Urgent! Duckling Hit By Car

[GirlsMommy18]

3-4 week old muscovy duckling. Can stand if frightened and take a couple wobbly steps before falling down again. No obvious signs of injury, no blood. Have tried not to handle as much as possible. Alert, it's been 3 hours since being hit at least. Set up in bin with newspaper and a brood lamp. Chick waterer within reach.

What temperature does it need to be at? What the heck do I do with it if it survives the night? Any way to find out what's hurt without hurting it more?

Back story: Coming home I found a mother duck and her 3 babies trying road, except one baby stayed in the ditch. I realized when he got up and tried to walk, something was wrong. Long story short, someone veered off the road 3 feet, hit him and a sibling (dead instantly). Mother duck was still waiting for them in the road after I caught the one several minutes later when we passed again after stopping to get a bin and newspapers.

 

[Cyprus]

Any chance you can take him to a vet for an X-Ray? Towel or cloth is better than newspaper for the sake if his legs.

@WVduckchick

 

[GirlsMommy18]

Any chance you can take him to a vet for an X-Ray? Towel or cloth is better than newspaper for the sake if his legs.

@WVduckchick

If he survives the night, I was hoping to bring him to the wildlife rehabber nearby. Unfortunately, he's invasive where I live, so that may not workout. If it comes to me having to care for him myself, no, I will not be able to afford that sadly. Due to several emergencies back to back, I'm in the red. I've raised and cared for a muscovy duckling with a broken leg, but this doesn't look the same. I suspect the spine or internal damage is causing the difficulty standing. It's equally uneven when walking and standing up is in an odd hunched position. There is no visible damage anywhere, and the legs look normal (though who knows...)

 

[Cyprus]

If he survives the night, I was hoping to bring him to the wildlife rehabber nearby. Unfortunately, he's invasive where I live, so that may not workout. If it comes to me having to care for him myself, no, I will not be able to afford that sadly. Due to several emergencies back to back, I'm in the red. I've raised and cared for a muscovy duckling with a broken leg, but this doesn't look the same. I suspect the spine or internal damage is causing the difficulty standing. It's equally uneven when walking and standing up is in an odd hunched position. There is no visible damage anywhere, and the legs look normal (though who knows...)

Yeah that sounds like nerve damage. Hate to say he may not recover.

 

[GirlsMommy18]

Yeah that sounds like nerve damage. Hate to say he may not recover.

I figured his prognosis was not likely a good one. Honestly, I feel like there's a high chance he won't make it through the night. Being so alert though, he may surprise me.

Is 82F ok for tonight?

IF he survives the night and the rehabber won't take him, what will his care be like to possible (maybe slim) recovery? Obviously, no handling as much as possible. I'll change his bedding if he survives in the morning. Do I need to find a way to restrain him to aid healing. If it's nerve/spine damage, can I rig something up to stablize his back, or just leave it? At what point is culling the more humane option if it doesn't show signs of recovering?

 

[Cyprus]

I figured his prognosis was not likely a good one. Honestly, I feel like there's a high chance he won't make it through the night. Being so alert though, he may surprise me.

Is 82F ok for tonight?

IF he survives the night and the rehabber won't take him, what will his care be like to possible (maybe slim) recovery? Obviously, no handling as much as possible. I'll change his bedding if he survives in the morning. Do I need to find a way to restrain him to aid healing. If it's nerve/spine damage, can I rig something up to stablize his back, or just leave it? At what point is culling the more humane option if it doesn't show signs of recovering?

82 F should be okay.
Minimal handling is good. If you can find some I would suggest giving him chick electrolytes in the water.
I would try to keep him from being able to flip on his back which I don't think he will but you never know.

As for future care he will need either a feed specially formulated for ducklings or a chick feed with a niacin supplement. The niacin is extremely important.

I give a bird a max of two weeks to recover if it seems they have a chance.

 

[WVduckchick]

Wow, sorry you happened upon this beautiful duckling.
I probably wouldn’t try to do much tonight. Poor baby is probably in shock. Do you have any Nutridrench? A little extra vitamin boost couldn’t hurt. Warmth around 80 or so should be fine, and I’d keep her mostly in darkness for a bit.
Best of luck.

I want to tag a few others for their thoughts also.
@Miss Lydia @Pyxis @casportpony @shawluvsbirds @Fields Mountain Farm

 

[GirlsMommy18]

Well he's still alive and moved to a different part of the bin sometime. Waiting for the rehabber to open to see if they'll take him. They didn't take my last injured muscovy, so I'm not holding out too much hope on that front.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They probably won't take this little one either. Best to do now is supportive care. If you can find feed maybe a small 5 lb bag from TSC that won't cost much but if you get chick starter you'll need some kind of niacin for the lack of it in chick starter. Make sure he isn't on anything slippery which could aggravate any injury he needs good traction. Niacin can be added to water or sprinkled onto feed Nutritional yeast is my go to has all good bs in it 1 Tab per cup of feed. Your so sweet to want to help. I hope he can recover and be a normal little duck one day. He'll need to be adult size before even thinking of letting him go somewhere safe away from roads.

This info should help https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-provide-emergency-and-supportive-care-updated-5-14-2018.1048620/

 

[Saaniya]

I hope there's no internal injury or fracture take her to vet ND radiographs will be best option if u can..