Ducks are creatures of the water, they use their webbed feet to swim in whatever body of water they can find. These birds also walk on land, they waddle, which may look odd to some, but this is perfectly normal.
What isn’t normal is a duck dragging its leg, this article looks into why this happens and what you can do about it.
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Duck dragging leg
If you see a person dragging his or her leg around you’d think that something is wrong, thinking the same about a duck dragging its leg would be correct.
Here are reasons why your duck may be dragging its leg:
An injury:
Ducks are prone to a variety of foot-related issues, this is so because ducks are very active.
One foot-related issue that a duck may suffer from is a foot or leg injury, and this may make the bird drag its leg around.
When injured at its feet, a duck may change how it walks. This can look like a sudden limp or dragging its feet.
A duck with a leg injury will walk with a limp or drag its leg to minimize the feeling of pain in its injured foot. It may even stand on one leg to help reduce the pressure on the injured leg.
Injuries can be quite serious, it is important to treat the duck for its injury as quickly as you can if you notice the bird dragging its leg.
Leg injuries in ducks can happen while the duck is swimming, usually, in murky water. The bird may hit its foot against a log or a rock. Injuries can also develop while the bird is walking around, playing with other ducks, or fighting with other ducks.
All of these situations can cause a minor injury or even cause the duck’s leg to break.
If left unattended the injured leg can develop an infection, and ducks that don’t get medical attention can die of an infection.
Examine the hurt bird:
If you think that your bird’s leg is injured you’d need to quickly help the duck.
Start off by examining the bird, catch the duck but be sure to catch the bird without stressing it. If the bird becomes stressed as you try to catch it then it may further injure itself.
Once caught, examine the bird to figure out the extent of the injury. Check for swelling and check for any other signs of injuries like cuts or breaks on the bird’s leg.
What to do:
If the bird has an open wound gently clean and dress the wound. After this, keep the duck somewhere clean, isolated, and dry to minimize contact with bacteria and to minimize contact with other birds.
If the duck has twisted its leg, limit its movement by keeping it somewhere enclosed and isolated. Also, remove any hazardous materials, that may harm your other ducks, from where your ducks frequent.
You likely need to contact a veterinarian for professional assistance. The vet will examine the bird and may x-ray the bird’s leg checking if the leg is broken.
Sores:
Sores on the bird’s leg, or foot, can also cause the bird to start dragging its leg. Ducks who live in or frequent wet environments, like very muddy areas, can develop sores.
Bacteria can get into these sores and infect the bird’s leg making the situation worse for the bird. An infected leg will be painful, swelling and heat will be present in the area as well.
What to do:
Start off by checking the bird to see if it does in fact have a sore, check the bird’s foot for any openings, swelling, or heat. If there is an open wound or a sore on the bird’s foot you would need to clean it and bandage it.
If there is heat, swelling, and or puss at the bird’s foot then this means that the sore is infected. You’d need to contact your vet if this is the case with your bird. The vet will be able to offer antibiotics to the bird to treat the infection.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other duck related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Duckling feet turned inward, Duck foot swollen, How to splint a ducks leg, How to keep ducks safe on a pond