UPDATE: she's alive! Now what?

[maralynn28]

Help, my duck was just recovered after raccoon attack (in daylight). She is breathing hard and there are some puncture wounds. Not sure what internal injuries. I thought her a gonner as she had a limp neck, but she's fighting back!!!! She is lifting her head and is trying to walk but is in obvious pain. She is in the tub with little water. Not sure what else to do to help her fight for her life. Such a fighter! I love this duck so much, she's my first and the reason I've kept it going.
What can I do? I don't have any antibiotics or any special first aid stuff. Just regular first aid (peroxide) but I don't really see wounds..... I really hope no major internal injuries.

 

[maralynn28]

Shes the beauty in my avatar.

 

[maralynn28]

Anything I can give her for pain?

 

[CMV]

Did you check very carefully for punctures? Are there any? If so, where? Check carefully. Punctures can be hard to see on a duck and it is important that they get cleaned.

I wouldn't give her anything for pain. You don't want to risk thinning her blood in case she does have internal injuries. Keep her inside in a warm, dim/dark room and let her rest. Give her access to water, but hold off on feed for the first day or 2. She will be fine without it.

You've done all that you can do at this point. The rest is up to her. Let her rest and recover from the stress.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Warm, dry, cleaned up, quiet with food and water. Find and clean all injuries, reclean daily as often as needed. The calmer you stay the better for her.

 

[maralynn28]

Thanks so much for the replies. I don't want to touch her too much right now and she isn't as snuggle as usual (understandably). I can see she has foamy eye-looks like maybe just scratches- there is a puncture on her lower cheek area by the beak that is leaking blood. There are also two more on her back that are punctures but that's all I can see. I suspect some injuries on her underside but can't see due to feathers (though she has lost a few). I'm thinking based on how much she's perked up since we've brought her in, she has a fighting chance. She was limp and breathing very heavy but her breathing now seems normal, she's flapped her wings a little, walking around a bit and trying to groom herself although she stops when she starts to hurt (based onobservation). She is drinking tub water so I added some vitamins to it. Don't want to do Epsom or peroxide or anything she might drink.
So I guess I should drain the water (it was just a couple inches) but to keep her dry and warm? I'll find an old towel for her to use for bedding tonight.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! My kids aren't crying anymore, there's hope. I told them she still needs to make it through the night but there is HOPE.

 

[maralynn28]

How do I clean the punctures?

 

[CMV]

The ones on her back are the most dangerous. There are some air sacs located along the back of the neck where it meets the back. Are the punctures near there or are they lower down away from the lungs?

To clean the wounds I like to use betadine tea (1 betadine :10 water) in a turkey baster. Flush the punctures out with this tea. In a pinch you can use peroxide ONCE, but don't use it again after the initial cleaning. It kills new skin cells. Dress the wounds with your choice of ointment. I like Neosporin (no -caine ingredients), but use it sparingly. A little bit goes a long way, and it's a mess to get out of their feathers once they are healed. You can also use the Neosporin in her eye. It will help to soothe the scratches and hopefully prevent an infection from taking hold.

Get her settled in for the night, and let her rest after that.

 

[maralynn28]

I can't tell. I hope there aren't any there. I will check again but don't know how much handling she'll tolerate- or I am comfortable with, since I'm afraid of making it worse. There is one on her lower back I'm not concerned with, had a dog attack others in the same area and they were just fine plus this one is more minor. I'm more afraid there are internal issues I can't see or do anything about. I will flush the punctures like you suggested, thanks. I do have betadine.

She is acting much better already, she's got her little quack back.

 

[CMV]

That's a good sign. She likely doesn't have an ruptured air sacs or lung punctures if she's quacking.

Let us know how she's doing in the AM.