Possible prolapsed penis?

Galaxyfalcon

Songster
May 25, 2020
218
357
161
Eastern WA
Hello everyone,

Looking for a little help. One of my three month old ducklings has been doing well, but we noticed yesterday evening that his penis was dangling out a bit. Today we noticed it is still out (or has popped back out). I'm aware of issues with prolapsed penis' and I've tried to take a look at a few older posts but I'm unsure what to do in terms of treatment. I plan on taking a look tomorrow and hoping to see if there's anything we can do to help if it hasn't resolved itself. We don't have a lot of vets here and no avian vets. This little guy and a good chunk of his broodmates were heading to their new home in about a week so I would feel awful sending him away with a nasty health issue unresolved so we may keep him longer and make sure he's doing okay.

I tried to snap some photos but he was a bit wiggly and the sun was going down:

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It looks like it might be a bit swollen and I'm not sure why the tip looks a bit "drippy" — maybe he snagged it on something? I'll try to take some better photos if it's still out tomorrow but I want to be prepared as possible for treating him. Thanks for any help.
 
How is your drake doing this morning?
The redness on the phallus would concern me slightly, as erythema (redness of tissue) is often a sign that that the area is becoming inflamed.
Once the tissue of the phallus has become inflamed, it can be difficult for it to properly retract inside the bird.
You haven't discussed what you have done so far on the bird, but a saline wash to debris any dirt/bacteria would be a good start.
Afterwards, if you can apply a sterile lubricant such as KY jelly, medical-grade honey, SSD cream, antibacterial cream, or dilute DMSO to the phallus, and try to massage the area gently.
Birds with a prolapsed phallus should be separated from the flock, and kept in a sterile clean environment to prevent further damage to the phallus. If the bird is not drinking coax him to drink with some warm electrolytes.
To help combat any inflammation occurring, you might consider administering an NSAID such as aspirin. If you have any NSAIDS from a past dog/cat visit that would work also.
If you have inquiries regarding the dose, simply post what you have and the Milgram content.
 
How is your drake doing this morning?

Not good—I can't believe I was such an idiot but I didn't separate him before bed and the other ducks pecked at him all night. There was some bleeding but it seems to have stopped now. The phallus has either retracted slightly or they've managed to pull most of it off. I think a vet is mandatory now but they won't open until tomorrow and even then I'm not sure what they will do for him. In the meantime, I'm not sure what measures are a good idea considering the apparent damage. He is separated now in a safe cage. We initially had him away from the flock but he was panicking so we have him in the shade near the water so he can see them and they can come say hello at a safe distance.

He has water with electrolytes (Sav-a-chick). Should I apply any cream or Neosporin etc to the penis in this state? We have aspirin and some metacam here. He's drinking well and produced a nice poop earlier.

If anyone finds this thread in the future definitely separate your drake as soon as you notice the penis stuck outside, I didn't even think of it but the other ducks may have caused extensive damage to something that was completely treatable.

edit: about an hour after this post I noticed that he had some blood under him where he was standing, about the side of a quarter. It seems to have stopped again but it has me worried. He seems uncomfortable and isn't sitting (perhaps understandably). I feel awful for him. I called the emergency vet service and they suggested a cold bath but I don't know what other options I have until I can try to take him to someone. I wish we had an avian vet.
 

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Just a quick update on Trooper. It looks like he had an ulcer on the penis (as a result of the pecking) and the bit pointing out was just the tip of the penis. He's currently all fixed up and on some medicine for a week or so while he heals up, but he should hopefully be able to make a full recovery.
 
My drakeling managed to get an outie as well. It was thick red like a nightcrawler with a black dried up tip! All healthy light pink now with some curl, but he seems to struggle with satisfying his girls. Not sure if that is a young drake thing or if there was long-term damage. I guess next Spring will tell.

Just a note so you know you aren't alone.
 

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