How To Fix A Broken Duck Leg? 3 Effective Treatments!

When your duck has a broken leg, take your duck to a surgeon or vet to realign the broken legs. You need to use metal wires, screws, plates, or rods based on the wound. We sometimes attach an external frame to heal ducks’ leg fractures. If the problem is severe, let the veterinarians do the job of radiographing X-rays. Also, they may need to splint the leg.

To know more in detail about how to fix a broken duck leg, I have some treatment steps. But before that, let’s know the possible reasons behind the duck’s broken legs.

Understand 6 Potential Causes Behind Ducks Broken Legs

To understand more in detail about what to do if my duck has a broken leg, understanding the causes behind such injuries is crucial. Here are the reasons behind the ducks’ broken legs discussed. 

1. Ducks may fall from a height that can break the leg. 
2. Cats, dogs, large predatory birds, or raccoons show their aggression on ducks. It’s what causes leg fractures in ducks due to shaking or biting. Infection due to biting can cause broken legs. 
3. It happens when ducks try to pass through fences, and mostly, the leg gets trapped and broken.
4. It’s something cruel but true that ducks can get hit by any vehicle and lose their leg. Either the leg gets fractured or broken.
5. Fighting with each other can cause broken legs of ducks. 
6. Accidental dropping or mishandling by the owner can cause broken legs of ducks. 

8 Signs Of Ducks With Broken Legs

When ducks are in trouble with broken legs, you’ll find them in some suffering. Note down the signs that indicate they have broken legs.

1. Limping: Unable to use the injured leg or use it partially.
2. Deformity: Legs at an abnormal angle.
3. Swelling: Discoloration or bruising near the injured area. Also, the broken leg seems swollen.
4. Unable To Bear Weight: Ducks become unable to bear the body weight and fall here and there as they need a two-paw balance.
5. Distress and pain: Getting hurt by any object causes pain in a duck’s broken leg. You may see them quacking a lot more than usual to show the pain. Sometimes, they flap their wings or try to escape.
6. Isolated: When in pain of broken legs, they remain inside the coop or become isolated. They actually cannot cooperate with their mates in the garden or yard.
7. Vulnerability: Because of pain, ducks become more aggressive and vulgar. So, they badly try to attack anyone who tries to hurt them.
8. Other Signs: You can also see them less active or losing appetite with a broken leg.

Recommended Readings:

• Why Is My Duck Limping
• How Do You Know If A Duck Is In Pain

How To Fix A Broken Duck Leg? A Quick Treatment!

A broken duck leg keeps them in pain and requires immediate treatment. But How do you fix a duck’s broken leg at home? From a general point of view, what we should do is splinting, and it’s how you should do that:

1. Isolation

Isolate the bird or duck from the flock of ducks in a warm space. Ensure a separate safe enclosure with access to water, food, and a dry resting location.

2. Broken Leg Alignment

You cannot securely realign their broken legs until you have enough knowledge. However, if you can, then okay, do it. Otherwise, take your duck to the vet. 

Well, the vet can properly take care of it. They’ll stabilize the leg carefully. To do so, they use lightweight homemade duck splints. Also, they’ll align the broken parts of the leg in a normal position by pulling gently. 

3. Adequate Support

After that, ensure you give support to each side of the leg to let it extend above and below the fracture. Using popsicle sticks, cotton swabs, or a cardboard piece will be enough to fix the problem immediately. If it seems tough, call the vet or avian expert.

But how to wrap a duck’s broken leg if needed? Do the splinting. Then, straighten its leg, include padding, and ensure the leg is secured with vet wrap or tape. But don’t tighten too much. They are already in pain!

According to a discussion found from a trusted source, wrapping in gauze just before putting the tape on is something that increases the chances of healing more rapidly. You can even use wire and wrap the duck’s bones together with thread of duct tape or glue.

4. Ducks Care During the Treatment

Aside from this treatment, some general care and treatment are a must for your ducks. Have a look at the things you must do along with treatment.

1. Identify the injured condition: Identify what treatment will be suitable for them.
2. Medication: When they’re badly in broken leg pain, offer pain relief medicine but only when the vet suggests.
3. Isolate Them: Take the sick duck away from the group of ducks and let them rest to become stress-free.
4. Healthy Diet And Hydration: When ducks break their legs, they need healthy foods and water sources to remain hydrated. For ducklings, start ensuring they have enough niacin, protein, and vitamins. Healthy treats like fruits or veggies can be great!
5. Massaging Legs After Bandage: Slowly massaging the injured leg without harming it can be a crucial part.

Related Read: Why Do Ducks Get Stressed

When to Ask for Vet Help for Ducks’ Broken Legs

You may see ducks suffering from different fractures, such as:

• Comminuted: Broken bone into various pieces.
• Displaced:  Bone moved apart or misaligned.
• Compound or open: Bone can be broken through the skin
• Hairline or nondisplaced: Little damage and fracture near the surrounding tissue.

What To Do?

Before calling the vet, minimize the movement of their injured, broken duck foot. To do that, cover the duck wounds with a sterile dressing cloth (clean). You’ll also have to put pressure on the wounds if the bleeding does not stop.

In case you need the vet, they may also follow the Orthopedic surgery treatment method instead of splinting. What they’ll do is:

• The vet doctor will do a radiographing X-ray first.
• They’ll use metal wires, screws, rods, and plates to realign the dislocated duck leg.
• If necessary, the avian specialist will attach an external frame or fixator with a metal pin until the fracture is healed.
• In the end, they’ll bandage the hurt leg of your pet ducks. Splint can be removed within 14 to 28 days.

Physical Therapy for Broken Ducks Legs

Yes, you can also do physical therapy. Talk to the vet, and they’ll talk about a customized rehabilitation schedule. Here, you’ll have to perform:

• Aquatic session in the water
• Physical manipulation exercises
• Allowing ducks to gradually try building up strength in their broken legs.

To treat the tame ducks, I would suggest giving anesthesia and then performing the operation. In fact, the vet will take care of it and will successfully add the adhesive plaster to their legs. You can do it yourself, but don’t do this if you’re not knowledgeable enough.

Now, you may wonder, “How to fix a baby duck’s broken leg, right? All of the treatments I mentioned are also the same for your ducklings or baby ducks with broken legs. Just a little extra care as they’re small and more sensitive.

Prevent Leg Problems In Ducks: 6 Things You Can Do

Leg problems come in due to owners’ negligence or because of any accidental matter. However, you can try to prevent such problems in ways like:

1. Offer healthy, nutritious diets. When it’s about baby ducks, niacin should be a must for them.
2. Don’t let the flock of ducks make an overcrowded area. They often fight for mating and break their legs.
3. Ensure there is no slippery surface.
4. Check your duck’s health condition and any injuries or diseases that can cause a broken leg.
5. Handle your ducks properly to keep them safe in your hand.
6. Meet the vet often to ensure their legs are completely fine.

Will A Duck With A Broken Leg Survive?

Yes, ducks will survive, but in severe conditions, they can’t. However, when treated properly, how long does it take for a duck’s broken leg to heal? Usually, a duck’s broken leg takes around 3 to 6 weeks to heal. But it depends on the injury level, vet treatment, and the duck’s health condition.

However, it’s also possible that ducks may die due to excessive pain without treatment. But as an owner, you must call the vet, or even the wildlife rehabilitator can take care of it. In fact, you can give the initial support to heal the duck.

Can A Ducks Broken Leg Heal On Its Own?

Ducks are not gonna be okay with broken legs on their own. You’ll see them losing balance and falling too much. It’s a misconception that wounds get healed without treatment after a certain period of time. 

Even after first-aid care, the duck’s broken legs remain in bad condition. It’s the vet treatment that’ll fix such problems after a few weeks.

How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Ducks Broken Leg

The cost of fixing a duck’s broken leg depends on the injury. Whether you have a mallard or muscovy duck, they may ask for around $50 to $500 (Estimated) based on the leg condition. While headed to leg surgery, they may ask for 2,000 dollars.

FAQs

Here, I included some commonly asked questions that a curious mind will ask after going through the article.

Summarization

In short, fix your duck’s broken legs by splinting, doing orthopedic surgery, giving anesthesia, or giving physical therapy. However, such treatments must be done by expert veterinarians. If you have enough knowledge, they do it yourself with extra care.

Besides, you need to understand the causes and the level of leg injury in ducks. Plus, check for signs like deformities, limping, excessive quacking, and isolation. When you see such conditions, take immediate steps. Or at least try to give pain reliever medicine and offer nutritious food and support them as much as you can.

Sources and References:

• https://www.taxidermy.net/threads/68649/
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002231662318504X
• https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/avian-botulism