My duckling has a broken leg

[FromTheCity]

Since I started this thread, I was going to give everyone an update on Lewey. First of all, name has been changed to Lulu. Found out he is a she. She is walking around fairly well using the broken leg as a crutch and doesn't seem to bother her too much. She is doing everything that a duck should be doing even follows me around the yard when I am out there. I did find a couple of ducklings on line which in the beginning she did not like at all. Finally bought a exercise pen for puppies and put that in her enclosure for a couple of days so she could see the babies and not get to them. After a couple of days, she is now their guardian. She watches them like a hawk. Even now when they are almost as big as she, she is very protective.
My problem now is her outdoor enclosure. I let the ducks free range in the yard during the day and at night in their enclosure with their pool. In the yard, the grass is very soft and she has no difficulty walking in it. However, in the pool enclosure, the grass planted has turned to mud. She does have a little problem there. Anything anyone can suggest would be helpful. Rocks would be to hard on her. Mulch is the same. Right now she is getting a little callous on her ankle from walking on it. Other than that, things are going well! Thank goodness!

 

[portugeeaggie]

Maybe some hay? That way she doesn't slip but she still has something to grip. Glad to hear she's doing well

 

[FromTheCity]

I was thinking about that....or maybe pine straw. But with that I was worried about it might stick her ankle. I will try the hay and see how that will work. Thanks!

 

[cayugaducklady]

I had a duckling that jumped out of a box at shoulder height and sprained her leg. She wouldn't walk on the sprained leg unless she absolutely had to (go eat/drink/dabble in greens).

Vet said no broken bones, just two sprains from her fall.

He advised to let her stay with flock mates (to keep her spirits up) as long as they aren't bullying her & keeping her from eating/drinking. Vet said let her swim each day in warm water to keep up her strength.

I let her swim each day until I could tell she was starting to get tired. Her first swims were just a few minutes. By then she was swimming 30-ish minutes.

I also gave her extra yogurt (calcium & healthy bacteria) to moisten their food and added extra niacin to the rations.

It took several weeks before she started walking on both legs like her flock mates. Today she is a lively teenager. No limps or swellings on that leg.

 

[kristy2122]

My 3 day old WH duckling broke her leg )we assumed) when our heat lamp fell on her. She dragged it behind her for a few days and my husband said she would probably never make it. I watched her carefully and made sure she was still getting food and water (plus Brewers yeast) and soon she started limping, then after a week she was fine. "Lucky" is 4 months old and shows no sign of any issue.

 

[FromTheCity]

I only wished LouLou was that lucky. Her little foot is like a claw up towards her stomach and she walks on the ankle. She is starting to have a little callous on that ankle but other than that she is walking around. She kinda hobbles though. She lets me pick her up to check on it every once in a while and to clip her claws. But other than that, she is a normal duck.

 

[cayugaducklady]

I wonder if it is too late to try a shoe on that foot to help straighten the bones. Anyone know ?

Or perhaps find gentle stretching to help that foot ?

 

[FromTheCity]

The avian vet said that the way it was broken, the tendons are constricted and there wasn't anything that could be done. I had asked about the stretching or a boot, but he wasn't very hopeful. All he could really say was that as long as she was acting like a duck and the other animals were watching out for her, she should be fine. Just watch out and make sure she doesn't get bumble foot.

 

[Amiga]

Some folks are having success making hammocks for their ducks - sometimes it is temporary - part of rehabilitation. Sometimes folks keep special needs ducks and actually make little hammocks on wheels. They are something else! I am impressed with the engineering as well as the compassion.

I would try a rehab program - time in lukewarm water (supervised constantly) twice a day, Super B Complex vitamins in the water (using the B3 at 150 mg per gallon of water as a dosage guideline), Epsom salt compress once a day, maybe even a tiny dab of T-Relief massaged into the foot and leg.

Glad you were able to get to a vet. And that she is getting along. Since ducks are flock animals, it sounds like she has a good environment, with other animals that do not harass her.

 

[FromTheCity]

Thanks for the info! I will certainly try it!