Gooseypoo
Chirping
- Feb 1, 2019
- 43
- 113
- 87
Yesterday morning I went out to let the ducks (4) and geese (2) out of the barn and found that something had gotten into the duck stall killing one of our female Indian runners and injuring our female khaki Campbell. It was about 2 degrees out so everybody was already cold when I let them out and hovered inside the barn distressed (they usually go directly outside no matter how cold it is) but they were all outside when I came back with a fresh water bucket. The other two ducks and the geese were already sitting on their hay pile with their beaks tucked under their wings but the khaki Campbell wasn't able to tuck her beak, so I brought her inside.
I ran a bath for her to clean off in, which she did, but she was in obvious pain from lacerations around her head and the back of her neck so she didn't shake or rub her head on her body. I put her in a dog kennel with pine shavings and food and water inside the house (where it is cold, but much warmer than outside). She drank in the bath and drank again in her kennel, and she seemed to be drooling, but I considered it might be just part of the trauma and decided to wait it out. Her bleeding had stopped and I figured I would just let her be so she could heal.
We put the other two in a kennel inside for the night as well, until we can figure out how to predator-proof their stall. They had a bath before bed and acted completely normal. She was quacking at hearing them in the tub, so we put her in with them, but it was too much for her and she kept looking for refuge under my arm so I took her back out.
I just checked on her a few minutes ago. There's hardly any poop in her cage (just a few spots, very bright green) and her food is untouched. The kale someone gave her was in her water bowl so I took it out and she gobbled at it, but dropped it back in her bowl. It looked like it was too big to swallow (though she's never had a problem before). So I ripped it up in little pieces. She went for each one with enthusiasm and each one fell back out of her beak. I noticed that every time she went for water it was just drooling back out of her beak. I think she can't swallow!
What do I do here? I have syringes, should I make a slurry of her pellets and try to squirt some down her throat? I haven't messed with her wounds too much as they obviously hurt, and they looked mostly superficial, but could something have happened to prevent her from being able to swallow? It didn't appear that there was anything wrong in her throat area, just around her head and the back of her neck.
Poor girl, I feel awful that they were attacked in their "safe" place and now even worse that she has gone 24 hours without being able to ingest anything on top of that! If anyone has any advice or experience I would really appreciate the help.
I ran a bath for her to clean off in, which she did, but she was in obvious pain from lacerations around her head and the back of her neck so she didn't shake or rub her head on her body. I put her in a dog kennel with pine shavings and food and water inside the house (where it is cold, but much warmer than outside). She drank in the bath and drank again in her kennel, and she seemed to be drooling, but I considered it might be just part of the trauma and decided to wait it out. Her bleeding had stopped and I figured I would just let her be so she could heal.
We put the other two in a kennel inside for the night as well, until we can figure out how to predator-proof their stall. They had a bath before bed and acted completely normal. She was quacking at hearing them in the tub, so we put her in with them, but it was too much for her and she kept looking for refuge under my arm so I took her back out.
I just checked on her a few minutes ago. There's hardly any poop in her cage (just a few spots, very bright green) and her food is untouched. The kale someone gave her was in her water bowl so I took it out and she gobbled at it, but dropped it back in her bowl. It looked like it was too big to swallow (though she's never had a problem before). So I ripped it up in little pieces. She went for each one with enthusiasm and each one fell back out of her beak. I noticed that every time she went for water it was just drooling back out of her beak. I think she can't swallow!
What do I do here? I have syringes, should I make a slurry of her pellets and try to squirt some down her throat? I haven't messed with her wounds too much as they obviously hurt, and they looked mostly superficial, but could something have happened to prevent her from being able to swallow? It didn't appear that there was anything wrong in her throat area, just around her head and the back of her neck.
Poor girl, I feel awful that they were attacked in their "safe" place and now even worse that she has gone 24 hours without being able to ingest anything on top of that! If anyone has any advice or experience I would really appreciate the help.
