Fox Attack!!!

[shirlthegirl43]

Glad to hear things are a little more positive. You might be glad to hear there was a dead fox on the road near here this morning - not the one that got your lot but one less menace about! i have nothing against seeing a fit healthy fox in the countryside but we live on quite a busy rural road and I do get cross to come home and see the darned things dragging rubbish about.

[Mrs Dobby]

Sounds as though Elsie is doing a bit better and you do sound a bit more positive Yo, so perhaps the crisis is over and there's just the recovery to go through. Healing energy coming Elsies way from us both!

[Waffler]

Glad to hear she's on the mend; hope you, and they, can get back to some normality soon.

[yoanbob]

thanks everyone, next vet update friday. just hoping she learns to adapt to her disability.

[Headfry]

How is Elsie today yoanbob?

[SueA]

Hope everything is O.K. Yoanbob, how did Elsie go on today at the vet's?

[yoanbob]

hello everyone,
this time the vet asked me how I was, just goes to show how much I love our Elsie, she is doing a little better, I was worried about her new neck position because ducks dont have tear ducts and can get eye infections quite easily if they cant dunk thier heads, but today elsie worked out how to make waves and dunk sideways to get her eyes wet! she so wants to get through this!
although the vet was worried about how little she blinked, we think she was begining to loose her sight anyway, so we are going to set up a duck braile system on the ground so she can feel where she is in case she gets worse in the next few years.
we have been trying the force feeding thing but so far made slow progress but got another lesson from vet so much more confidant now, only time will tell if she will fully adapt but she is still very swollen and bruised, and her spirit wants to learn and adapt so if she can have a decent quality of life we will let her continue, as long as she can.
she got force fed at the vets again and when she came home she just slept for about an hour, but then she really perked up, we are digging them a new pond so I got on with that (because they are still not allowed out on their own, I'm too scared) then she got slowly in the hole and found a worm, I had to chase plum off till she finished it, took her about 15 mins, but she did it! she then had another two!
really pleased with her progress and very proud of her, dont think I would show quite as much determination as she does in the same circumstances.
we may have to make feeders for her off the ground that she can reach easily if she doesnt get her neck movement back, but thats a small price,
even the vet is impressed with her, hopefully the swelling will go down enough in the next week or so for her to be able to swollow, ducks fill their beaks and tilt thir necks back to get food into their gullet, she cant do this, and doesnt recognise powdered food as food, but I think her ability to learn is strong so we may get there, everyone at the vets thinks we should try, they all love her, from previous vet visits, just because she is so full of personality!
Plum has recovered completly from the shock, she was whinging today about the time I let them out! "what time do you call this! I'm so bored!"
I think Elsie was just glad of the rest time, today elsie didnt flap her wings at all, but her preening after water was much better, she actually reached her feathers this time, think shes just sore.
next vet visit wednesday! but I think now she just needs time! shes through the worst, and can only get better, if she stays the same eventually we will have to consider "the shot" but she seems very willing to live so she will get the best care we can give, its only fair...
thanks for all your good wishes, it helps, especially when everyone thinks your bonkers for caring as much for a duck as you would for a dog or cat...
thanks

[shirlthegirl43]

Encouraging news Yo. Glad to hear you sounding so much more positive about it all. Animals have an incredible spirit to live and it is nice to know there are vets out there prepared to help us mad owners. I remember my mum taking a poorly chicken to the vet years ago and getting very odd looks. Mum said the vet was horrified to have to treat a mere chicken turned out she just had lice - unpleasant but easy to treat!

Hope Elsie continues to recover/adapt as well as she seems to be doing.

Keep hoping.

[Waffler]

I think animals are often very resilliant (sp?). Glad to hear she's making progress. Personally I think ducks are great, and why shouldn't they be revered in the same way as many dogs and cats?!
Well done you for your patience and perseverence with her; you really are a top duck owner!

[daisychook]

Yoanbob I think you are a marvel.
It brings tears to my eyes to read how much you care about your duck

Our animals are part of the family too!! I thought I loved my pets, but you definitely take the biscuit!!! (or top spot!)
To hear your journal, restores my faith in human nature, which is never that great at the best of times (sorry to be cynical), its so nice to hear about people like you, who really do care.

Hope she recovers to lead a good life Amazing

Daisy x

[Mrs Dobby]

Glad to hear Elsie is coping, and that you are too! Its natural to care about those who depend upon us, I was completely floored when we lost 2 dogs in a single month last year, one to old age and the rescue one we then got to cancer, but although painful to go through the grieving process I wouldnt be without our furbabies, they give so much and do give you great memories to remember them by!

Dont worry what others think about you, we dont, and if they consider us all bonkers, then I'd rather be bonkers than normal any day!

[yoanbob]

Thanks everyone!
Today is bobs only day off for about a month so at 8.00 am we were off to his grans, then to his other grans to take care of garden, got back about 3.00 put new duck pond in, they were both very intrested, and both accidentley fell in, but they love it, plum going tail up for the first time, thier old pond wasnt so deep, elsie just bathing her eyes. elsie didnt sleep as much today, and tho we are still force feeding she is slowly getting more down herself, no where near as much as plum who is a khaki campbell, and less than half elsies weight, but some which is encouraging.
my main concern now is that she still has no chance of reaching her oil gland, and she can only preen two spots on her front, which means shes damp and chilli for most of the day, but her wounds are still very scary to look at so hoping with time she will get better.
they went to bed tonight at 7.30pm after verbal prompts of "bed time" unheard of, they normally dont go in till about 9.30, so they are learning, its still quite distressing to see elsie loose her top spot in the pecking order, now she follows plum, and if we let ginger chook she would beat her senseless, ginger is top chook!
but I'm still hopefull, and with every small improvement getting more so, if I had Elsies wounds I would be in bed not moving for about six weeks, so go elsie go!

[Headfry]

Been out of office all weekend, first thing I did was to turn on computer to check on poor little Elsie....so glad that the news is better. Thank you so much for your reports Yo an' Bob
Well done!
My love to you all

[chickenjane]

Just read this thread.
so sorry about the fox.

we've had fox attacks a few times over the years..always ghastly.

hope elsie does pull through.
Learned a lot about ducks from reading this.
hope the newly repaired fence is truely fox proof for the future.
as you say he'll be back.he knows where you are & the fox population isn'tgoing down.

[yoanbob]

Elsie improving a little everyday, shes on her last course of antibiotics! and shes feeding herself, she still cant reach her oil gland and consequently is looking a bit bedraggled but I'm hopefull she will get this last milestone in another week or so.
her wounds are healing well and the swelling has gone down and most of the bruising, she is preening all but her tail end.
jane the newly patched fence is just patched, they'll get in if they want to badly enough, none of the fencing goes underground, and we just cant afford it. so they are still on afternoons only outside with me trying to study in the rain keeping fox away, its not a permanant solution but untill elsie can at least run its the only one I have.