How to properly splint a duck leg?

[boxermizer]

This girl was pickup by a predator. I assume her leg got broken when it dropped her. Its broken between the knee and hip, its a little swollen, warm and bruised, but below the knee is not warm, discolored or swollen. Based on the sound when I put slight pressure on it, just as you would do when trying to splint/bandage, it makes a clicking sound. This makes me worry that its crushed/splintered. I have called 16 vets in the area and they either don't do birds or aren't taking new patients. The only one I could possibly get in with wanted nearly $300 just for office visit and x-ray, more for the fix. I just can't afford that. However, this duck had other injuries, maggots in them, I cleaned her up and she's healing nicely from them already. She's quite the fighter, bites me when reach for her, quacks, manages to get to her food and away from her poop, is an eating, drinking, pooping machine, so I feel she deserves everything I've got to fix her up.

Question: Someone suggested splinting her leg to her body, wrapping it in gauze under her wings, but she couldn't find any pictures. Has someone here done that and can supply me with pics? Also, was the leg splinted separately, then wrapped to the body?

Here she is in the "sling" I made for her to keep her from injuring herself further. However, I'm not sure how much she should be in here since her legs dangle. Any advice on that? Or should I just put something in the bottom to bring it up where her good foot has support?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh, poor thing! There is so much going on here. I am going to tag some more knowledgeable folks who might be able to help.

@Miss Lydia
@KaleIAm
@Isaac 0

 

[Miss Lydia]

I remember I believe it was @casportpony that had some info once about splinting Hopefully she'll see this tag and reply.
Bless her heart I sure hope we can find some info to help her. I'll look and hopefully casportpony will reply.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry your duck is injured. If it's the femur, those are very hard to treat. Is a vet an option?

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm so sorry this happened. My ducks have had broken bones. One pelvis, and one broken leg. For my ducks there was no clicking sound, and the x-rays showed a line rather than a complete separation - with the leg being more severe. For both my ducks their vet had me use a strict crate rest method for a minimum of 6 weeks. We did repeated x-rays to verify healing and the pelvis took 12 more weeks to heal. After crate rest they were on limited mobility for a few more weeks, then they were completely fine.

I doubt the above method that worked well for my ducks will work for yours, since she sounds like her situation is more severe. Unfortunately, the vet cost you were quoted is what I would expect. I would go that direction if at all possible, since it will give her the best chance of success.

From my own experience with broken bones, my doctors told me that after the fracture you have 2-3 days to get the bones in the right spot before they start sticking together permanently. I assume it is the same for birds?