With trepidation, I removed the bandage splint from the ducks leg this morning. She was relieved and able to at least move the upper leg.
However, she would not put her foot down...yet. I gave her some pain relief before releasing her into the aviary to rejoin her ducklings. Considering the joint bone was badly fragmented, I suppose her condition is to be expected. It can take 6 weeks for a fracture to heal completely, but I don't expect this to happen in her case. I will continue with some pain relief and physio.
The ducklings will have to be kept for at least 6 weeks in any case before release to the river.
We can only hope that she will get at least some use out of the gammy leg!
Well done Sir. The vets thought it not worth their while but you (and, one wonders...the ducklings?) prevailed. You are a good man! Forres
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure the Ducklings need their mother until they are old enough to fledge. She may not survive in the long term, but I have the facilities to give her a life worth living at present.
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