One of my babies is hurt!

[danceswithronin]

I hope the little guy continues to improve, you'd be surprised what animals can recover from. My coworker had a puppy that had a porch table fall over on it when it was only five or six weeks old, and we honestly thought it'd broken the dog's back legs because it couldn't use them for awhile - definitely a spinal cord injury. My coworker seriously considered putting him down.

Instead my coworker's wife nursed the dog for weeks and eventually he slowly regained the use of his legs. Cue a few years later and other than being front-heavy with muscle from having to drag himself around a little as a pup, you wouldn't be able to tell he'd been so badly injured as a pup.

 

[Duckworth]

I know ducks are resilient because all of ours that survived the raccoon attack weeks ago are doing far better than I would have expected, despite significant injuries.

 

[Ashizzle]

Duckworth, thank you for sharing and thank you for your concern. My son was pretending to be Spider Man and tried to climb down the ladder to his bed head-first. It was really scary and I’m so thankful he’s okay.

Dexter is looking better every day. His right leg is still giving out intermittently but it’s less frequent. We’re praying he makes a full recovery.

 

[Ashizzle]

Wow! That’s crazy! I know that if a spinal injury results in temporary swelling, a complete recovery is sometimes possible. Even if the spine fractures, as long as the cord remains intact, recovery is possible.

Dexter seems to be recovering pretty quickly. He seems better every day. We moved him out of the pen tonight for the first time since he was hurt and it was really funny because the chickens got all excited. It was a poultry reunion and they were very happy.

They are hilarious to watch in the tub. They take turns diving and splash us while they clean themselves. I can’t wait til I’m done with their pond. They have a kiddie pool, but it’s not the same and it’s a pain in the butt to keep clean. They’re messy little things.

 

[carinadiane]

View attachment 1735714
* This is a REALLY LONG post, but please bear with me!!!
* I’m brand new to this forum and to raising poultry.
* Dexter and Darwin are unsexed Rouen ducklings (a little over a month old).

The Story:

My 8-year-old son decided to “help” by feeding the ducks and chickens one morning while my husband and I were sleeping. He apparently stepped on the one we call Dexter. He says that he stepped on his butt, which I can only assume means his lower back.

The Details:

My son didn’t immediately tell us about the incident, but I noticed today that Dexter was making some noises I hadn’t heard before.

I discovered that...

* Dexter’s legs are giving out intermittently, causing him difficulty with walking and standing on land.

* Both legs are structurally intact and he can move them to swim and wipe his head in the water.

* The issues appear to be weakness (apparent only on land), and pain.

* A spinal cord injury fits the bill.

The Good News:

He’s still very interested in cuddling with his brother, swimming and eating. He’s also still passing stool, which is a relief.

What I’ve Tried:

* I moved both ducks into a chick pen to try to limit Dexter’s movement. —They have to be together or they get scared.

* I stuck the ducks in the tub to take weight off his limbs and Dexter was able to happily swim around.

Questions for those More Experienced than I:

* Is there anything over the counter I can give him for pain/inflammation?
* Can anyone recommend any dietary adjustments that may help facilitate healing?
*What else can I do to help him recover?

As for Brenden...

* When I discovered that my son had gone into the coop without permission, seriously injured the duck and then failed to notify me, I guilt-tripped him to tears and sent him to his room to think about what he’d done.
* He sulked off to his room and proceeded to slip/fall 5’, head-first off his bunk bed.
* I just got home after spending 5 hours in the Emergency Room.
* CT scans and X-rays were all negative.
* You can’t make this stuff up.

It seems like you already have this one figured out. I agree with everyone else’s supplementation recommendations. The only other thing I’m willing to swear on is fresh greens. It doesn’t even really matter what type ( not spinach tho). I swear whenever my ducks are having issues it makes them so much happier, and I really think it makes them heal faster .

Best of luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s great news about Dexter!!

 

[quackiemama]

Awww I just want to give your son a big hug, he was just trying to help. And then falling from his bunk bed. What a bad day!!! It sounds like little Dexter is doing better too. I hope he continues to improve and gets fully healed.

 

[Ashizzle]

Updates!

Both ducks are huge and have almost all of their feathers. They both ended up being female, which I’m happy about! Lol

Dexter’s right leg still gives her a little bit of trouble but she’s stronger and has learned to work with it. She can do everything her sister can with no major limitations.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Wonderful update!! So happy for you all.