhaler for nasal and throat ailments. Many modern chest rubs, such as the Vicks variety, still contain turpentine in their formulations.

Taken internally it was used as treatment for intestinal parasites because of its alleged antiseptic and diuretic properties, and a general cure-all[10][11] as in Hamlin's Wizard Oil. Sugar, molasses or honey were sometimes used to mask the taste. Internal administration of these toxic products is no longer common today.

Turpentine was a common medicine among seamen during the Age of Discovery, and one of several products carried aboard Ferdinand Magellan's fleet in his first circumnavigation of the globe.[12]"
Source and Refrences: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_of_turpentine

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...entId=508&activeIngredientName=TURPENTINE OIL
"Turpentine oil is POSSIBLY SAFE when adults use it on their skin or inhale it appropriately"
"Turpentine oil is made from the resin of certain pine trees. It is used as medicine."
**Edited to add**
http://m.voices.yahoo.com/turpentine-has-more-uses-than-just-as-paint-thinner-6259836.html
"Turpentine is also used as a treatment for lice in some cases, if applied externally on the affected area. Although turpentine is toxic to ingest, there is no direct harm if applied to certain areas of the skin. We do not commonly use turpentine as a treatment for lice today but it still is effective and might be an ingredient in some lice treatment medications you use. Turpentine was often used in the ancient times as a remedy for just about anything, but since it can be harmful if ingested we have limited the medicinal uses of turpentine."

 

[Steve GA]

I realized there were a few things that I left out from my earlier post. Put the two together:

There are hundreds of different fly species. Some are attracted to just fruit, others to manure or dead organic material. But if you have a fly strike that started out from flies attracted to a dirty bottom the resultant wounds will attract other flies who seek blood. No matter the species; the result is the same. (Unless you are dealing with bot flies which is a whole other catagory.)

If you are looking for the eggs they resemble a clutch of miniature white rice that will be stuck to fur or feathers. Carefully clip them away with scissors.

Fly strike is a very serious situation that causes harmful tissue damage and can be fatal due to the resultant infection. Also, the metabolic processes of the maggot releases toxins in the wound.

You may find it helpful to clip fur or feathers away from the wound to aid in tracking down the maggots and to more easily care for the wound. After you have used tweezers to remove the maggots, a bulb syringe or a syringe for injections (but without the needle) would be helpful in flushing the wound. But if they are unavailable pouring hydrogen peroxide into the wound to flush it several times will work. Pat the wound dry with a clean paper towel or gauze before applying the antibiotic ointment.

When you dry the wound after flushing, you may see a few maggots that worked their way to the surface. Remove them. Sometimes maggots will burrow or be in a pocket created under the surface. Insects breathe thru a spiracle in their side so, yes, they need oxygen and will come to the surface periodically. When they encounter the bag balm, Neosporin or other antibiotic ointment or cream it will plug the spiracle and they will suffocate.

Please do not think you can apply ointment to a large infestation and be done. The aforementioned toxins and infection will kill the animal.

There is also a need to consider that there are fly strikes that have gone unnoticed long enough to cause enough damage that putting the animal down is necessary unless you can go to a Vet for care. These situations would include invasion of the eye, ear canal, urogenital tract or anus (or in birds, the cloaca aka vent) or wounds with excessive bleeding.

You may wonder how this situation is dealt with in animals that are too large to be brought inside such as cattle or horses. In the same manner except after the ointment or salve is applied, the surrounding area is sprayed with a special protectant. My favorite is Furazolidone which is amazing. Unfortunately, it's off the over the counter market.

I want to add that I take very good care of my animals and personally have only had a few cases of fly strike. It happens. The important thing is to take care of it right.

Unfortunately, I have treated hundreds of cases of fly strike between volunteering at the humane shelter & working for a vet in high school then working with two more vets while I was in college. On top of 4 yrs of Biology, I did 3 yrs of Vet Medicine and finished w a Master's in BioChem then worked for 19 yrs in research and, in addition, for the last 9 yrs I have been the fall back Vet for a local clinic. I do not cover cats at all; seriously allergic to cats but I could write a book on maggots. I just do not think anyone would buy it.

BTW: that one link above said to use turpentine oil.... no. That would burn like fire and cause significant damage on it's own. I did not evaluate any of the other methods listed here.

Instead I put the time into giving you a method that is tried & true by a Vet that you can do at home with just a few inexpensive supplies.

I have listed the following so that this thread may more easily come up in the future for someone searching for help: Myiasis, Fly Strike, Maggot Infestation, Flyblown or Blowfly.

In conclusion, I know this is a VERY distasteful topic but sticking your head in the sand won't make it go away. It came as no surprise to me since I grew up on a farm but to the surbanite new to having a few chickens or ducks, it could be distressing. I understand. But knowing what it is and how to deal with it goes a long way toward being able to cope with it. So, I took the time to write this up in hopes of helping animals that depend us to care for them.

 

[Steve GA]

Thanks to everyone for the great info and suggestions. Apologies to Blackberry Hill. In trying to respond to you I reposted your reply.
The male ducks were caught and removed to a pond 10 miles away. The injured female seems to be doing well since she is not being constantly mounted. However I am now concerned that the maggot problem could be a festering problem that I can't see from a distance so I will recapture her for a closer examination.
Again, thanks to all for the super replies! Steve GA

 

[wendy Dlesk]

How Much penicillin can I inject my duck? Raccoon got her Saturday night and she's wounded badly. She's in the house now and I've been doctoring her with Neosporin.

Hi, Steve --- You really need to REMOVE the maggots. Spraying them with an insecticide is not enough. It will kill some but just bother the others enough to move to a new spot or burrow deeper.

How do I say this? They are not "after" decayed flesh. Flies are attracted to the smell of blood, lay eggs that hatch in 24 hours into the larval form (maggot) which needs to feed for about 5 days (depending upon the species of fly) and then the larvae develops a brown pupae where it metamorphoses into a fly.

During the larval stage, the maggot makes wounds much, much worse..... attracting more flies who lay more eggs bringing on a miserable death to the poor animal.

You need to put this duck humanely out of her misery OR you need to bring her inside and treat her wounds. A cardboard box or a dog crate or a large rabbit cage with straw or old towels in the bottom --- anything that you can keep clean. Plus food & water. She will need to be in till the wounds heal.

HOW TO GET the MAGGOTS OFF: this is very simple, have someone hold the duck over a bucket with some salt or ashes in the bottom while you use your thumb to brush the maggots off that you can into the bucket. Then use tweezers to pick off EVERY LAST maggot. (I have done this; you can do this. Last time, it took about 45 minutes. I have spent 3 hours at this so you may want to sit down.) Have a small jar 1/2 full of hydrogen peroxide handy. Use the tweezers to pick off a maggot and dunk it into the hydrogen peroxide then wipe the tweezers on a paper towel then get another maggot...... You wipe the tweezers on the paper towel because if not you introduce too much hydrogen peroxide into the wound where it will foam making it hard to see. Also, the hydrogen peroxide will not kill the maggots but they do not like it so they will begin moving to a new spot making it harder to track them all down. Once they are in the jar, 90% of them stay. Keep an eye out for escapees which won't matter if you are outside

I have tried various methods over the years; this one is the quickest. The point is to use tweezers to pick the maggots off --- what you do with them is up to you.

Also, maggots that are, say, 5 days old are much larger than, say, 1 day old so they may not all look the same. Don't miss the little ones.

Once you have all the maggots off, look to see if there is a 2nd or 3rd site.... clear them as well. Then check the vent as well.

Any wounds need flushed with an antiseptic. Hydrogen peroxide is actually good for this as the foaming action will debride the wound. Now you need to apply a thick coat of a topical antibiotic like Neosporin. I have also used Bag Balm made for cow's udders. Do not bandage.

If the wounds are more than superficial, I would add an oral or injectable antibiotic appropriate for the species.

You will need to check periodically to see if you missed any maggots. There are always a few. They will migrate to a new spot.

Remember, it is the smell of blood from a wound no matter how small that attracted the flies in the first place. NOTHING is better at cleaning blood out of feathers, fur or clothing than hydrogen peroxide.

Keep the duck inside till the wounds heal over --- at least 5 days.

If you have any questions or problems, I will check back. Please trust me on this.

EDIT: Regarding the antibiotic we need a clarification. In the Clinic, I would give an injectable and send home an oral for follow up. But I wrote this so it can be done completely at home without vet care. For poultry including waterfowl, you can go to the feed store or farm supply and look for injectable Penicillin. With minor wounds, the topical antibiotic (Neosporin) will suffice. What is the difference between minor and major? Well, that is subjective --- go with your gut. If you suddenly found yourself with a wound like that, what would you call it?

All I can say, the last maggot case I treated just last week had a wound about the size of a 50 cent piece that was fairly shallow. It was NOT bleeding; just oozing mostly clear fluid. This was on a small Indian Runner duck. I picked the maggots off w tweezers, flushed the wound w hydrogen peroxide, patted it dry and applied Neosporin. She came inside to live in a dog crate lined w towels that I changed 2x per day. Good food, water & vitamins plus checking the wound every day and reapplying Neosporin. Keep an eagle eye out for missed maggots. Duckie went home to owner to live outside after 7 days.