Please help, emergency duck injury!

[BayBay Peepers]

She is currently laying by the water dish with her mate. So far so good. It was a very happy reunion he was running for her quacking when I set her out.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

They bad eye is not looking so good today and her good eye is pretty gunky as well. We cleaned it last night and early this am now. Ill be attempting to find a vet as soon as they start opening. Part of me hopes I can pick up an antibiotic without having to drag her in.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Anyone out there have experience tube feeding a duck? The vet out her on antibiotics, an eye cream, and pain meds. She said I'll have to tube feed if she doesn't eat today. Any suggestions of foods to try or tips on tube feeding her?

 

[circesfire]

If you can get one a catheter tip on the end of a syringe works the best, but you could also use any kind of small diameter tubing 6"-8" (you want something that is somewhat flexible, but also can be directed). I know for chickens and other birds you can use kaytee baby parrot food, which is pretty easy to find at a pet store. Mix it with some water and pull it in the syringe with the tubing attached. Probably best at this point to try to push the plunger on the syringe to make sure that your consistency is correct (liquid is not flowing out of the tube without any pressure, but is not too thick to be blowing the tubing off either). Once you know that you are getting a good flow of food, put the tube in the back of the ducks throat (you need to make sure that it is in the esophagus and not the trachea or it will drown the bird). Once the tube is fully inserted, at least 3 or 4 inches you should be able to feel it in the ducks crop you can push the plunger down and feed the duck. There really isn't any need to do this slowly, once you're in the right spot you're golden.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Is it like a chicken where I start on one side and go down the other? I've done chickens before, but my duck worries me as she's a lot more wiggly than the chickens and much stronger. I suppose at this point we have no choice but to try she's truing to bend over to eat, but hasn't actually ate anything.

 

[Amiga]

@BayBay Peepers

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding

 

[circesfire]

I actually haven't tubed a chicken but I have found the best way for ducks/geese/ and pretty much everything else is to follow the roof of the mouth toward the back of the throat. To me the easiest strategy is to kneel on the ground and put the bird beneath your legs to keep the wings from flapping then pull their head up and back towards you and open their mouth that way. It seems to keep them from wriggling too much that way and helps you to see the esophagus and trachea clearly

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Thank you very much. Today is the day. It looks as if she wants to eat but won't lean over all the way.

 

[Cindy in PA]

An easier way to take care of most cuts & infections is using Vetericyn. It is expensive, but I used the spray stuff on an injured guinea that I couldn't catch (he was totally free range at the time). He was totally beat up around the head by another guinea & I thought his eye was gone, but he is perfect! The first stuff that came out was labeled for all wounds & eyes etc. I think now they have several different labels, but they are all basically the same. You can get it online or at TSC or feed store. I cured my guinea by spraying him from a distance away twice a day. I've used it on my dogs for rashes etc. & it clears everything right up. Sure better than putting creams & ointments on that attract dirt etc. I have heard of humans using it on themselves also. It's the only thing I keep around.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

That's a good idea. Is there a specific amount to spray? It might be easier on her than trying to wrestle her and out in fluids that she let's dribble out and an ointment that does seem to attract the dust.