My Sweet Duck was attacked by a fox!

[goosiemama]

Please help. I would like to know if I am doing everything I should be for my Gabby duck. She is about 16 weeks old. She was swimming in her pool this morning close to her shed and the house, when a fox attacked her! Luckily she gave it a good fight, but I had to get physically about 10 feet from it before it let her go. She has about a two inch gash above her right leg and kind of under her wing. I think most of it is the result of the fox pulling out her feathers, since a huge tuft was hanging off her. There does seem to be one spot that is deeper than the rest, darker red, but even that doesn't seem like a puncture, maybe where it tried to get a good hold, but my girl was fighting so much it couldn't hold her. She is drinking a lot and started eating a few hours after the attack.
I have been treating my goose's bumblefoot with tricide neo and getting good results (the black is falling off exposing new skin!) so I have been pouring the solution on Gabby's cut every couple of hours. Just now when I touched her, though, she seems very hot. her whole body, beak and feet. I'm wondering if ducks might get a fever when fighting off infection? or is it because she's been penned up all day with no swimming water? (she does have pots of water and water dishes to dip into)
Any information anyone can give would be so greatly appreciated.

 

[buttercup95]

I don't know anything about dicks, but you might want to worry about her bleeding internally.

 

[goosiemama]

Thank you, but I don't think she has internal injuries. It seemed like the fox had her by the feathers, and didn't get a good hold on her, but I will keep watching her for more problems. Thank you for your concern.

 

[buttercup95]

Okay well I'm super glad for that. I hope she gets better

 

[Amiga]

Hoo, close call!

You are heading in the right direction. She needs to have her wound kept clean, keep her where there are no flies - they will lay their eggs in the wounds. Horrible.

Nutritional support, poultry vitamins with electrolytes and probiotics would be good for her, I would trim feathers away from the wounds and rinse them with something gentle. I am not familiar with tricide neo, that may be just the thing. Vetericyn spray is good, even saline solution for rinsing wounds.

Keep her confined comfortably. I would give her at least two baths a day, for emotional support and light exercise, and so I could get a good overall look at how she is progressing.

Sometimes ducks develop an internal infection, so just do a little homework to decide what oral antibiotic you might use should it get ahead of you. But it sounds like you may be okay.

Regarding feeling warm, I am not surprised, I think that is normal but I am not a wound expert. Just sharing what I have learned here and from Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks.

Check out post number 10 on this thread to see what Captain Cluck did.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...llet-attacked-by-a-raccoon-and-in-need-of-aid

And please keep us updated.

 

[goosiemama]

Thank you all so much for your advice and kindness. Gabby is fine. I'm still pretty freaky regarding foxes and other furry predators, though. I've moved the birds up even closer to the house when they are not in their shed, and so far, haven't noticed anyone lurking around. Do any of you use the electric wire to keep predators out?

 

[Amiga]

I used equine tape around the duck house when they stayed out there at night. I know I zapped at least a couple of raccoons. Heard them yell.

 

[veronicasmom]

I do not want to worry you unnecessarily but isn't it odd for a fox to be out at that time of day? I had to call the local ACO a few weeks back because a Rottweiler and Mastiff were in my yard bothering my horses. FIrst thing I did was run out and run them off and then went and checked the ducks, goats and horses. All were fine, but I wanted a report into the ACO in case there were further issues. Anyway in the conversation he mentioned that they had quite a few calls on rabid foxes this year. He told me to be careful and if I saw any unhealthy looking foxes or ones that we doing something strange, to call asap. Again, don't want to mention this to be an alarmist, but since the fox had the duck and you touched the duck, I'd be careful. Around here we don't normally see foxes during the day, and maybe I am mistaken, but aren't they crepuscular? Maybe not and if I unduly worried you I am sorry.
Hope your duckie made a full recovery!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Haunted 55 use' s electric fencing

 

[Amiga]

veronicasmom makes a good point.

Around here, sometimes we do have healthy foxes grabbing ducks in the daylight hours, say, late afternoon. I think it coincides with them having hungry mouths to feed.

And

We have had one confirmed and one suspected rabid fox in the neighborhood. One was in my yard, right under the duck house. We had it dealt with, went through proper channels, all that.

When one of my babes is hurt, I focus on that, and I need to also remember to protect myself, as well. Anyone want to offer a safe protocol for treating a duck after an encounter with a predator? I would think surgical gloves, eye nose and mouth covering? What more?