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!
2 comments:
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
I 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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