injured bird, please help

[KaziCritter]

i hope this is ok here. i have a seriously injured duck, no vet near that even considers treating or looking at ducks. she got through the fence and the neighbors dog got her. she seems mostly just in shock except that a large patch of skin is missing from the back of her neck (can see jugular and i think crop fully exposed as well as the actual neck). the wound is about 1/3 of the circumfrence of her neck (most of the back and part of the right side) and about 1/3 the length of her neck. she is conscious and aware of whats going on (but not quacking or making any noise), and can still move her legs. is it possible to just bandage her neck and hope that skin might regrow to cover the wound or should she be put down? if she should be put down i need a humane way that isnt along the lines bleeding her out (cant even kill my meat birds, only killing ive been able to do myself was small pets with bad turmors and that was with the freezer).

 

[Amiga]

I think she has a chance.

She most likely is in shock. If it were me, I would get and keep her inside where it is reasonably warm, and safe. Clean bedding, fresh water with some electrolytes and vitamins, though she may not drink for several hours.

I would make some saline solution, and I would spray the area. She must be kept away from flies - anything that would lay eggs in the wound.

At some point I would carefully clip the feathers from around the edge of the wound - to get a good look, and to make it easier to keep the edges of the wound clean.

I would also look for an opportunity to look around her vent and under her wings for puncture wounds.

I would get ahold of antibiotics soon, in case she develops an infection.

Here is something that may give you some ideas http://www.justanswer.com/pet-bird/3pv5y-pekin-duck-attacked-dog-large-open-wound.html

 

[Amiga]

Also, you might want to post in the Duck Forum - there are experienced duck people there, some of whom have treated serious wounds.

@casportpony or @Marty1876 are two who may have some ideas.

 

[KaziCritter]

I got her cleaned as best i could already, by the time i posted this and got my bandage stuff together she had already moved from her side to a normal laying position (as semi limp and on her side when brought in).

I sprayed the wound, but there is a leaf stuck to what i am assuming is the duck version of a crop (stuck to the membrane of a small sack along the frond side of the the neck). the wound appears mostly clean (there was a large downpour outside shortly after the attack and before she was found. i have a large bandage pad coated with neosporin and a little petroleum jelly (around the edges mostly to keep any part from sticking) over the wound and secured (a bit loosely since she wouldnt hold her neck out straight) with athletic self adhesive bandage.

i did a full check of the rest of her once the neck wound was covered, only other injuries i can find is feathers pulled from both wings and some from her tail. no sign of any other injuries. feathers will regrow, but the large missing patch of skin on her neck is whats worrying me.

she is inside, nestled in a box with some dry towels, not going to put bedding anywhere near that open wound. i can check if we have any yogurt left (got some a few days ago), and would the vitamin mix thats used for chicks be fine (i have a good bit of that)?

ill go stick a post over in ducks, saw the title of this section and didnt notice it was under chickens. the wound isnt anywhere near as deep or nasty looking as the one in the link you posted, but as i said a good length of her jugular is entirely exposed along with the crop (looks almost like the meat chickens i butchered last week, only shes still alive...not a nice mental image or thought).

 

[Amiga]

The chick vitamins mix would probably be fine. I will follow you over to the Duck Forum. Thanks.

 

[casportpony]

If there are no internal injuries, and the trachea, crop and esophagus don't have holes, it will probably heal up fine if you keep her indoors and clean the wound clean. Can you post some pictures? Also check the rest of her really well, 'cause often smaller punctures are over looked.

FWIW, a fox tore a huge patch off one of my peacocks, which exposed his back, crop and air sacks. I plucked the feathers about an inch back from the skin edges, cleaned with chlorhexidine, soaked a large telfa pad in the chlorhexidine, placed pad on wound and wrapped with gauze and vetwrap and he made a complete recovery in about a month.

-Kathy

 

[KaziCritter]

didnt find any other damage at all, but i also didnt want to move her too much. if she's still alive in the morning, ill try to grab some photos when i change the bandage. its about a palm size chunk of skin, but there was little to no blood at the wound (could have been washed away between the attack and when she was found since its been raining all day). if there is anything else i should check let me know and ill see about doing it when i check the bandage in the morning.

 

[casportpony]

didnt find any other damage at all, but i also didnt want to move her too much. if she's still alive in the morning, ill try to grab some photos when i change the bandage. its about a palm size chunk of skin, but there was little to no blood at the wound (could have been washed away between the attack and when she was found since its been raining all day). if there is anything else i should check let me know and ill see about doing it when i check the bandage in the morning.

Keep her in a warm, dark, quiet room.

-Kathy

 

[PrintedPerfect]

Did she make it?