PLEASE HELP WITH INFORMATION ABKUT MY DUCK!!

[angelinaf98]

Today I noticed my duck was having trouble breathing and wasn't quacking. I brought the duck inside and my friend told me to give the duck pedyalite and run water over he/she nose. I noticed he/she neck was swollen a little bit on the right side. And I looked and it looks like 2 bite marks. I put some medicine and bandaged it up. He/she is having a hard time breathing and isn't really eating. I also crushed up a tiny piece of ibuprofen because he/she looks like he/she is in pain. PLEASE HELP ME WITH INFORMATION ON WHAT TO DO HE/SHE IS MY FAVORITE DUCK AND IVE GOT REALLY ATTACHED.

 

[nao57]

Well there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot her...

You can do a thermometer reading. Is it running off normal temperature? (Won't be easy since ducks don't like being held much.) You may have to also compare that temperature to others you have; I think duck temp average is around 107.5? I'm not an expert.

Try to find out right away if she's eating, drinking, and pooping. That will let you know if she's hanging in there.

Then you'll have to probably try to just keep an eye on her and keep her separate from the others. (Which won't be easy because they thrive off knowing the others are near.) Maybe you can pick another duck to be in isolation with her that is less energetic also? Not sure if this is good or not yet?)

If it were a dog or cat they'd put her on an IV for a few days, but I don't know if ducks would even do let you do that without trying to scratch it out, or rip it out when they clean themselves.

With ibuprofen you've got to have the dosage based on her weight, which is way less than a human. If you give her too much it could be a lot of trouble. You might be able to search on the net for a chart based on weight for this? (I don't know.)

While watching her try to recover you'll have to watch for infection and abscesses. (I don't know if ducks get abscesses much, but cats and dogs sometimes do.) Is the smell in the wounds increasing or decreasing is what you can ask yourself. (Yeah, I know ducks smell even when healthy.) The vets sometimes spray this yellow spray on wounds for cows, sheep, dogs, cats that helps with stuff but I forgot what its called. And that was a long time ago so things might be different. And that might not be good also because ducks are sensitive to chemicals with a lower body weight and they also rub their beaks and mouths all over everything.)

If the neck injury is severe enough, she may need help eating and drinking.

While healing up, you would want to avoid solid foods and make the foods stuff that's easy to swallow and pass through like liquefied gruel type of foods.

 

[angelinaf98]

Thank you for letting me know the gender. I been looking it up since I got her. I haven't gave her a name yet because I didn't know the gender. I'll check her temperature. She's drinking when I use a syringe to give her water and some pedylate to keep her hydrated and she's pooping. Just worried about her eating. We have no clue what has bite her. With the ibuprofen I really gave her less than a quarter because I don't know her actual weight. I'll keep a close eye on her while she's recovering and not give her solid food right now.

 

[angelinaf98]

I'm just worried about her breathing and gasping it sounds like. And it breaks my heart I'm trying everything. Thank you for the advice. I'll keep everybody updated on how she recovers.

 

[nao57]

By any chance is she much smaller than the other animals in the pen?

 

[Isaac 0]

It does look like maybe something grabbed her around the neck, I had this happen to a duckling as well a few years ago and after a few hours he was fine, so how is she doing now? I would not give her anymore aspirin.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Were your ducks penned in a secure house? sounds like a predator got hold of her and why it didn't kill her is amazing. Mink are bad for going for the neck. Can you get a good picture of the bite marks? Where in the world are you which can help us determine what your dealing with as far as the attack. So sorry, and hope she is better this morning.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...nd-supportive-care-updated-5-14-2018.1048620/ Do not pour water over her nares you can cause her to aspirate doing that.

 

[angelinaf98]

She's not smaller than anybody else in the pen. She's still breathing kinda hard that when she breathes her chest caves in. Its like she's gasping for air and when she opens her mouth to quack sometimes she don't make no noise. She just sits there and looks at me while she's doing it. She's drinking water on her own now. We do have them penned up at night we let them run around the yard during the day to get their excerise. I'm out of words whatever got a hold of her didn't kill her. I would've definitely been heart broken. Ill try to get a pic of the bite marks I put some petroleum jelly with vitamin E and Aloe on her and lightly bandaged it up so nothing gets into it. I live on avery Island road in New Iberia Louisiana. I won't give her no more aspirin or do the water in her nares.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Main thing now is keeping flies out of her wounds they will lay eggs and cause maggots to get into the wound that is life threatening. What ever bite her must have gone into the trachea which could be why your seeing her have a hard time breathing. Make sure the bandage isn't too tight also. Next time you clean the wound don't put Petroleum jelly it is not helping with healing and can actually cause the bacteria to stay in the wound. Do you have any antibiotic ointment like Neosporin or triple antibiotic or Veterycin spray?

 

[angelinaf98]

Yes I have Neosporin and triple antibiotic. I made sure the bandage wasn't tight on her. I didn't know Petroleum jelly would cause bacteria and wouldn't help it heal.