Muscovy with broken leg from dog attack, should I put a cast on it?

[awarmrainyday]

One of my muscovy drakes stupidly flew into my fenced backyard while I had my 230lb English Mastiff outside and of course my dog grabbed him. Thankfully I was able to get Owen (my dog) to drop the duck and go inside. This happened on 7/8. I checked the duck over thoroughly for puncture wounds or bruising and found nothing but a bunch of drool. His only injuries were a cut on his caruncle that bled a little bit and his left leg just dangling-- which is odd because my dog caught his body and at no point has his foot or leg.

I put him in a lukewarm bath to float and checked his leg as thoroughly as I could. There is no obvious breaks or fracture and he didn't flinch at all while being examined. There is no obvious swelling and his foot stays the same temperature as his good foot. I tried keeping him in a big glass aquarium for confinement and binding his foot up against his body with vetwrap but he has managed to wiggle out of that every single day and refuses to eat while in the aquarium. I resorted to force feeding him on the third day but last night as soon as I put him on the floor with a dish of food and no wrapping on his foot he started eating. I even made a sling for him with an old laundry basket and duck tape to keep him comfortable and up out of his poop but he hated that contraption too and wouldn't eat in it.

His foot and lower leg bone just hang, I noticed last night he wants to hobble on what would be considered his ankle joint and that there may be a tiny bit of swelling there. His upper leg appears to be fine, I've seen him move it to get more comfortable and I couldn't feel anything wrong with his hip joint.

I ordered some plaster gauze and I figured since I haven't had luck with anything else I'd put a cast on it and let him stay on the floor of the garage where he seems content right now. My question is, do I cast the leg straight, or bent how he wants to use it it to walk? Is casting a good idea, and if so for how long? I don't know what else to do for him.

 

[Weehopper]

Can you get a Vet's advice?

 

[awarmrainyday]

My vet sees farm animals but not ducks or chickens. I got the craft plaster gauze and we put a cast on it this evening. He actually seemed more comfortable after the cast was on. He tried to put weight on it and actually use it versus just letting it dangle and drag along. He also spent a good hour preening and flapping his wings which he hasnt done in the last week. I figure ill let ut on for 7-10 days, or however long he lets it on and keeps it semi-clean.

 

[Amiga]

Good news! Have you posted over on the Duck Forum? Please keep us updated.

 

[awarmrainyday]

I didn't post on the duck forum, I figured I'd have better luck here. I put him back in the aquarium last night (that sounds horrible--it's just a big glass reptile tank with bedding in it). Thankfully he has decided that he will eat and drink on his own in the aquarium now so I really think the cast is at least keeping him much more comfortable. And he is able to look out the window and see his friends. I'll update when the cast comes off!

 

[awarmrainyday]

Here are pictures of the casting we did. I had made a sling using an old laundry basket and duck tape, so I swaddled him up like a baby and laid him on his back in the sling with a pillow under his head and extra towels around him. My husband kept his hand on his chest to keep him relaxed and I was able to work on his foot. He glared at me the whole time knowing he was stuck and couldn't move, but afterwards he was happiest he's been since the dog attack. He is a very lucky boy-- all the other ducks that have flown into the yard when my dog was out didn't make it. He needs a name, what do you think?