Help! Duckling fell out of hubby's hand and is not so right...

[shiloh04]

Hubby was holding one of the 3-day-old ducklings, and Fuzzy Head jumped out of hubby's hands. He landed on the vinyl flooring after falling about 3 feet.

He's still responsive and alert, but if you set him down he tries to stand up, falls over backwards, then spins himself around in circles. Obviously, that's not good as he can't get from food to water and back to the light.

He's wrapped in a towel and sitting on my chest right now, and he's calm. I've very gently moved his head and neck around some, as well as stretching his legs forwards and back. Nothing FEELS wrong, but he's not right.

Any hope for the poor little guy?

 

[lovesduckies]

i hope someone smarter comes along, but is it possible to get it to drink? even if you have to help it, some electrolytes will be good i think.

 

[Amiga]

Hard to say. Can you offer him some water in a tiny cup? Keeping him quiet and warm and hydrated is probably what you can do for him. Do you have any duckling vitamins? Will he take a tiny nibble of food from your hand?

 

[chicks4kids]

I would give him some time...I've read threads on here where things like that happen, and it just takes a few days to correct itself...

to the little guy, I would just make sure that the water and food is close enough to him, regardless of whether it's under the lamp or not.

 

[dntd]

my dog kind of acted like that when she fell and her brain swelled when she was a pup, she did get better with meds,hopefully your duckling pulls through.

 

[shiloh04]

Well, he seems very much the same, though he's been chirping off and on, and he can sit up with something behind him to support him. He can scoot himself up my lap, but he can't stand or walk.

We are going to build him a little sling and sit food and water in front of him, and see if he can pull through. At first I thought maybe it was his neck that was the issue because he kept his head pulled in tight to his body, but he's been moving his head and neck all around to check things out. Maybe he hurt his leg. He's not so fond of me messing with his left leg, though he's also still a baby duck who doesn't want to be flipped on his back either.

Hopefully he will make it. I guess time will tell.

 

[dntd]

my dog kind of acted like that when she fell and her brain swelled when she was a pup, she did get better with meds,hopefully your duckling pulls through.

 

[Birdcrazy]

I've heard of lil ducky injuries where their head is bent wrong and stuff, but they seem to 'grow' out of it. I had a duckling who, when he wasnt alert, he'd close his left eye. He'd keep it closed while walking, swimming, eating. Only opened it when something scared him. He wasnt actually hurt and he grew out of it after about 3 weeks. Was strange.

 

[thndrdancr]

I had a chickie jump off the counter from the box I had her in at night one time, about a four foot drop. She was about the same age.

She was wonky for quite a while, I babied her and made sure she could get to food and water alright and she did recover but it took a while, had a limp for quite some time and she is three years old now and still displaces her wing sometimes, it got dislocated when she fell. at the time I didnt know what all was hurt.

She is terrified of heights to this day, and wont try to jump on anything over a foot an half high, poor dear.

I sure hope your ducky recovers. Hugs to the both of ya.

 

[shiloh04]

He seems a bit better this morning, aside from missing his siblings. He's in a box full of shredded paper, so he can't hurt himself when he tries to move and then gets stuck on his side. The sling didn't work. He just fought it too much.

He is eating and drinking just fine, though I am having to handfeed and water him because he squirms and knocks his water over. Hopefully he does OK.