Hurt Duckling

[CelticSanctuaryFarm]

Hello, a cat ended up picking up my duckling but not biting it. There is a small hole. two of them. I only have angri penicillin. Can I give that to the baby duck? It is having a hard time holding its neck up but it can move it. It just is breathing heavy

 

[Miss Lydia]

@casportpony

 

[sylviethecochin]

There is a small hole. two of them

Then the cat bit him. Cat bites are pretty bad, due to the amount of bacteria they carry on their teeth, and punctures aren't good wounds. Can you rinse them very thoroughly with saline (2 tsp salt, 1 gallon boiled water) ASAP? Possibly by using a syringe to squirt saline directly into the wound? And in the meantime, try and keep the duckling warm. It sounds like something's damaged, but hopefully, he's just in shock. A warm blanket and maybe some electrolytes (no force-feeding) should help with shock.

 

[CelticSanctuaryFarm]

well this happen yesterday. I did do the salt thing and the neosporin so today he is finally drinking and eating. He walks around all puffed up, heavy breathing and cant pick up his neck all the way. He moves it though. I have agri penicillin would that help?

 

[sylviethecochin]

well this happen yesterday. I did do the salt thing and the neosporin so today he is finally drinking and eating. He walks around all puffed up, heavy breathing and cant pick up his neck all the way. He moves it though. I have agri penicillin would that help?

It might. Pasteurella multocida, the main bacteria in cat bites, is supposed to be susceptible to penicillin. How much does your duckling weigh?

 

[casportpony]

May I suggest that you're get a good scale and start weighing daily? Monitoring weigh loss will be very helpful. If mine I would give Baytril, but if all you have is injectable penicillin that might be okay.

You're in good hands with @sylviethecochin.

 

[CelticSanctuaryFarm]

It might. Pasteurella multocida, the main bacteria in cat bites, is supposed to be susceptible to penicillin. How much does your duckling weigh?

I dont think he even ways a pound. Daffy is 6 weeks old

 

[sylviethecochin]

Agri penicillin seems to be 300,000 IU/ml. 300,000 IU = 297 mg. 1 pound = 0.45 kg Dosage for turkeys is 100 mg/kg.

297 mg/ml means 1/3 of a mL = 100 mg. Use half of that, because a pound is roughly half a kg, and you get that you need 1/6 of a mL.

If she's a little less than a pound, I would lowball to 0.1 mL of 300,000 IU penicillin, injected daily for four days.

Penicillin toxicity is a thing, so don't overdose. My Dad uses to think the more the better, (despite my insistence otherwise) until the vet corrected him.

You can do it intramuscularly (breast. Upper two-thirds.), but on such a small duck, I would rather do it subcutaneously. IM is fast-release and a bit painful. It'll hit the bacteria harder. SQ is slow release and will hit the bacteria longer.

If you have a different IU of penicillin, please mention it.

Second opinion, @casportpony?