Injured leg

[pirateped]

Our poor male white call duck, Frank, has had a lame leg for 3 weeks now. We've taken him to a local vet who prescribed anti-inflammatory for a week, which didn't help, plus flubenvet worming powder, but still no change. Next step is a liquid wormer (he has finished their moult now) for the other worms that flubenvet doesn't catch.

We are tempted to get an x-ray - vet doesn't think there is a break, but just a precautionary step.

He can walk on his leg, just about, but hobbles badly and struggles to get up, occasionally falling down on rougher ground. He will walk for a bit, following his mate, Matilda, then will sit when she feeds. His appetite is normal and he forages as normal, but really struggles to walk. When he stands he doesn't put his full weight on his poorly leg.

Here are a few videos of Frank walking and swimming:

- swimming

- getting up

- walking

Does anyone have any more ideas on what to do? Shall we get the x-ray done, or do the 3-day worming course first, then x-ray? I've been reading through the other threads on duck leg injuries, but still not sure what the best option is - we have rested him this weekend in his run, but still no improvement. Will be quite tricky to confine him for longer as Matilda would have to be confined with him as she is noisy if he is not with her (and we live in a semi-rural residential area, so don't want to annoy our neighbours too much!). We would do what we did during the bird flu outbreak for two months last year and net off their main run/house/swimming area, but would prefer to avoid that if necessary.

Here is a photo of Frank standing - you can see he isn't putting his full weight on his leg

 

[CayugaJana]

Our poor male white call duck, Frank, has had a lame leg for 3 weeks now. We've taken him to a local vet who prescribed anti-inflammatory for a week, which didn't help, plus flubenvet worming powder, but still no change. Next step is a liquid wormer (he has finished their moult now) for the other worms that flubenvet doesn't catch.

We are tempted to get an x-ray - vet doesn't think there is a break, but just a precautionary step.

He can walk on his leg, just about, but hobbles badly and struggles to get up, occasionally falling down on rougher ground. He will walk for a bit, following his mate, Matilda, then will sit when she feeds. His appetite is normal and he forages as normal, but really struggles to walk. When he stands he doesn't put his full weight on his poorly leg.

Here are a few videos of Frank walking and swimming:

- swimming

- getting up

- walking

Does anyone have any more ideas on what to do? Shall we get the x-ray done, or do the 3-day worming course first, then x-ray? I've been reading through the other threads on duck leg injuries, but still not sure what the best option is - we have rested him this weekend in his run, but still no improvement. Will be quite tricky to confine him for longer as Matilda would have to be confined with him as she is noisy if he is not with her (and we live in a semi-rural residential area, so don't want to annoy our neighbours too much!). We would do what we did during the bird flu outbreak for two months last year and net off their main run/house/swimming area, but would prefer to avoid that if necessary.

Here is a photo of Frank standing - you can see he isn't putting his full weight on his leg

I may have missed it but what do you see that makes you think it’s injured? Because he’s not putting weight on it or did you see an incident where he hurt it? What do the bottoms of his feet look like? Is it swollen anywhere? Did they have a fecal test done that showed he had worms? I’m just trying to see where the dewormer fits in.

 

[pirateped]

I may have missed it but what do you see that makes you think it’s injured? Because he’s not putting weight on it or did you see an incident where he hurt it? What do the bottoms of his feet look like? Is it swollen anywhere? Did they have a fecal test done that showed he had worms? I’m just trying to see where the dewormer fits in.

Have a look at my videos - definitely injured. One of the causes of lameness is worms, so my vet decided to deworm as a precaution, no harm in that. He’s not an avian vet, so was just treating based on what he’d read up on.

No injuries on foot, no swelling on foot - that was first place I checked when it first happened 3 weeks ago. Didn’t see him injure it, just noticed him limping one day.

 

[chickens really]

Sprain?..Ducks are clumsy...

 

[casportpony]

No injuries on foot, no swelling on foot - that was first place I checked when it first happened 3 weeks ago. Didn’t see him injure it, just noticed him limping one day.

Is he better or worse since you first noticed?
Did the anti-inflammatory help?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Does Frank fly, wondering if he may have landed wrong and injured. Injuries to legs can take quite a while to heal. So rest anti-inflammatories are probably all you can do Xray would at least rule out a brake. And may show up what is causing the limp. You may have to bite the bullet and go back to bird fly days to give him the rest he needs so he isn't trying to follow Matilda all over.

 

[pirateped]

Sprain?..Ducks are clumsy...

Possible...hoping it is just sprain

 

[pirateped]

Is he better or worse since you first noticed?
Did the anti-inflammatory help?

Worse. Anti-inflammatory helped a bit, but that was 2 weeks ago and seems worse this week

 

[pirateped]

Does Frank fly, wondering if he may have landed wrong and injured. Injuries to legs can take quite a while to heal. So rest anti-inflammatories are probably all you can do Xray would at least rule out a brake. And may show up what is causing the limp. You may have to bite the bullet and go back to bird fly days to give him the rest he needs so he isn't trying to follow Matilda all over.

No, he doesn’t fly much. Only time he flies is if we lock him in their swimming area and he follows Matilda over the very low fence as they hate being locked in.

Will have to keep the poor chap in - problem is we will probably have to keep them both in. Also bath is outside run, so we might have to net the whole area off like we did for the bird flu. They’ll hate it, but only way to give him the rest he needs.

 

[Lil Drake40]

I think that’s a god plan. Hope you see much improvement