Duck with fishhook in her leg

[ajneal30]

I just rescued a Swedish hen from a local pond. She has a hook imbedded pretty deeply in her knee joint. You can see infection leaking out. She's obviously going to need antibiotics. Any advice on how to get the hook out with the least amount of pain and stress to her. I am working on uploading pics.

http://[URL=http://s86.photobucket.com/user/ajneal30/media/10425374_10152751624665409_1935674166245029222_n.j pg.html][/URL]

[mygoat]

If you can, you'll have to poke it through the rest of the way however is easiest, so that the pointy end comes out along with the barb. That will do less damage than trying to pull it back out, most likely. Snip off the barbed end, then pull the rest of it out back the way it came. I'd flush the wound well with something like sterile saline a LOT if you can get it in there. I've had success giving poultry IM injections into the breast meat (in animals I was not planning to eat, obviously) of Oxytetracycline, using the dose on the bottle 1x per day. I greatly prefer biomycin because it is no-sting. I use a 1/2" needle when giving to poultry, and get it into a deep part of their muscle. Understand their breast meat is held lower and leveler to the ground on them than chickens - palpate a nice area in the breast to give injection.

This is what I would do if I had to try this at home. Perhaps a call to a local vet would give you better advice, however. You may even get a quote you can afford to just take it in and have it done professionally. Whatever your ability/budget.

[hawgsquatch]

Push it through, cut off the barb and back it out. Then betadine the crud out of it and coat it with bag balm. Bet she heals right up.

[ajneal30]

Lucky for Miss Ducky, it was a barbless hook meant for catch and release. Going to put Neosporin on it until I can get something better. She doesn't want to put any weight on that leg, but she's really enjoying sifting through all of the shavings in the crate.

[GrannyCarol]

So glad you rescued her! I'll bet it heals up well now that the hook is out. She's a nice looking duck!

[MO_cows]

Good for you! Was it hard to catch her? As discolored as the hook was, it must have been there for awhile.

[unregistered41671]

I would be trying to get some peroxide in the wound and then neosporin on top.

[GrannyCarol]

You know, if you could keep her from drinking it, a soak in warm water with epsom salts might draw out some of the infection too.