very injured duck in need of help

[KaziCritter]

bandage was on loose, and the second from the left looks quite a lot like what im seeing (not as bulgy at the bottom though and only the bulge bit is exposed, the tubes are still covered by skin) with the small hole about 1/4-1/3 down from the top and on the side facing her back. tried using a towel but i cant get it tight enough, wound's lower edge is right where the neck spreads into the body so the towel slips down no mater how i try wrapping it (think trying to hold onto a slippery bar of soap for what the towel keeps doing).

 

[casportpony]

bandage was on loose, and the second from the left looks quite a lot like what im seeing (not as bulgy at the bottom though and only the bulge bit is exposed, the tubes are still covered by skin) with the small hole about 1/4-1/3 down from the top and on the side facing her back. tried using a towel but i cant get it tight enough, wound's lower edge is right where the neck spreads into the body so the towel slips down no mater how i try wrapping it (think trying to hold onto a slippery bar of soap for what the towel keeps doing).

Maybe try taking some vetwrap or duct tape, tape her legs together, then tape her wings to her body?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I think vetwrap stays on even when wet?

-Kathy

 

[KaziCritter]

well just tried a warm lightly salted bath, she was feeling well enough to try bathing herself even though the water was just belly deep. managed to get the vetwrap unstuck but the pad still stuck so after about 10 min (she started to get antsy after that) i just soaked the pad with as much water as it would hold and lightly re-wrapped it with a new piece of vet wrap to keep it from getting ripped off. and that leaf i had hoped would come loose is even more firmly stuck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

well just tried a warm lightly salted bath, she was feeling well enough to try bathing herself even though the water was just belly deep. managed to get the vetwrap unstuck but the pad still stuck so after about 10 min (she started to get antsy after that) i just soaked the pad with as much water as it would hold and lightly re-wrapped it with a new piece of vet wrap to keep it from getting ripped off. and that leaf i had hoped would come loose is even more firmly stuck.

You really need to get that pad off try again tomorrow and this time leave it off for a while, if not for good. if you can post some pics maybe between us all we can decide if it would be better to keep it off and let air get to it. Maybe fill the tub up enough she can really get a good soak and bath. This may get the leaf off too. but you need to see that wound.

 

[casportpony]

Go buy some big telfa pads.

-Kathy

 

[Kleonaptra]

That's interesting K thanks, I had always been told on here that watered down betadine to look like weak tea was good to use. and no peroxide after initial application to clean.

How's the patient this morning?

Well with fowl Im honestly not sure which is better. For horses I know, 100% salt water is the best thing. Horses heal so well theres this thing called 'proud flesh' where nerveless flesh grows like mad over wounds and has to be cut off....Its really well supplied with blood so it looks gruesome but is entirely painless! Horses are so prone to small scratches and such, most people go over board so I think most vets and teachers are trying to encourage people away from all these products companies tell us we just have to have.

Ducks in particular are very dirty...I know when my Talli lost her wing the vet was more afraid of infection than anything. He was trying to save her wing. We had told him from the beginning to amputate, if he had to, but he wanted to try. In the end this big warm dark place with a wound in it that she kept sticking her wet beak into was too hard to manage and off came the wing. Nice clean wound, back to normal in 3 days. We never used salt water then, we had medicated washes and a good strength betadine for that.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well with fowl Im honestly not sure which is better. For horses I know, 100% salt water is the best thing. Horses heal so well theres this thing called 'proud flesh' where nerveless flesh grows like mad over wounds and has to be cut off....Its really well supplied with blood so it looks gruesome but is entirely painless! Horses are so prone to small scratches and such, most people go over board so I think most vets and teachers are trying to encourage people away from all these products companies tell us we just have to have.

Ducks in particular are very dirty...I know when my Talli lost her wing the vet was more afraid of infection than anything. He was trying to save her wing. We had told him from the beginning to amputate, if he had to, but he wanted to try. In the end this big warm dark place with a wound in it that she kept sticking her wet beak into was too hard to manage and off came the wing. Nice clean wound, back to normal in 3 days. We never used salt water then, we had medicated washes and a good strength betadine for that.

One reason I like salt water is it's something most of us can make up with out running out to the store when we need to be treating. So that's a plus. I probably have way more things than I need and am very thankful I haven't had to use alot but it's nice to know it's there. Interesting facts about horses I didn't know.
I'm glad to hear your duck healed so well after having her wing amputated. they are amazing aren't they.

 

[KaziCritter]

still alive and active. just got done giving her a bath in the tub (rather then yesterdays in the sink). the soaking from yesterday caused nearly the entire bandage and the leaf to let go. got the bandage trimmed down this time as i pulled it free, there is about 1" x 1/2" piece stuck on (stuck bit is only about 1/4"x1/4" left stuck on, would have kept trying to get it off but it started causing bleeding so i left it on during her bath and tried again but still wouldn't come off so it got another good soaking. i did also gently re-wrap her neck with a new pad (even better coated, working with what i have or i would use non stick pads (although ive had those stick too)), mostly to keep anything from happening to it accidentally while waiting on a reply on how to treat her further.

did get a few photos, how should i post them (link or posted to a post, if to a post then how do i do that?). some are nice and clear, but some are a bit blurry cause my phone didnt want to focus on it (had to get close and she kept shaking (pain/shock shuddering and shaking water off)).

as a side note, i did the bandage check on the counter in the bathroom right in front of a good sized mirror. seeing "another duck" there that wasnt freaking out kept her pretty much still and quiet without needing to wrap her up and work around her trying to get free. and in the bath she wasn't interested in doing anything until i turned the door around for the mirror to face inwards giving her a "companion". im going to try using the mirror on any more work i need to do on her, but so far it seems that at least for this duck giving her a mirror friend was the easiest way to keep her calm and still.

 

[Miss Lydia]

still alive and active. just got done giving her a bath in the tub (rather then yesterdays in the sink). the soaking from yesterday caused nearly the entire bandage and the leaf to let go. got the bandage trimmed down this time as i pulled it free, there is about 1" x 1/2" piece stuck on (stuck bit is only about 1/4"x1/4" left stuck on, would have kept trying to get it off but it started causing bleeding so i left it on during her bath and tried again but still wouldn't come off so it got another good soaking. i did also gently re-wrap her neck with a new pad (even better coated, working with what i have or i would use non stick pads (although ive had those stick too)), mostly to keep anything from happening to it accidentally while waiting on a reply on how to treat her further.

did get a few photos, how should i post them (link or posted to a post, if to a post then how do i do that?). some are nice and clear, but some are a bit blurry cause my phone didnt want to focus on it (had to get close and she kept shaking (pain/shock shuddering and shaking water off)).

as a side note, i did the bandage check on the counter in the bathroom right in front of a good sized mirror. seeing "another duck" there that wasnt freaking out kept her pretty much still and quiet without needing to wrap her up and work around her trying to get free. and in the bath she wasn't interested in doing anything until i turned the door around for the mirror to face inwards giving her a "companion". im going to try using the mirror on any more work i need to do on her, but so far it seems that at least for this duck giving her a mirror friend was the easiest way to keep her calm and still.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/inserting-pics-in-on-the-new-byc

Great news she is still here and sounds like she is improving, has she eaten anything? I'd think if she had a hole in her "crop" she would be going down hill pretty fast. I've had non stick stick too, so sounds like you have done the best you can for now. I'd keep working on the bandage till it comes off so the wound can get air and you can see what it looks like. glad the leaf finally came off. were you able to see any part of the wound?
They do ike to look at themselves i glad the mirror worked. Maybe not in too much pain now but could have a little fear of what your going to do to her and that could cause shaking could be she was just shaking water off too. I'd think she would be recovered from shock by now.

Keep up the good work.