Okay, so, this is a story about how I dealt with an injured waddle. It all started when I noticed one of my ducks, a cute little guy named Waddles, was limping. Yeah, that’s how imaginative I am with names, but hey, it fits, right?
So, Waddles was definitely not having a good day. I saw he had a pretty nasty wound on his leg. First thing I did was gently catch him. Let me tell you, catching a duck isn’t as easy as it looks, especially when it’s scared and in pain.
Clean the Wound
Once I got ahold of him, I brought him inside and cleaned the wound. I used just plain water, nothing fancy. I rinsed it out real good to get rid of any dirt or whatever was in there. He wasn’t too thrilled about this part, but I made sure to be as gentle as possible.
Apply Medicine
- After cleaning, I applied some neosporin, the kind without pain reliever.
- I read somewhere that it’s safe for birds and helps with healing, so I figured it was worth a shot.
Separate and Feed
Next, I set Waddles up in his own little area, away from the other ducks. I didn’t want them picking on him while he was down. I gave him a special mix of food. I mixed some plain yogurt and scrambled eggs into his regular feed. Apparently, the probiotics in the yogurt and the protein in the eggs are good for healing. He seemed to enjoy it, so that was a good sign.
Monitor and Observe
For the next few days, I kept a close eye on him. I checked the wound regularly, reapplied the neosporin, and made sure he was eating and drinking. The wound was bruising, showing some green and blue, which I learned was normal – it meant the muscle cells were damaged but he’s otherwise okay. It’s just that you can’t see this kind of damage until you cut the bird up, and that’s not happening here! I also noticed he was starting to put a little weight on his injured leg, which was a huge relief.
Slowly but surely, Waddles started to get better. He started waddling around more, and the limp was becoming less noticeable. It took a couple of weeks, but eventually, he was back to his old self, quacking and waddling around with the other ducks. I was so relieved! It’s a good feeling to know you helped a little creature get back on its feet… or, well, webbed feet in this case.
So, that’s my story about dealing with an injured waddle. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but it all worked out in the end. I learned a lot about duck first aid, and I’m just glad Waddles is okay.
