Need advice asap

[Reti]

I will have to go take a look at a duck a nice lady rescued. The story is this poor duck was bitten by an aligator (a baby aligator someone put in a pond where the ducks live) The duck has a torn wing and she has worms in the wound.
How do we eliminate the worms and I guess antibiotics are also waranted, right?
I am at school now and I will go after the lectures to see what can be done.
Any ideas of what to do with the worm infested wound?

Thanks
R

[cyro51]

Worms as in maggots? They must be picked out individually and killed, then treat with something like Moxidectin plus to kill off any missed.

I had this problem with a little dove.

Someone told me there was a powder that could be appiled but I haven't come accross it yet!

Cynthia

[Pidgey]

Well, if those worms are maggots then you've got worse problems. Maggots won't eat living flesh so you have to wonder how much is rotting.

Pidgey

[cyro51]

BTW the fly strike itself can send them into shock so use heat and rehydration. And examine the whole bird for worms and eggs, the wound attracts them but they can lay their eggs in other areas: the vent, the feather shafts etc. My dove had them at the base of the tail and flight feather shafts.

Cynthia

[cyro51]

Actually I am certain that they do eat living flesh, Pidgey. There was nothing rotting on my dove, she didn't even have a dirty vent, just the pipey feathers.

Flushing with sterile saline helped bring them to the surface for disposal.


http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-3/maggots.html

By the way, the little dove survived and was released.

Cynthia

[Reti]

Thank you so much. I haven't seen the poor thing yet, will go there right after school.
Would Scat be of any help to apply? In addition to removing the maggots or worms manually?
How about Ivomec?

Reti

[Pidgey]

Ivomec is only effective against blood-sucking parasites and these may be living on dead flesh. If they are, then that dead flesh might be your worst problem, especially if the entire wing is devitalized because it may require amputation. Systemic antibiotics almost surely will be required.

Pidgey

[jazaroo]

Hi Reti,

My understanding is similar to Pidgey's, that maggots will not eat healthy, viable flesh. As gross as it may sound the maggots in the wound may actually be a good thing in terms of treatment. I remember sometime ago reading or seeing something on this, I did find this link, http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/02/23...eut/index.html , and there are others if you search "maggot therapy."

I know maggots are hardy little things and using any insecticide at a strength that could kill them, I think may bring harm to the bird. My thoughts are a good sprayer bottle with sterile saline to flush the wound free of them, using perhaps a Betadine soap and warm water to finish. Then looking through the feathers, as Cynthia suggested, and remove any you see and perhaps even a hose set to lower pressure to flush through the feathers to remove any missed travelers. As well, since they aren't self-propagating any missed I think would soon die from lack of necrotic tissue to sustain them once the wound is properly dealt with.

Ron

[Pidgey]

Well, it looks to me like some consideration has to be made for the type of fly. I, myself, would be inclined to get the maggots out for a certainty. I was just trying to point out that while you're doing that, you need to check for the viability of the tissues to see if you've got a worse (or as bad of a) problem brewing.

Pidgey

[Reti]

Thanks Ron and Pidgey.
I will definately check for the vitality of tissues and give some Cipro.
If there is necrotic tissue, can I debrid some, I think I should right?
Ok, will see what exactly we are dealing with and let you know tonight.

Thanks

Reti

[Pidgey]

Best of luck but the story so far sounds pretty ominous.

Pidgey

[Trees Gray]

Hi Reti,

I guess it would be best to prepare for the worst then, but I will be praying for the best, and hope it isn't as bad as it sounds.

I wish you could find a qualified duck rehabber, like Terry, in your area.

[jazaroo]

Hi Reti,

One of the links in maggot therapy I saw is for using them for debridement. Although I have no first hand knowledge or insights on this, if these little guys work as reported, perhaps in a best case scenario they will have cleaned and debrided this wound.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

I am hoping for the best for you and this bird.

Ron

[cyro51]

Hi Reti,

Yes, Ivomec will do. It is what is recommended in the Wildlife Care manual.

It is when maggots are used for therapy that they are restricted to dead tissue only. But that is done under supervision. They are not fastidious.

Cynthia

[Reti]

Actually I also heard about this, cleaningwounds with maggots. But it might be a specific kind of maggots? I don't know and I don't know if I see them if I can tell what kind they are.

Thanks Ron

Reti