Limping Drake

[Nyssa03]

Hi all - I hope someone has some experience with a similar situation and can give me some advice. I have an almost year old Saxony drake who suddenly started limping about a month ago. I have kept him in a carrier inside the duck pen at night so he cannot be stepped on or has to move about much and then he has been kept in the duck "house" during the day with another duck for company. He has no wound, his foot looks good and he has had no swelling of his leg. in the last few days he has begun to put it down, maybe a tiny bit of weight on it occasionally - before he was hopping only. I also noticed he is doing his Yoga stretches with that leg again. I am hoping continued rest will show improvement - but this has been going on much longer than I expected. Any ideas would be helpful. thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi all - I hope someone has some experience with a similar situation and can give me some advice. I have an almost year old Saxony drake who suddenly started limping about a month ago. I have kept him in a carrier inside the duck pen at night so he cannot be stepped on or has to move about much and then he has been kept in the duck "house" during the day with another duck for company. He has no wound, his foot looks good and he has had no swelling of his leg. in the last few days he has begun to put it down, maybe a tiny bit of weight on it occasionally - before he was hopping only. I also noticed he is doing his Yoga stretches with that leg again. I am hoping continued rest will show improvement - but this has been going on much longer than I expected. Any ideas would be helpful. thanks

Water therapy? could he have injured his back which is causing leg problems maybe jumped down off of something? my drake one time decided to jump from top of stock tank to ground instead of using the ramp and limped for a while. Rest finally got him going again. My old drake is now on aspirin therapy, leg problems. I'd say water therapy, rest and aspirin if you feel he's in pain. Time can heal most injuries.

 

[Nyssa03]

Thanks so much Miss Lydia - as soon as we have a day above freezing I will fill a pool for him - great idea! Do you use baby aspirin? or what dose? thanks again

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks so much Miss Lydia - as soon as we have a day above freezing I will fill a pool for him - great idea! Do you use baby aspirin? or what dose? thanks again

I use the 81 meg coated so as not to upset tummy. I give 2- 81 meg 2X a day wrapped in a piece of bread, he never knows he's getting meds. water therapy isn't that easy to do this time of year unless your willing to bring him inside for a while, then you have to be so careful when putting them back out so they don't have problems acclimating back to low temps again. Waiting till temps are better would probably be best unless you think you could have him live inside for a while. Maybe the aspirin therapy and rest will take care of it if it's an inflammation of some kind.

 

[voxgm]

Product called DMSO. I have had so many duck with sprang legs. This product can be hot. Put it on your hands first then put it in his leg. Or even use a cotton ball. Works hands down.

 

[voxgm]

It Can be found at a co-op or tractor supply. But get the liquid version.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh yes TSC has DMSO in gel which is so much easier to use on a ducks leg. Only problem is it could be his back causing the leg problem so using aspirin along with the DMSO on the leg, that way if there is inflammation somewhere in his back the aspirin will help take it out. I'd try the aspirin for at least a week with rest and see how he is. The gel DMSO at TSC I believe is under 10.00 I bought some a couple years ago it will last a long time.

 

[Amiga]

Epsom salts compresses are something else to try. E.s. is a laxative so don't let him drink the solution or nibble on the wrap, but Epsom salts is great for strains and sprains and pulls. Also draws out toxins, I am told.

 

[Nyssa03]

Thanks everyone for your ideas - I will give some of them a try and let you know how he is doing --

 

[voxgm]

Oh yes TSC has DMSO in gel which is so much easier to use on a ducks leg. Only problem is it could be his back causing the leg problem so using aspirin along with the DMSO on the leg, that way if there is inflammation somewhere in his back the aspirin will help take it out. I'd try the aspirin for at least a week with rest and see how he is. The gel DMSO at TSC I believe is under 10.00 I bought some a couple years ago it will last a long time. 

Yeah I never thought of using the gel. I always used the liquid. The gel im sure is easier then the liquid. Very nice suggestion.