INJURED PEKIN!HELP

[LucyLucky]

Hi,

My 1 year old pekin named lucky had hurt her foot (or what I thought) about a week and a half ago. There are no spots on either feet so it's not bumble foot (which she has a mild case of last month which had been treated.

She has a very hard time walking. I don't even know if you can call it walking. She kind of hobbles around and she has lost a little bit of weight but not a lot. She has lost a lot of the feathers on her wings and her feathers look very ruffled and frazzled.

I don't know what to do or what's wrong with her. I don't want her to suffer but I also don't want to loose her. There are no duck vets that live anywhere near me so that's not an option.

Please if anyone can help me and lucky I would appreciate it very much!

 

[LucyLucky]

Tomorrow I'm going to take her swimming and let her lay in the grass but if anyone can help me I'd be forever in your debt

 

[Amiga]

Do you have a drake? If she is being overmated she could have some serious injuries.

What have you done so far to treat her?

Some things to do for starters are give her supervised time in a lukewarm tub of water - let her wash off - watch how she moves, especially her legs. It will get her weight off of her legs for a while.

This is much better than a swim in a cold pond. She needs lukewarm water - it will help her circulation.

Was she laying and has she stopped? Sometimes, being egg bound can look like leg injury. Gently feel her lower tummy - anything like an egg in there? Extra calcium can help, as well as tub time.

Make an Epsom salt compress and wrap her legs for several minutes. Do not let her drink Epsom salt water - it is a laxative.

Try an ointment, like Traumeel or T-Relief on her legs - just a little dab especially at night before bedtime.

 

[LucyLucky]

I don't have any drakes but come to think of it she hasn't laid an egg for about a week. Tomorrow I will get warm water for her to swim in.

 

[Amiga]

Good. Please keep us updated.

If she is egg bound, in addition to warm baths, she will need extra calcium. You can give that to her in the form of calcium gluconate liquid (at feed stores usually), a teaspoon in a couple of teaspoons of crushed frozen peas or other treat. Or you can dissolve a calcium citrate pill and put that in some treats for her. Some people crush a Tums tablet. Tums contains 400 mg of calcium per tablet if I recall correctly. I would start with 100 mg of calcium, wait a few hours, and give again. Then switch to 100 extra mg of calcium per day for a while.