Hurt leg in a duckling

[dusterdw]

We just picked up our first ducks from tsc. Three cute Peken ducklings.
Today as I was placing one in a utility sink for a swim it made a jump from my hand and caught the edge of the sink then ran off the edge and dropped to the ground. She seemed to be ok. She swam a bit but when I put her back on the wood chips she seemed to not put weight on her right leg. She seems to still not want to put weight on it much tonight.

At first she did not want to expand her foot but this evening she is expanding it. She does not drag it. She always keeps to under her body. She often walks around using the wall of her container as a crutch.

She appears to have full range of motion of it and will push off of my hand of I pick her up and place my hand under her. She seems to keep it angled inward though under her. She simply appears to not be able to put weight on it.
What should I do?

 

[Amiga]

Watch her closely. If you have access to a vet it might not hurt to have them take a look. I understand a vet is not always possible.

So.

Hopefully, it's just a bruise or a pull. Those can take several days or more to fully heal.

In the meantime, you can help by applying an Epsom salt compress to the leg and the foot.


First, please note - Epsom salt is a laxative - do not let ducks or ducklings drink the liquid or eat the crystals. Nope.


Soak a clean rag in Epsom salt solution, lukewarm to mildly warm (don't want to chill the duckling or burn her). Wrap the leg and hold the duckling for ten minutes or so (yes, I ask people to do difficult things). Do that two or three times a day for three or four days.

Something else that may help is cooled comfrey tea (externally). Same thing - make a tea, let it cool, soak a clean rag, wrap the leg, hold for ten minutes. Comfrey can also help such injuries (there was an academic study done in Germany on comfrey).

Comforting and TLC also help ducklings recover from injury.

I would not let the little one run any marathons this week.

 

[Kittles]

I would try therapy swim sessions as well. They really do help. Ontop of what the other poster recommended. Good luck and hope duckling gets better.

 

[dusterdw]

Just an update... After a few days, my little one with a sore leg has healed great. She's up and running around. Normal as the other two.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Amiga]